Thorn has been a fan favorite hand cannon since Destiny 1, so it’s no wonder a bunch of people are wondering how to get the Thorn catalyst in Destiny 2. The Hive-corrupted soul drinker has been a mainstay in Destiny 2’s PvP META for what feels like a millennium, and it’s even had its own fair share of busted PvE builds thanks to its synergy with Necrotic Grips.
Despite this, no one seems to have the catalyst. It’s elusive, but it does exist in the game files. That’s why I’m going over how to get the Thorn catalyst in Destiny 2.
How to Get the Thorn Catalyst in Destiny 2
I hate to burst your bubble, but there is no way to actually get the Thorn catalyst in Destiny 2. For all intents and purposes, it might as well not exist. It does exist in the game files, sure, indicating that Bungie was planning on adding it at one point. For whatever reason, though, those plans fell through.
The Thorn catalyst that was datamined from Destiny 2 way back when indicated that it would give the hand cannon increases range and stability. Increased range on a hand cannon is always incredibly powerful, so maybe Bungie didn’t like how that increase would affect the PvP META.
However, I wouldn’t say all hope is lost for a Thorn catalyst. One of the future darkness-based subclasses coming to Destiny 2 is rumored to be poison-based. The mechanics for a subclass of this nature already exists in the synergy between Thorn and Necrotic Grips. So, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Thorn catalyst launch alongside that subclass whenever that may be.
For now, though, it simply isn’t obtainable in-game. While it does technically exist, it’s far outside the reach of mere mortals like ourselves. We’re simply at the mercy of Bungie and whether or not they see fit to implement it.
