A Sudden Death is an Aggressive Frame shotgun that debuted in Destiny 2’s Prophecy dungeon. It’s a Void shotgun with a solid damage pool under its belt and excels in melee situations, such as if you’re charging through mobs in PvE or trying to control the map in Crucible.
With the arrival of the Rite of the Nine event, Prophecy’s loot pool received a major refresh, and fan-favorite weapons like A Sudden Death are back in the spotlight. Bungie didn’t only bring it back for nostalgia’s sake either; the developers included some new perks and added an Origin Trait, giving it real staying power in both PvE and PvP metas.
In narrative perspective, its return links to the resurgence of the Nine and their mysterious agenda leading up to The Final Shape. The Emissary of the Nine is back in the picture, and so is this weapon of quick judgment and finality—fitting, right?
How to Get A Sudden Death in Destiny 2
To get your hands on A Sudden Death shotgun, you’ll need to run the Prophecy dungeon during the Rite of the Nine event. It’s part of a limited-time loot refresh that also affects the Spire of the Watcher and Ghosts of the Deep dungeons. However, this weapon is exclusive to Prophecy.
To increase the odds of scoring it, focus on the final boss chest as it has a higher drop chance for A Sudden Death. Further, complete the dungeon’s weekly loot chest and finish the mini-quest/attunement, which acts as an onboarding process. Following these activities, you can attune the weapon at the Emissary of the Nine which grants bonus drops and improves your fate in subsequent runs.
Note: A Sudden Death is not craftable, so you’ll need to grind for the perfect roll the old-fashioned way.
A Sudden Death PvP God Roll
If you’re a Crucible grinder or someone who loves shotgun-slide duels in Control or Trials, this shotgun’s PvP god roll will speak your language. As an Aggressive Frame shotgun, it already has nice one-hit potential in a close fight, but to squeeze every kill out of it, you need a roll that improves consistency, range, and handling.
- Barrel: Corkscrew Rifling – A small bump to range, stability, and handling which smooths out an aggressive shotgun’s rougher edges.
- Magazine: Accurized Rounds – Extra range is king in PvP, and this perk adds valuable meters to your one-shot kill distance.
- Perk 1: Threat Detector – More handling and reload speed when enemies are nearby. When you’re firing a shotgun, enemies are always nearby.
- Perk 2: Opening Shot – One of the most coveted PvP perks that improves aim assist and increases accuracy and range for the first trigger pull.
- Origin Trait: Crossing Over – Offers a bonus range and handles the magazine’s upper half, and a damage gain in the lower part.
- Masterwork: Range
- Mod: Quick Access Sling – Lets you swap to the shotgun fast after sprinting or while falling back to cover; that snap-draw can catch even seasoned PvPers off-guard.
This setup is all about fast reaction and first-shot dominance. Aggressive Frame shotguns don’t always seem snappy, but this roll fixes that. The Opening Shot and Accurized combo mean hitting more consistent one-shot kills, and Threat Detector keeps your handling sharp when the fight is right in your face.
A Sudden Death PvE God Roll
For PvE grinders, this roll turns A Sudden Death into a combo machine that synergizes greatly with melee-focused builds, primarily for Titans or Hunters.
- Barrel: Barrel Shroud – Improves handling and stability.
- Magazine: Assault Mag – Increases fire rate and stability. More shots, less recoil.
- Perk 1: One-Two Punch – Precision hits with pellets provide a huge melee damage buff. More heavy damage is the result when paired with melee-based exotics or subclass traits.
- Perk 2: Trench Barrel – After a melee hit, your next three shotgun blasts get bonus damage and better reload speed.
- Origin Trait: Gravity Well – Collects nearby ammo automatically on reload; a handy asset in sustained engagements.
- Masterwork: Handling
- Mod: Backup Mag – More rounds, more action.
The combo of One-Two Punch and Trench Barrel is a classic PvE powerhouse. There is a melee damage and bonus shotgun damage in a tight loop, which simply destroys yellow bars and mini-bosses. If you run builds like Knockout (Titan) or Combination Blow (Hunter), this shotgun turns you into a deadly opponent to face. Running through Nightfalls or dungeons and chain-killing everything in sight is a power trip. Plus, it’s the best in buildcraft-heavy activities like Legend Lost Sectors or The Coil.
Unlike some seasonal weapons or new ritual loot, A Sudden Death is currently not available for weapon crafting in Destiny 2. So, if you’re holding out for the ideal combination of perks, mods, and masterwork, you’ll need to chase it through dungeon completions and lucky drops. Bungie hasn’t hinted at making it craftable either, so don’t bank on it changing soon.
