The Destiny 2 Guardian Games 2021 are upon us. They started last week, and so far all players have been having a great time attempting to make theirs the class that claims victory. However, for those just getting into the event, it’s not entirely clear what you’re meant to be doing. It’s even less clear how the whole thing works. In this guide, we aim to dispel the mystery around the event. We’ll cover everything you need to know about it, and you should come away ale to jump in and take on the Guardian Games.

What are the Destiny 2 Guardian Games 2021
Image Source: Bungie

What is the Destiny 2 Guardian Games 2021?

Guardian Games is an event in Destiny 2 that acts as a way for players to show their support for the class that they play, Warlock, Titan, or Hunter. The games have an activity that players need to take part in so that they can earn progress for their chosen class. However, things have changed a bit this year. The winning class will still have a statue in the Tower at the end, but getting there is more complicated.

Earning Points

The goal of the Guardian Games is to pick your class and earn as many points for it as possible. You can do this by completing most activities, but the one you may want to focus on for this event is the Guardian Games Playlist. It’s a standard Vanguard Strike playlist but it’s all about the Guardian Games. You’ll be matched with players of the same class as you, making collecting bonus Laurels from others in the same class much easier. It’s what you should be doing if you truly want to do the best to support your team.

The points are valued as the following.

  • Bronze: 1 Point
  • Silver: 2 Points
  • Gold: 5 Points
  • Platinum: 15 Points

The class that comes in third place will get a permanent 10% bonus to points moving forward. This is to alleviate any unfairness when it comes to the number of people running a certain class. If you play Destiny 2 a lot, then you’ll know that there’s a huge number of Hunters in the game compared to Titans and Warlocks.

Modifiers

The Guardian Games playlist has a series of modifiers associated with it. These are all based on the class standing of the previous day, so they’ll change regularly. Classes will get a beneficial modifier if they’re performing well. While they’ll still get one if they’re last, it won’t be as powerful as the best one. The modifiers are as follows.

  • Gold: Recovery, health, and shields are increased. All your kinetic weapons will deal more damage.
  • Silver: You have a faster recharge rate for your melee abilities. any elemental damage from Guardian sources is increased, and you’ll have more Heavy ammo available.
  • Bronze: Your grenade abilities deal more damage and recharge a lot faster. Any elemental damage dealt from a Guardian source is increased as well.

However, you’ll also have to deal with some negative modifiers. This is designed to make life a little harder for the class that’s leading. Gold class has two modifiers, Silver has one, and Bronze doesn’t get any, which helps them out. The modifiers will be themed around the classes that finish lower on the podium. They are as follows.

Bronze Modifiers

  • Titan: Melee attacks from combatants deal more damage.
  • Warlock: Damage dealt to you is increased while airborne.
  • Hunter: Radar will be disabled.

Silver Modifiers

  • Titan: Any melee damage from combatants now deals significantly more damage.
  • Warlock: Airborne damage taken is now significantly increased.
  • Hunter: Radar is disabled, and combatants won’t flinch when they’re damaged.

Silver classes will only get the bronze modifier from the class below them. Gold classes, on the other hand, will get a mix of the bronze and silver modifiers below them. This can lead to some truly awful combinations that will definitely cause you a lot of hassle.

Medal Case

You’ll be given a Medal Case as part of these Guardian Games. You need to fill the case up with the right combination of medals and then bank it for your team when you return to the Tower. This could see you out and about for a long time filling said case. However, if you do it well, you’ll benefit from the rewards on offer from Eva Levante.

Contender Card

A new feature for the Destiny 2 Guardian Games 2021 is the Contender Card. It’s a new way to earn points for your team. You can exchange Laurels for them with Eva Levante, and start earning points in new ways. Each card generally has a set of objectives for Strikes, the Crucible, or Gambit, and you’ll need to complete them to complete the card. Each card awards a gold medal, which isn’t too shabby when you think about it.

However, you can pick up a special Platinum contender Card. This one is purely focused on Nightfalls, Survival, and Trials of Osiris. This is the only way to earn platinum medals for this event. considering how many points they’re worth, it’s almost certainly worth completing them. You’ll also get a special reward at the Podium Ceremony if you complete these cards.

Podium Ceremony

The Podium Ceremony takes place every weekend. Your class will be assigned a glow based on the position it’s in on the podium. Those glows are as follows.

  • Bronze glow for third place.
  • Silver glow for second place.
  • Gold glow for first place.
  • Platinum glow for All-Stars, those who have completed a Platinum Contender Card.

Rewards

A plethora of new cosmetics are on offer for this event. However, the only thing you should be concerned with earning is Heir Apparent. This is an Exotic Machine Gun, and this year it’s got a new Catalyst for you to earn. Getting this weapon during the Guardian Games will ensure that you’re able to use it for years to come. The design is sleek, and the Catalyst looks to be based on an old adversary from Destiny 1. If you’re a hardcore Destiny 2 player, then this is the weapon and focus for you for this entire event.