How to Melee in Destiny 2
For those new to Bungie’s shared-world shooter, Destiny 2 is all about space powers, powerful guns, and blasting aliens. You’ll jump from planet to planet completing quests alone or with friends as you collect awesome gear that helps you show off your accomplishments. Most of that gear comes in the form of guns, but sometimes you don’t want to (or can’t) shoot. There will be times when you need to just hit an enemy in the face. That’s where melee attacks come in.
Melee attacks in Destiny 2 work just like they did in the first game. Using them thrusts out your arm to strike whoever happens to be in front of you, and if you have a melee ability charged, it will have an added effect. This can be Burn damage, a thrown knife, or even an overshield. Unlike most first-person shooters, though, you don’t trigger this attack by clicking in the right thumbstick. Instead, you use R1/RB to activate this ability.
Again, remember that you can use your melee attack in Destiny 2 as much as you want, but the special ability that requires energy will only be triggered when the symbol by your weapons and Super bar is filled. It’s worth noting that the base melee attack does much less damage than the powered up ability, so keep that in mind before jumping into the face of enemies that are bigger or stronger than you are. It’s no fun punching an alien, or another Guardian, in the face only to have them laugh and shoot you before skipping away.
Good luck and safe travels, Guardians.