Destiny 2: How to Get the Loaded Question Fusion Rifle

Fusion rifles remain a popular and effective means of eliminating foes in Destiny 2. With the game’s Season of the Deep, the Loaded Question fusion rifle has returned, sporting new weapon perks and a slightly altered appearance. This great Arc weapon caught the eyes of Guardians looking for a powerful tool to take down champions or use for close-quarters boss damage, as the Loaded Question can pack quite a punch with the right perk combination.

The Loaded Question fusion rifle first appeared in Destiny 2 during its fifth season, Season of the Forge, as a pinnacle weapon. While the gun was initially overshadowed by other favorites like The Mountaintop grenade launcher, it did have a flavor all its own thanks to the inclusion of the then-unique Reservoir Burst perk. Now, the weapon has new perk options, making it more potent than its previous incarnation.

Updated on August 3, 2023: The previous version of this guide on how to get the Loaded Question rifle in Destiny 2 was outdated, so we have rewritten the post to make it more up-to-date.

How to Get the Loaded Question in Destiny 2

After nearly five years, the Loaded Question returns to a very different Destiny 2. With the previous iteration of faction quests and pinnacle weapons now gone, the Loaded Question was reintroduced as a Nightfall weapon. Players can acquire the fusion rifle two ways: as a drop after completing a Nightfall strike or through Focused Decoding via Commander Zavala.

While it may sound easy to hop into quick Hero-difficulty Nightfall and reap the rewards, players should note that the gun exclusively has a chance of dropping when it’s the featured Nightfall reward. Further, these rewards are only ever guaranteed upon completing a Grandmaster Nightfall. The weapon can drop in lower difficulties when featured, with Hero, Legend, and Master difficulties offering increasing drop rates, respectively.

After players acquire their first Loaded Question, the gun becomes available through Focused Decoding in The Tower. Guardians can visit Zavala anytime to purchase another Loaded Question with randomized perks.

Loaded Question Focused Decoding cost: 1 Vanguard Engram 25 Legendary Shards 20,000 Glimmer

Additionally, when the fusion rifle is the featured Nightfall reward, players can also purchase an (Adept) version of the Loaded Question from Zavala — so long as one has already been earned from a prior Grandmaster Nightfall completion.

Loaded Question (Adept) Focused Decoding cost: 1 Vanguard Engram 50 Legendary Shards 50,000 Glimmer 10 Nightfall Cipher (Adept) Loaded Question God Rolls

As always, the best possible perk combination, or god roll, depends on the type of content Guardians are taking the gun into. Generally speaking, High-Impact Frame fusion rifles aren’t typically very effective in PvP because of their longer charge times. There are plenty of other great fusion rifles for Destiny 2 PvP. For PvE, players should lean into making the most of the Loaded Question’s high damage while minimizing the effects felt from its slow rate of fire.

Slot

Perk

Why

Barrel

Arrowhead Break

Offers extra Stability and Handling, which feeds into the two best PvE Traits to target.

Mag

Liquid Coils

Liquid Coils only decreases charge time by a small amount while adding more Impact to an already impressive damage dealer. This is made all the sweeter thanks to the fire rate increase that comes along with Controlled Burst.

Trait 1

Auto-Loading Holster

Loaded Question excels at quickly taking high-priority threats off the board. With that in mind, Auto-Loading Holster allows fast swapping to the gun without worrying about reloads.

Trait 2

Controlled Burst

Controlled Burst is the Trait that brings everything together. It adds a damage and charge time buff whenever players hit an enemy with every bolt from a shot. This may sound tricky, but it’s easy to pull off in close range — and especially against large bosses.

Masterwork

Handling/Range

The Masterwork on the Loaded Question is less of a sticking point, but any increase to the speed at which the gun can be drawn, or its effective range, is welcome.

Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.