Xenophage, the Destiny 2 machine gun with a bug in it, is also bugged

Destiny 2 Xenophage — (Image credit: Bungie)

Xenophage is a sweet-looking exotic machine gun in Destiny 2 that dropped earlier this week. As we explained in our recent guide to getting the thing, its magazine capacity is relatively small but it fires explosive rounds that can chew through waves of enemies with an alarming quickness. But players have noticed that despite its ability to mow through trash mobs, the actual damage is relatively lacklustre, and outperformed by most power weapons in the game.

There's a good video explaining the issues here, but the players swiftly decided the gun couldn't be working like it was meant to. Was there a bug in it?

Well, yes. Because in a bit of cosmic irony, and because this is the space magic-infused Destiny universe, there is literally a bug in the gun: Omar Agah was a member of Eris Morn's doomed fireteam, which was wiped out by the Hive. But—cue the Lore—he didn't really die in the strictest sense of the word. The Hive stripped him of his Light, but his mind and soul ended up inside a creepy crawly that powers the Xenophage. And I get the feeling he's pretty pissed about it.

So it's a bug in a gun with a bug in it! Get it? Except that it's apparently not actually bugged (in the non-lore sense) at all. Responding to inquiries, Bungie community manager Cozmo23 said on Reddit that the lack of precision damage is intentional—so, not a bug—but "the weapon underperforming is not intentional and currently being investigated."

So it's not bugged, but not delivering the damage it's supposed to, either. It's all a bit confusing (to me, at least), but the important thing is that you're not imagining things—Xenophage isn't rocking the Casbah like it should—but Bungie's on the case and will hopefully have it tuned up soon, regardless of what's actually been bugging it.

Xenophage isn't the only exotic weapon to be suffering from an amusingly ironic glitch: The exotic energy sniper rifle Izanagi's Burden works fine (as far as I know), but a bug in the questline means that some players just can't acquire it. Bungie is aware of that one, too, and working on it.

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.