One of the most fascinating Exotic weapons that players can get in Destiny 2 is the Parasite Grenade Launcher, a Solar energy Power weapon that actually fires Hive worms as its ammunition. The Witch Queen expansion has introduced some of the most unique Exotic weapons that Destiny 2 has ever seen. Parasite is definitely at the top of the more grotesque weapons available, and its importance within the game's lore makes it one of the worthwhile Exotic weapons to acquire in Destiny 2.
[Warning: Major spoilers for Destiny 2's The Witch Queen campaign are below.]
Parasite's intrinsic trait is called Worm's Hunger, meaning the size of the explosion and the amount of damage it deals with scales with the number of enemies players have defeated before firing it. Its Exotic trait, Worm's Byproduct, actually makes the weapon stronger if players inflict any damage with it upon themselves. While there isn't a catalyst for Parasite, it's definitely a great weapon to use in PvE activities, particularly ones with large groups of enemies in tight spaces. The only real downside is Parasite's single-round magazine, but at least it synergizes nicely with weapons that have Harmony or Sympathetic Arsenal.
Fortunately, Parasite isn't one of the new weapons that is locked behind a time gate, much like the class Exotic Glaives in Destiny 2. Instead, players will need to complete The Witch Queen campaign to unlock the "Off Queens and Worms" Exotic quest that rewards players with Parasite. This is a 17-step quest that involves a few missions and exploration around Savathûn's Throne World, as well as communication with both Mara Sov and Fynch.
Destiny 2: How To Complete The Parasite Exotic Quest
Following the immediate end of the campaign, players will be tasked with visiting Mara Sov in the Enclave below where they are able to craft weapon patterns. The Parasite quest itself is about saving Savathûn's worm from dying, which brings players all across the Throne World to find different runes and worm incubators inside the Lost Sectors. This quest is a great opportunity to also raise reputation ranks in the Throne World with Fynch quickly, as clearing the Lost Sectors rewards roughly 70 rank points.
Essentially, the process of finding a rune and clearing a Lost Sector repeats itself for each of the three areas in the Throne World, with the worm revealing more lore with each incubator location. Although the final quest is recommended at 1520, players who finished the normal campaign difficulty in Destiny 2 should have no problem clearing it solo. Parasite will be rewarded to players before the final mission is over, giving them a chance to test it out on the Scorn surrounding them and Mara.
Destiny 2 is available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and Google Stadia platforms.