Destiny 2: Guardian Games 2026: Complete Guide

Guardian Games is Destiny 2's annual class-competition event, running every spring since 2020. All three Guardian classes: Titan, Hunter, and Warlock: compete head-to-head by earning a special event currency called Medallions and banking them at class-specific podiums in the Tower. The class that accumulates the best daily average score across the most days over the three-week event is crowned the winner and earns bragging rights for the entire year.

The event is free for all Destiny 2 players: no expansion or season pass required to participate in the core competition. It runs alongside regular game content, meaning you can pursue Guardian Games objectives while doing your usual Nightfalls, raids, and dungeon runs. A paid Event Card (available from Eva Levante) unlocks additional challenges, a title, and cosmetic rewards beyond the free tier.

The stakes are genuine: the winning class receives a commemorative All-Stars statue in the Tower that remains on display for the entire following year. Members of the winning class can also trigger victory fireworks at the statue year-round: a small but satisfying flex in front of every Guardian who walks through the Tower.

2026 context: Guardian Games arrives during a transitional moment for Destiny 2. The next major update (Shadow and Order, recently delayed and renamed) won't land until June 9, 2026. Guardian Games is the headline content event for March and April, making it more important than usual as a focal point for the player base.

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Bungie has officially confirmed the March 24 start date. The end date of April 14 is based on the standard three-week event duration and is corroborated by community database sources. An Xbox Events page briefly listed May 14, which conflicts with normal weekly reset timing; April 14 remains the reliable end date unless Bungie states otherwise.

March 24 · 9 AM PDT

Event launch: Day 1

Guardian Games goes live. Eva Levante activates in the Tower Courtyard with the Best in Class intro quest, Contender Cards, and bounties. Rushdown becomes accessible from the Destinations menu. All three class podiums are open for Medallion deposits.

March 28 · Daily reset

First Friday Ceremony

First weekly Ceremony event activates. Points from the first four days determine Week 1's standing winner. Players receive a Laurel Crown glow; class items shift to gold, silver, or bronze based on class rank.

April 4 · Daily reset

Week 2 Ceremony

Second weekly ceremony. Serious competitors will have completed multiple Expert Rushdown runs, maxed Diamond Cards twice, and accumulated a significant Medallion lead. Week 2 standings often shift class rankings dramatically.

April 11 · Daily reset

Week 3 Ceremony: final standings locked

The last ceremony before closing. Final opportunity to lock in All-Star Status. Diamond Card slots reset for the third and final time. Complete the Drop In quest before this week ends to permanently keep the Allstar Vector Skimmer.

April 14 · 9 AM PDT

Closing Ceremony: event ends

Guardian Games 2026 closes. The winning class is crowned. The All-Stars statue is placed in the Tower. Any incomplete Event Card challenges, unclaimed Medallions, and Contender Cards are forfeit: there is no grace period.

When you first log in on March 24, an in-game notification will direct you to the Tower. Eva Levante stands in the center of the Tower Courtyard. New players who haven't cleared Destiny 2's basic onboarding requirements will need to do so first. For returning players, the Guardian Games Milestone unlocks D2 leveling.

1. Speak to Eva Levante in the Tower Courtyard. She hands you the "Best in Class" intro quest: the gateway to the entire event. She also gives you a free Guardian Games class item with an Artifice Armor bonus mod slot worth +3 to any stat of your choice. You're not locked to Eva's specific item; any Guardian Games class item works for passive Medallion generation.
2. Equip your Guardian Games class item. This is the single most critical action for the entire event. Without the class item equipped, completing activities will not generate passive Bronze or Silver Medallions. Treat it like a seatbelt: never leave the Tower without it.
3. Complete the Best in Class quest. Two valid paths: finish a Guardian Games Supremacy PvP match, or complete a Guardian Games playlist activity (Rushdown or Gambit variant). Either works. Report back to Eva once done.
4. Unlock your Medallion Case and collect your first Medallion. Eva opens your Medallion Case, visible in your Quest inventory tab, which stores up to 5 Medallions of each tier. She hands you a starter Medallion. Head to the podiums behind her and deposit it into your class's specific podium.
5. Redeem your first Event Challenge immediately. Depositing your first Medallion unlocks the Event Challenge screen. Open it immediately and claim the first challenge: this cascades and unlocks all remaining challenges. Skipping this step leaves subsequent challenges locked indefinitely until you go back and claim it.
6. Pick up Shoot to Score from Zavala and Vying for Supremacy from Shaxx. These parallel progression quests track your Rushdown and Crucible Supremacy performance respectively. Both reward Medallions and XP on completion. Always have them active before any Rushdown or Supremacy session.
7. Buy Contender Cards from Eva and start grinding. Eva sells Daily Bounties, Weekly Bounties, and Contender Cards at Gold, Platinum, and Diamond tiers. Buy the highest-tier cards available and begin your first Rushdown run immediately to fill them.

