The dedicated Player-versus-Environment (PvE) community has been gifted two items that are already shaking up the high-level meta: the Killswitch Assault Rifle and the Swarmforge Submachine Gun. These are not merely powerful Legendaries; they are true Exotics, offering unique mechanics and damage multipliers that make them essential for tackling the season’s most challenging content, including the new Raids and high-tier Zone Dives.

However, acquiring and, more importantly, maximizing the potential of these weapons requires dedication and a specific route through the new content.

The Killswitch: A Calculated Ambush

The Killswitch Assault Rifle is a precision tool built for calculated high-damage bursts. Its intrinsic perk allows players to store kinetic energy with every precision hit, which is then released in a massive area-of-effect (AoE) blast upon reloading.

Acquisition Route: The World Event Grind

The Killswitch is not a random drop; it is tied to a newly introduced, high-difficulty rotating event.

  1. Locate the “Temporal Anomaly” Event: This rare Public Event spawns in the Axiom District (Zone 3) on the map rotation. It is only active for 15 minutes.
  2. Complete the Event Flawlessly: The event requires defending a power core against waves of highly shielded enemies. A flawless completion (core integrity above 90%) has a guaranteed drop rate of the Killswitch Blueprint. Failure results in a random Legendary reward.

Empowerment: Unlocking the Shrapnel Rounds

To unlock its full power, players must earn its unique Affinity Rounds. For the Killswitch, this is the Shrapnel Round modification, which causes the AoE blast to apply a stacking bleed debuff to all affected enemies.

  • Requirement: Complete 10 Master-Tier Zone Dives while achieving a minimum score threshold of 250,000. This tests sustained PvE performance and coordination.

The Swarmforge: Unstoppable Momentum

The Swarmforge SMG is designed for the hyper-aggressive player, rewarding constant movement and sustained fire. Its perk grants rapidly escalating stability and a damage bonus the longer the trigger is held, making it a powerful tool for clearing hordes.

Acquisition Route: The Vault of the Forgotten

The Swarmforge is locked behind a new, high-difficulty solo/duo dungeon located deep within the new map’s subterranean area.

  1. Access the Vault: Complete the pre-requisite side quest “The Keeper’s Key” to gain access to the Vault of the Forgotten entrance in the Abandoned Sewers (Zone 1).
  2. Defeat the Archivist: The weapon is a guaranteed drop from defeating the Archivist, the final boss of the dungeon. This fight is a grueling test of patience, requiring players to utilize environmental hazards to lower the boss’s impenetrable shields.

Empowerment: Unlocking the Photon Rounds

The Swarmforge’s ultimate form is achieved with the Photon Round modification, which converts a portion of its damage to energy damage, allowing it to bypass specific enemy shield types entirely.

  • Requirement: Defeat 50 Elite Enemies (identified by a gold health bar) using the base Swarmforge weapon while your health is below 30%. This forces the player into a high-risk, high-reward playstyle.

Acquiring both the Killswitch and the Swarmforge – and successfully completing the grueling challenges necessary to empower their unique Affinity Rounds – is the new benchmark for PvE mastery. These are the tools that will define the most dominant build strategies for the rest of the season.