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Destiny 2 Hierarchy of Needs drop location, catalyst source explained

How to get - and upgrade - the Exotic from Spire of the Watcher.

Destiny 2’s Hierarchy of Needs is a new Exotic bow added as a reward in Season of the Seraph.

It’s an energy-slot Solar bow with an intrinsic perk that allows its arrows to track enemies when firing with the weapon through a ‘Guidance Ring’, created by landing precision hits and final blows against combatants and Guardians – final blows on Guardians generate more energy to build up the Guidance Ring charge.

Shooting through this ring will boost the weapon’s damage based on the distance of which the arrow travels.

In this guide, we’ll be explaining how to get Hierarchy of Needs, how you can increase your drop rate of the bow, and unlock the Hierarchy of Needs catalyst.

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How to get Hierarchy of Needs in Destiny 2

Hierarchy of Needs is a possible drop upon completing the Spire of the Watcher dungeon.

That means you must complete the last encounter in the dungeon - and from there, it's based on pure luck for whether it will drop.

The Hierarchy of Needs Exotic bow and its Exotic perks.

At launch, it's difficult to know whether there is any 'bad luck protection' enabled so each completion increases the drop rate - but there are, however, confirmed ways to increase your chances of acquiring this weapon with some extra work.

How to increase Hierarchy of Needs drop chance in Destiny 2

Much like with Duality, there are several triumphs available to complete that will boost the drop chance rate of the Hierarchy of Needs Exotic bow.

Many of the triumphs for Spire of the Watcher grant triumph score with a couple providing extra rewards like the ‘Into the Sunset’ Sparrow – acquired via the ‘Resident Vexpert’ triumph – and the ‘Flight of Soteria’ emblem given for completing the ‘Untarnished Grit’ triumph.

A few of the available triumphs – some of which are also required for the new ‘WANTED’ title – also grant you a permanently-increased drop chance for the Exotic.

Left: The triumph page for the 'WANTED' title associated with the dungeon. / Right: One of the triumphs available that rewards a permanently-increased drop rate for the Hierarchy of Needs Exotic.

Below are the five triumphs available that’ll increase the drop rate of the Hierarchy of Needs bow when completed:

  • Mind the Vexplosion – Complete all encounters in the Spire of the Watcher dungeon without dying
  • The Magnificent One – Complete all encounters in the Spire of the Watcher dungeon solo
  • Untarnished Grit – Complete all encounters in the Spire of the Watcher dungeon solo without dying
  • Resident Vexpert – Complete the Spire of the Watcher dungeon on Master difficulty
  • Devil in the Details – Find and listen to each devilish recording throughout the Spire of the Watcher dungeon

For the Devil in the Details triumph, be sure to check out our collectibles guide.

On top of these permanent buffs to the drop rate, you can also complete the dungeon per character, not only acquiring its associated rewards and completing its weekly Pinnacle challenge, but also an additional chance at netting yourself the bow.


The Season of the Deep is here alongside the Into the Depths quest. You can know go fishing too! Don't forget to keep an eye on the Lost Sector and King's Fall challenge rotation schedule!


How to get the Hierarchy of Needs Catalyst in Destiny 2

Alongside the bow itself, the Spire of the Watcher dungeon also contains a catalyst to upgrade and enhance the Hierarchy of Needs Exotic bow.

Once unlocked, Hierarchy of Needs' catalyst reduces the bow’s draw time and reload speed for a “moderate duration” when deploying a Guidance Ring or striking an enemy with one of the bow’s seeking projectiles. (Thanks Hylette on reddit for confirming this.)

The catalyst for Hierarchy of Need. From Reddit user Hylette.

To unlock this weapon’s catalyst, you’ll first need to be lucky enough to have the base weapon itself – catalysts in general only drop if you own the weapon it’s for.

Once you have the bow however, all you need to do is complete Spire of the Watcher on Master difficulty, the power-level-1610-recommended, more challenging version of the dungeon, available to everyone who owns the dungeon right from the getgo.

In this version of the dungeon, you’ll face Overload Champions – in this case, Conduit Minotaurs become the Overload Champions – as well as enemies with more resistant shields due to the Match Game modifier.

Alongside the Hierarchy of Needs' catalyst, armour drops from Master difficulty will come with the 'Artifice' mod slot, a bonus slot made exclusively for artifact mods.

As such, you’ll want to bring Arbalest or any Adaptive Ammunitions-equipped or element-matching weapons to this one.

Additionally, Harpies gain Arc shields and since the Minotaurs are now Champions, they no longer have Void shields.

It’s a challenge primarily worth taking on with a group, unless you’re really looking for a challenge, then buckle up because you might be in there for a while!

The catalyst in the Triumphs page is only visible to those who own the base weapon itself, and whilst it doesn't specifically state that Master completions are guaranteed reward you with it, the general consensus online suggests it has been a guarantee on their first Master completion.

Whether you’re taking on the Master difficulty dungeon, or you’ve yet to earn the Hierarchy of Needs bow, we wish you good luck on your RNG adventures! And if you've yet to beat the dungeon, be sure to check out our complete guide on the Spire of the Watcher dungeon, explaining all encounters, boss fights, collectibles and secrets.

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