Day 1 speed run: Log in, grab Diamond Card from Eva, run Expert Rushdown immediately, deposit Medallions, claim all Event Challenges in sequence, then pick up Shoot to Score and Vying for Supremacy. You'll push deep into event progression in one focused 90-minute session.

Destiny 2 Armor ornaments

Each class receives a brand-new armor ornament set for 2026. These are cosmetic overlays applied to existing non-Exotic armor pieces: no transmog tokens required. They are available at the Eververse store from Tess Everis for Bright Dust or Silver throughout the event.

All Guardian Games armor ornaments from previous years (2020–2025) remain available at Eververse throughout the event for Bright Dust or Silver. If you missed past years' sets, D2 Renegades help is your annual recollection window.

Medallions are the core currency of Guardian Games. They are earned through gameplay and deposited at your class's Tower podium to contribute to that class's daily score. Every Medallion you deposit also rewards you personally: higher-tier deposits have a chance to drop Guardian Games weapons, upgrade materials, and other loot. The Medallion Case in your Quest inventory holds a maximum of 5 Medallions of each tier simultaneously.

Critical rule: If your Medallion Case is full and you earn a Medallion through a Triumph completion, that Medallion is permanently destroyed. There is no overflow queue, no recovery, no support ticket solution. Check your case regularly and deposit before it reaches capacity.

Destiny 2 Bronze

The baseline tier. Earned passively by completing Core Playlist activities with the Guardian Games class item equipped. Low individual contribution to class score but infinitely farmable and zero friction to earn.

SOURCE · Strikes · Gambit · Quickplay PvP · Any Core Playlist with GG class item

Destiny 2 Silver

Mid-tier passive earn. Generated from higher-performance Core Playlist runs or basic Contender Card completions. Most players accumulate Silver naturally without specifically targeting it.

SOURCE · Higher-difficulty Core Playlists · Basic Contender Cards · Throne World activities

Destiny 2 Gold

First tier that reliably drops Guardian Games weapons on deposit. The workhorse tier for active grinders who aren't running Expert Rushdown. Gold Contender Cards are unlimited and stackable alongside any content.

SOURCE · Gold Contender Cards (unlimited) · Episodic Medallion Card · Lost Sector Card · Standard Rushdown completion

Destiny 2 Platinum

High-value tier with strong weapon drop rates and significant class score contribution. The most efficient Medallion tier for time-invested grinding. The Stand-Out Performance Platinum Card completes from a single Expert Rushdown or GM Nightfall run: making it the most accessible Platinum source.

SOURCE · Expert Rushdown (completion) · GM Nightfall · Nightfall Platinum Card · Stand-Out Performance Card · Platinum Plunderer Card

Destiny 2 Diamond

The rarest and most powerful tier. Diamond deposits can yield multiple Guardian Games weapons simultaneously, including a fully Masterworked copy. Also rewards Enhancement Prisms and Ascendant Shards. Hard-gated to twice per week per account via the Diamond Contender Card.

SOURCE · Diamond Contender Card (2×/week, per account) · Diamond-score-threshold Expert Rushdown runs

Destiny 2 Contender Cards reference

Rushdown is Guardian Games' signature PvE mode, introduced in 2025 and confirmed to return in 2026 via the leaked Xbox event description. It is a boss-rush activity where a fireteam of three Guardians must defeat five progressively harder bosses against a shared time limit. Bosses are drawn from Destiny 2's existing roster: campaign enemies, Exotic mission bosses, and seasonal story mission antagonists. Expect encounters from the likes of Savathun, the Eye of Riven, Ghaul, Oryx, and other franchise veterans.

The defining mechanic is the daily rotation: Rushdown's boss lineup changes every day, meaning no two consecutive days feature the exact same sequence. This keeps the activity fresh across the event's full three-week run and rewards Guardians who learn multiple boss kits. All three difficulty tiers share the same rotating pool on any given day, so your Warm-up practice directly applies to Expert.

