Destiny 2: The Final Shape’s Exotic Khvostov looks like a proper delight

Destiny 2‘s auto rifle weapon category is a bit of an acquired taste. Weaker than the SMGs (how?) and less potent at range than the pulse rifles, these guns are a tad awkward but snazzy nonetheless. It’s this snazziness, specifically, that The Final Shape‘s Exotic Khvostov 7G-0X is banking on.

The Khvostov 7G-0X has just received a cool little video showcase as part of Destiny 2: The Final Shape‘s pre-release promotional campaign, and it’s safe to say that this is an entirely different gun than it was back in Destiny 1. Notably, the first Destiny played host to a baseline Khvostov 7G-02, which is present in basically identical form in Destiny 2 as well, as the player Guardian’s first weapon. The first Destiny‘s 7G-0X, however, was a highly customizable, questionably useful, and unquestionably delightful-looking reskin of the base model. Not so with the new version, as veterans will immediately spot.

Khvostov 7G-0X comes with a whole new Perk and model, this time around

Whereas the old iteration of the Exotic Khvostov 7G-0X allowed Guardians to tweak and tune the gun to their own preference, the new 7G-0X is a wholly different beast from the looks of it. Its flexibility, for one, has seemingly been replaced with a unique round ricochet perk, which says that every seventh shot the gun fires will bounce off into a nearby enemy. Neat, albeit obviously a far cry from the original Exotic’s schtick.

The model of the weapon, too, is entirely new. This time around, it seemingly reflects the Khvostov’s Golden Age roots, being a high-tech piece of kit that few could’ve gotten their hands on. The silhouette is highly reminiscent of a mutated M16, of all things, though the carry handle-looking bit is in fact an overdesigned and overbuilt reflex sight protector.

All in all, there’s precious little to complain about so far, though we’ll obviously have to wait and see how the 7G-0X performs in practice to say whether it has a place in the current meta. Remember: auto rifles are getting a hefty 15% damage buff across the board in PvE, and this could help them stand out in Destiny 2‘s immense gear arsenal. Auto rifle enjoyers rejoice, especially now that our old, previously sunset weapons will be viable once again.