Guardian Games 2023 ran in Destiny 2 from May 2 through May 23, 2023, during the Lightfall era. Its scoring had two separate tracks: your activity score unlocked personal progress and rewards, while Medallions deposited at the Tower Podium counted toward your class’s standing. Those measures were related to the same event, but a high strike score did not directly decide which class won.
This is a guide to the 2023 edition, not instructions for a later Guardian Games. Bungie’s 2023 announcement is the source for that edition’s rules and dates.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Destiny 2 - Xbox One Standard Edition | $9.42 | Buy on Amazon |
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Destiny 2: Forsaken - Legendary Collection - Xbox One | $18.48 | Buy on Amazon |
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Destiny: The Taken King - Legendary Edition - Xbox One | $5.83 | Buy on Amazon |
| 4 |
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Destiny 2 - Xbox One - Standard Edition | $9.08 | Buy on Amazon |
| 5 |
|
Destiny 2 - Xbox One Standard Edition (Renewed) | $7.12 | Buy on Amazon |
How did Guardian Games 2023 scoring work?
Hunters, Titans, and Warlocks competed for the class win. The class with the most Medallions deposited at the Tower Podium won the day; the class that deposited the most over the event won overall and received a Tower tribute, according to Bungie’s 2023 announcement.
There were two distinct kinds of progress:
- Personal activity progress: Strike score in Guardian Games playlists advanced your quest and Tower torches, and high scores unlocked buffs that worked only in those playlists.
- Class competition: Medallions earned from activities and cards had to be deposited at the Tower Podium to count toward your class’s total.
In practical terms, earning a high score in a strike helped your own event progression; depositing Medallions helped your class compete. The event announcement does not provide a named participation total or class-score statistic.
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How to earn and deposit Medallions
Bungie’s 2023 activity examples varied by medal tier. Lower-tier Bronze and Silver Medallions could come from Gambit, Quickplay Crucible, Vanguard playlists, most Neptune activities, and Defiant Battlegrounds. Higher-tier Gold and Platinum Medallions could come from Nightfalls, raids, dungeons, Competitive Crucible, Trials of Osiris, and Legend Defiant Battlegrounds.
Medallions from activities and cards contributed to class standings only when deposited at the Tower Podium. Bungie’s general Guardian Games guide also warns that Medallions earned by claiming Triumphs are lost if your Medallion Case is full. Check the case before claiming Triumph rewards.
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- Expansion I: Curse of Osiris
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Cards and their 2023 costs
Eva Levante offered two card types in the 2023 event. Each type had the same activity split and a limit of two carried cards: one for strikes and Gambit, and one for Crucible.
| Card | 2023 cost | Reward | Activity options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contender Card | 1,000 Glimmer | Gold Medallion | One card for strikes and Gambit; one for Crucible |
| Platinum Card | 1,500 Glimmer | Platinum Medallion | One card for strikes and Gambit; one for Crucible |
These prices, rewards, and card rules describe the 2023 event as announced by Bungie; they should not be assumed to apply unchanged to other editions.
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- Evil has destroyed almost all of our solar system leaving us on the brink of extinction. You are a Guardian, revived from the past to save our future and protect the last safe city on Earth. Wield incredible powers as a Hunter, Warlock, or Titan and push back the darkness to reclaim our solar system.
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Strike playlists, score, and torches
Bungie brought back strike scoring for 2023 with updated milestones, challenges, and Strike Medals. Players built score in the Guardian Games Ops playlists. Their score counted toward the Guardian Games quest and Tower torches; reaching higher torch tiers offered better rewards. High scores also unlocked weapon and ability buffs, but those buffs worked only in Guardian Games playlists.
| Playlist | What it included | Matchmaking |
|---|---|---|
| Ops | The available strikes | Regular or class-based matchmaking |
| Ops Competitive | A weekly Nightfall-style strike with modifiers and Hero difficulty scaling | Regular or class-based matchmaking, or a non-matchmade option for premade teams |
These playlists measured personal activity score, not class standing. Medallions still had to be deposited at the Podium for the class competition.
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How Supremacy worked
Guardian Games Supremacy put class-based teams against one another. Defeated Guardians dropped class-branded crests, and players scored by collecting crests—including crests dropped by teammates. The mode had its own quest and Tower torches, separate from the strike playlists’ score progression.
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Weapons
Bungie highlighted the returning Title Void SMG and Taraxippos, described as the first Legendary Strand Scout Rifle. Players could earn these in-game weapons by turning in Medallions or completing event playlist activities.
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- From the makers of the acclaimed hit game Destiny, comes the much anticipated sequel
- An action shooter that takes you on an epic journey across the solar system
- Humanity’s last safe city has fallen to an overwhelming invasion force, led by Ghaul, the imposing commander of the brutal Red Legion
- To defeat the Red Legion and confront Ghaul, you must reunite humanity’s scattered heroes, stand together, and fight back to reclaim our home
- Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) Content Description: Animated blood, violence
Event Card, title, and emotes
The free Event Card provided event challenges and additional rewards. Bungie also named two new Exotic emotes. Completing all Event Card challenges earned the Champ title; additional Triumphs could be completed to gild it.
The optional upgraded Event Card cost 1,000 Silver. It instantly unlocked some rewards and enabled players to earn more using Event Tickets from challenges. In its May 4, 2023 weekly update, Bungie told players who bought the upgrade to open the Guardian Games Event Pack in Wrapped Items or Consumables to claim the instant-unlock items.
Bounties and other event rewards
Eva Levante’s bounties offered XP. Weekly bounties also awarded Bright Dust and Glimmer; daily bounties awarded XP; and additional bounties awarded XP and Bright Dust. The event’s Tower torches offered rewards as players reached higher personal score tiers.
Quick Recap
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