Matchmaking is available in all three Rushdown modes with options for open matchmaking (any class), class-specific matchmaking (same class only), or private fireteam with pre-assembled teammates. Coordinated premade fireteams are measurably more efficient on Expert difficulty, where revive management and synchronized DPS windows directly translate to Diamond-tier scores for D2 The Edge of Fate.

Warm-up

• No revive token system
• Lowest enemy power and density
• Forgiving time limit
• Drops: Bronze & Silver Medallions
• Weapon possible at 3+ encounters
• Best for: Learning boss patterns, solo runs, casual participation

Standard

• 3 shared revive tokens
• Moderate enemy power scaling
• Tighter time limit per encounter
• Drops: Gold & Platinum Medallions
• Guaranteed weapon at 3+ encounters
• Best for: Regular daily grinding, mid-tier players

Expert

• 3 shared revive tokens
• High enemy power + strong modifiers
• Strict time limit, bonus time per kill
• Drops: Platinum & Diamond Medallions
• Diamond-score: Masterworked weapon
• Also drops Enhancement Prisms & Ascendant Shards
• Best for: Max efficiency, Diamond Cards, serious class contribution

Destiny 2 Scoring mechanics in detail

Your Rushdown score is determined by two factors: bosses defeated and time bonus. Every boss kill contributes a base score value. Every second of time remaining after a boss dies converts into bonus score points: meaning speed is rewarded multiplicatively, not just additively. A fireteam that annihilates a boss in 40 seconds earns dramatically more than one that takes 3 minutes on the same encounter.

Revive tokens function as a safety valve with score implications. Using a revive doesn't immediately tank your tier, but exhausting all three tokens forces the run to end early: you keep the encounters you've cleared but lose access to the remaining bosses. Fewer boss completions means fewer score multipliers. The Diamond reward threshold demands both high completion counts and exceptional speed simultaneously.

• Bring your absolute best DPS build. Speed kills bosses faster; faster kills produce bigger time bonuses. Weapon Tier builds, Surge-stacked subclasses, and Well of Radiance coordination dominate Expert scores.
• Stack Stand-Out Performance + Platinum Plunderer before every Expert session. Both Platinum Cards fill simultaneously from a single Expert run, giving you two guaranteed Platinum Medallions on top of all other rewards from that run.
• Hit the banner the instant a boss dies. Every second between encounter completion and banner interaction bleeds off the clock that would otherwise become bonus points for the next encounter. Assign one player to sprint to the banner while others clean up stragglers.
• Learn mandatory invulnerability phases before Expert. Bosses from Exotic missions and some campaigns have scripted invulnerability windows. Running into one blind wastes DPS time and clock. Use Warm-up to map out a new boss the first time you see it in rotation.
• Accept deaths; reject revive burns. If a teammate goes down mid-encounter and you're confident you can finish the boss, let them be dead and pick them up at the banner. Burning a shared revive token when unnecessary is a run-killer over the full five encounters.
• Communicate damage phase timing. For multi-phase bosses, calling "DPS in 3" and synchronizing super activations, heavy weapon usage, and exotic procs creates burst windows that finish phases in seconds instead of minutes.
• Run three of the same class for class-specific matchmaking. Class-based fireteams tend to coordinate better, and your shared class item grinds Medallions simultaneously for a unified podium contribution at D2 raid help.

Destiny 2 Other Guardian Games Playlists

While Rushdown is the headlining PvE activity, Guardian Games also runs dedicated PvP and PvEvP playlist variants. These offer alternative Medallion income streams, Event Challenge completions, and parallel quest progress for players who prefer different content types.

Destiny 2 Guardian Games Supremacy (PvP)

Supremacy is a modified Crucible mode where teams compete by collecting Crests dropped by fallen Guardians. Class teams are pitted against each other. Shaxx's "Vying for Supremacy" quest tracks match performance and awards Medallions upon completion. Winning matches grants better Medallions than losing, so queueing with a coordinated fireteam during lower-competition windows maximizes efficiency over raw match volume.

A dedicated performance glow tracks your Supremacy score each week, separate from the Rushdown performance glow. The Guardian with the highest weekly Supremacy score in the Tower earns the unique Best in Tower glow variant for Supremacy. This glow resets at the weekly reset.

Destiny 2 Guardian Games Gambit

A Guardian Games-specific Gambit playlist also runs during the event. Completing matches with the GG class item equipped earns Medallions and satisfies several Event Challenges. Gambit is a viable choice for players who prefer the PvEvP hybrid format or want to avoid the intensity of Expert Rushdown while still making class contributions beyond passive Bronze farming.

