Destiny 2: How to Get the Gjallarhorn and Gjallarhorn Catalyst

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Human Made

Penned by Kody Wirth

Kody is our expert Destiny 2 and shooter genre writer. He lives in Oregon.

Reviewed by Ashley Johnson

Bungie’s 30th Anniversary Event has brought in a lot of new gear and weapons. However, there’s no weapon more recognizable or more sought after than the Exotic rocket launcher, the Gjallarhorn. That’s right, the original go-to Power Weapon from the original Destiny is back and honestly better than ever.

Here’s everything you need to know about the new Gjallarhorn and how to unlock it in Destiny 2.

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What is the Gjallarhorn?

Anyone who played Destiny has either used or heard of the Gjallarhorn. When it was originally introduced, it was the first and only rocket launcher that included tracking missiles. At the time, unlocking it was basically a requirement to play high-level activities — anyone who ground out the Crota’s End Raid knows all too well how useful it is.

Up until now, it has been notoriously absent in Destiny 2. This latest rendition brings the once prolific weapon up to modern Destiny standards thanks to some well-adjusted Perks and Catalyst. The first Perk is (of course) the Wolfpack Rounds. But then there’s the new support Perk.

The Pack Hunter Perk grants you increased reload speed and handling when wielding the Gjallarhorn, and grants Wolfpack Rounds to non-Exotic rocket launchers when your teammates are near. That’s right, you can grant tracking rounds to other rocket launchers! This means that your team can run other Exotics and still get one of the greatest benefits from the Gjallarhorn in the process. Somehow they made the Gjallarhorn that much better.

How to Get the Gjallarhorn in Destiny 2

Exotic Quests can be very in-depth activities. However, just like the Forerunner Exotic Quest in the 30th Anniversary, this quest isn’t all that difficult. Here’s what you need to do to earn the Gjallarhorn.

1. Complete a Round of Dares of Eternity and Visit Xur

Just like the start of collecting the Forerunner Exotic, the first thing you’ll need to do is complete a round of Dares of Eternity. You’ll automatically run through one round as soon as you log in for the first time and can then head to Xur’s Treasure Horde to visit the Emissary of the Nine. 

Chat with Xur and complete the last few quest steps to unlock the “And Fly Out The Wolves” quest to kickoff your pursuit of the Gjallarhorn. Then head to the Cosmodrome to visit with Shaw Han and fully activate the quest.

2. Complete the Grasp of Avarice Dungeon

The next step is to complete the new Dungeon, the Grasp of Avarice. This Dungeon has you exploring what lies beneath the original Loot Cave and take out Fallen who have been messing with Engrams. While this Dungeon isn’t incredibly difficult, it does lean heavily into platforming encounters, traps, and wave-based combat encounters. 

There are also two different difficulties that you can play, with Normal only requiring you to be 1310 power level to enter. Master difficulty includes additional modifiers as well as enemies with larger health bars and requires you to be at 1360 power level to even stand a chance. For your first run, try to get a full team together and run the Normal mode to make sure you can complete it.

3. Collect Wolfpack Rounds in the Cosmodrome

Once you’ve worked your way through the Dungeon, it’s time to head back to Shaw Han. You’ll present the Wolfpack Round you’ve found and he’ll ask you to find six additional Rounds. To do this, you’ll need to defeat Powerful Fallen in the Cosmodrome, which is any Fallen enemy with a yellow health bar. 

To do this quickly, head to the Exodus Garden 2A Lost Sector in the Divide, or be on the lookout for Glimmer Extraction Public Events. Keep in mind that you’ll need to land the final blow in order for the kill to qualify. Additionally, it seems that landing precision final blows increases the likelihood that a Wolfpack Round will drop.

4. Visit Shaw Han and Banshee-44

Once you have all seven rounds, head back to chat with Shaw Han. He’ll then tell you to head back to The Tower to chat with Banshee-44. He’ll tell you that the weapon looks familiar and that it’s best to apply your own flair to each iteration, and provide you with a Trigger mechanism. Then he’ll tell you that it can be finished, but requires additional parts.

5. Complete the Exodus Garden 2A Lost Sector

Banshee-44 will point you toward the Cosmodrome and the Exodus Garden 2A Lost Sector. To get there, just look at Shaw, turn around, and head into the building. Head toward The Divide and look for the broken highway. Jump on top of the water tower from the highway and head into the rusted-out balcony to start. This should be an easy run, and you’ll pick up the last piece of the Gjallarhorn. Head back to the main landing area to complete the last few steps.

6. Build the Gjallarhorn

Now that you have all the pieces, it’s time to put it all together. Head over to Shaw Han’s tool chest underneath the building you entered to get to the Lost Sector. Put it together and head back over to Shaw Han to have one final chat. After that, you’ll have the Gjallarhorn unlocked and will likely never talk to Shaw Han ever again.

How to Get the Gjallarhorn Catalyst

Earning the Gjallarhorn Catalyst requires you to run through the Grasp of Avarice Dungeon again. This time, it requires you to complete an alternate version by eliminating three Reaver Vandals spread out throughout the entire Dungeon. 

The first is located in the cave at the beginning of the dungeon, with the chest being located across the ravine on an upper part of a metal girder. The second Vandal is in the room before you head into the vents, with the chest being to the right of the vent exit. Your last Vandal will be just after the Fallen Shield and requires you to launch yourself to an area where you land in some water. The Vandal will be in a hut, and once you’ve activated the buff, head to the central area and unlock the chest on the top of the building.

As you damage them, they’ll drop Exotic Engrams that grant you “Burdened by Riches.” Collect them and search for a chest nearby to open them before you lose the debuff.

After collecting all three chests, just finish the Dungeon to unlock the “More Wolves” Gjallarhorn Catalyst. 

What Does the Gjallarhorn Catalyst Do?

Taking the trend of Ager’s Scepter and other recent Exotics, this Exotic Catalyst provides more than just Orb generation. It also grants an increased magazine size and spawns Wolfpack Rounds faster when landing final blows. It’s not the craziest Catalyst we’ve seen in recent weapons, but it does compound the benefits of using the Gjallarhorn, which is honestly worth it.

Join the High Ground

The Gjallarhorn is back with a vengeance, and feels just as good as it did back in vanilla Destiny. Even after the numerous advanced rocket launchers that have been released over the years, this classic weapon still stands among the best. It also helps that the introduction of advanced Perks and a high-end Catalyst truly upgrades how useful the original tracking shot Rocket Launcher can be. 

Be sure to let your Fireteam know how to get this iconic weapon by sharing this article on your favorite social channels, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest on Destiny 2. 

Happy gaming!