Destiny 2 Activity comparison

Guardian Games 2026 introduces at least one confirmed new weapon alongside a full returning roster from previous years. All event weapons drop from Rushdown completions (Standard and Expert), Medallion deposits at the Tower podium, and Contender Card rewards. Higher-tier deposits and better Rushdown scores increase both drop quantity and perk roll quality. Expert Rushdown at Diamond-tier threshold can drop fully Masterworked weapons with maximum stats.

Leak status: New 2026 D2 dungeons were discovered via the Destiny 2 API by data miners and confirmed by community sources. Names and frame types are considered reliable; perk pools are pre-release and subject to change. Official Bungie confirmation expected in the TWID update this week (around March 19–20, 2026).

Destiny 2 New weapons: 2026

All Guardian Games weapons from prior years are expected to return with refreshed perk pools. Updated perk pools mean 2025 god rolls are not necessarily optimal in 2026: re-farming is recommended for any weapon targeting endgame use.

Weapon farming priority

• Complete at least 3 encounters per Rushdown run for a guaranteed weapon each session. Never abandon a run below 3 encounters: you're leaving your base weapon drop on the table.
• Run Expert Rushdown at Diamond-tier threshold for multiple drops per run, including the chance at a fully Masterworked copy with maximum possible perks.
• Deposit Gold-tier Medallions or higher at the Tower podium for additional weapon drop chances outside of Rushdown sessions.
• Complete all 16 Event Challenges for the Heir Apparent Catalyst, which has historically dropped through Event Challenge completions and is expected to return the same way in 2026.
• Prioritize the new Trace Rifle as the flagship weapon: Trace Rifles have historically been strong in Destiny 2's endgame, and a new one with updated D2 exotic boost is the highest-upside item in the loot pool.

The Guardian Games competition runs on a daily average scoring system, not a raw cumulative total. Each day, Bungie calculates the average Medallion score of all players within each class who deposited at least one Medallion that day. The class with the highest daily average wins that day. At the end of three weeks, the class that has won the most individual days is crowned champion.

The averaging mechanic has critical strategic implications. A small group of highly engaged players depositing Diamond Medallions every day can pull a class's average significantly higher than a large mass of casual players depositing only Bronze. The most impactful single action is consistent daily Platinum or Diamond deposits, not volume Bronze farming. Quality over quantity is the governing principle.

Every Friday at the daily reset, the Tower's ceremony event activates. The three class podiums illuminate with the week's standings. Guardians who log in during the active ceremony window receive a Laurel Crown glow: a crown-shaped glow visible on the character's shoulder when standing in the Tower. This glow persists until the next ceremony. Class items visually update to gold (first place), silver (second), or bronze (third) color post-ceremony.

Destiny 2 Winning class rewards

• The Guardian Games All-Stars statue is placed in the Tower for the entire following year, permanently commemorating the winning class until next year's event.
• Winning class members can trigger victory fireworks at the statue by interacting with it: a year-round flex opportunity in front of all other Guardians in the Tower.
• The winning class's class item retains its gold coloring past the event end, serving as a persistent year-long reminder of victory.

Competition math: If your class wins 11 of the 21 days, you win. You don't need to dominate every day: consistent strong performances on most days beats occasional perfect days with long gaps in between. Show up daily.

Destiny 2 Event Card & Challenges

The Event Card is Guardian Games' optional progression track, purchasable from Eva Levante in a free tier and a paid upgraded tier. It contains the full set of Event Challenges for the event: time-limited objectives that unlock additional rewards and progress the exclusive Triumph title. The Event Card is only available while Guardian Games is active; it disappears the moment the event closes along with any unclaimed rewards.

Guardian Games features approximately 16 Event Challenges. Completing all of them earns the Champ title: or gilded progress toward it if you've already earned the base title in a previous year. Every completed and claimed Event Challenge simultaneously claims its matching Triumph in the Event Title screen, eliminating the need for separate navigation to the D2 Trials of Osiris boost.

Destiny 2 Challenge categories

• Activity-completion challenges: Complete a set number of Rushdown runs, Supremacy matches, or Gambit games. These complete naturally through normal event play with zero extra effort beyond showing up.
• Score-threshold challenges: Reach a specific score tier in Standard or Expert Rushdown. Expert score challenges require efficient fireteam coordination and are typically the last challenges players complete.
• Class-representation challenges: Deposit a target number of Medallions, maintain daily deposits for consecutive days, or achieve All-Star Status. Consistency rewards over multiple sessions.
• Bounty-completion challenges: Finish a set number of Eva's daily or weekly bounties. Among the easiest challenges; complete passively alongside other event activities.
• Seasonal content challenges: Complete specific activities with the GG class item equipped. These overlap with Contender Card objectives, making them free progress during your normal grinding sessions.

Efficiency move: Every time you pick up a Contender Card, scan the active Event Challenges. Many challenges share objectives with current cards: completing one fills the other simultaneously with zero extra time investment.

The following table consolidates every known and expected reward for Guardian Games 2026, spanning free, paid, and performance-gated categories. Status is marked as Confirmed (official Bungie statement), Leaked (data mine or unofficial source), or Returning (appeared in previous years and expected to recur).

The casual Guardian (30–60 min/day)

If you're playing Guardian Games alongside your regular game loop, the most important habit is keeping the Guardian Games class item equipped at all times. Every Strike, Gambit match, and Quickplay Crucible game passively generates Bronze and Silver Medallions with zero workflow changes. At the end of each session, spend 60 seconds checking your Medallion Case and depositing whatever has accumulated. Before logging off, grab a Gold Contender Card from Eva for the next session. This approach earns you the majority of free rewards and makes a meaningful contribution to your class's daily average without changing how you play at all.

The active grinder (1–3 hours/day)

For dedicated participants, the optimal loop centers on Expert Rushdown with stacked Platinum Cards. Begin every session by buying every available Contender Card from Eva: your Gold card, both Platinum cards (Stand-Out Performance and Platinum Plunderer), and your Diamond Card if the weekly slot has reset. Run Expert Rushdown until all cards are filled. Deposit Medallions immediately after each card completion to prevent case overflow. Follow up with a GM Nightfall if you have a Nightfall Platinum Card. This loop runs approximately 90 minutes and reliably produces Platinum and Diamond Medallions, maximizing both personal loot and class competition contribution per session.

The class champion (3+ hours/day)

If winning Guardian Games for your class is the explicit goal, maximize every available lever. Run Expert Rushdown multiple times daily with coordinated DPS-optimized fireteams targeting Diamond scores consistently. Use both Diamond Card slots as early as possible each week: Tuesday right after reset and again on Saturday covers the maximum two-per-week window without leaving reset value on the table. Complete every single Eva bounty and every Event Challenge. If you have multiple characters of the same class, each character has independent Contender Card slots, effectively multiplying your Medallion output by 2× or 3× per reset cycle. Monitor your class's community Discord or subreddit to identify which time windows need surge deposits to flip specific days.

The PvP specialist

Guardian Games Supremacy is a genuine competitive mode with solid Medallion returns for skilled Crucible players. The Vying for Supremacy quest tracks match performance and awards Medallions on completion. Winning matches earns better Medallions than losing, so optimizing for wins by queueing with a three-stack fireteam during lower-traffic time windows outperforms solo queue volume grinding. Supplement with at least one Expert Rushdown daily for Platinum Card completion, even if PvE isn't your preference: the Platinum Cards can be completed in 20 minutes and represent the single highest Medallion density activity in the game.

Efficiency tips at a glance

Guardian Games 2026 arrives at an unusual juncture for Destiny 2. The game's next major content update: previously announced as "Shadow and Order" and now being renamed and expanded: was delayed from its original window to June 9, 2026. Bungie announced the update is being significantly expanded in scope, adding Weapon Tier Upgrading mechanics, expanded Tiered Gear support across all Raid and Dungeon activities (not just seasonal content), Pantheon 2.0, and Tier 5 stat caps for Exotic Armors.

This delay creates a roughly ten-week gap between the Renegades expansion's Act content cadence and the next major release. Bungie's bridge plan consists of three primary pillars: Guardian Games in March, more frequent Iron Banner runs in April (returning after a five-month absence), and routine bug fixes and Portal modifier rotation through May. Guardian Games therefore carries more weight than in typical years as the singular community-focus event anchoring player engagement through the spring.

The Renegades expansion itself has been warmly received relative to its predecessor Edge of Fate. The Lawless Frontier activity, the Praxic Blade Exotic weapon system, and the revitalized Vanguard Alerts framework have driven improved player sentiment. Guardian Games 2026 inherits this momentum and benefits from a more engaged player base than was active this time last year.