What’s new or changing for Destiny 2’s 2024 Guardian Games

Destiny 2‘s Guardian Games All-Stars is almost here, with the event returning alongside some changes and additions. The February 29 This Week in Destiny communication discussed what players could expect from this year’s event, with a few surprises for good measure. In addition to a stylish new hoverboard to get around, Guardian Games participants can try their luck at new challenges and rake in some unique rewards.

The Guardian Games is a yearly event in Destiny 2 framed as a friendly competition between the three playable classes. It’s the one time of year when players are encouraged to compete against each other to help their favored class reign supreme. While that’s still largely the case, a few alterations have been made to spice up 2024’s Games.

A full breakdown of the 2024 Guardian Games

If players partook in the Guardian Games within the last couple of years, they should know the score. Pick up Contender Cards from Eva Levante, complete them for Medallions, and dunk said Medallions for your class in the Tower. Three banners hang in the center of the Tower, rising or falling to represent the efforts of each class. Alongside this, event-specific playlists for PvP and PvE offer additional score-based challenges for Medallions and accompanying bragging rights.

The first major change to the formula comes on the scoring side of the event. In its TWID, Bungie acknowledged that population imbalances make the event tricky, even with previous weighing efforts. This year, Bungie is taking an altogether different approach, saying, “Each day, class scores will be measured by the average Medallion score of all players who’ve deposited a Medallion that day, separated by class of course.” The studio hopes this change will make participation more meaningful and less dependent on population knowledge.

On top of the latest method to calculate results, there are new ways to contribute. Prior Guardian Games featured Contender Cards of the Gold or Platinum variety, but this year, Diamond Contender Cards are inbound. These reward Diamond Medallions, which Bungie notes can turn the day’s tide. As such, Guardians can only take on three per week. The Diamond Contender Cards will come in three varieties. One PvE option, one for PvP, and another centered around an upcoming Twitch Drop.

While the Guardian Games playlists aren’t unique, Bungie is trying something new called Focus Activity this year. It highlights a specific Guardian Games playlist and offers tiered reward packages for participation. The Champion’s Package, the highest rank, is gifted to the class that performs best in the Focus Activity. According to Bungie, Focus Activities start every few hours and run for two hours Monday through Thursday and three hours Friday through Sunday.

All of the Guardian Games 2024 Rewards

What would the Guardian Games be without some nifty loot? After all, this is the same event that spawned the remarkable Heir Apparent Exotic machine gun. Well, 2024’s Guardian Games will be no slouch in the rewards department, either. Players are getting a new heavy grenade launcher and a new Memento, icing on the hoverboard cake.

Alongside the slick new vehicle, Guardians will have a new toy to play with: the Hullabaloo heavy grenade launcher. This Arc wave frame is one of only a few of its kind in-game, and alongside the buffs set to hit, it’ll be interesting to see what this launcher can do. Especially after Bungie pointed out that it could roll with both Voltshot and Chain Reaction. Expect lots of lightning.

While not wholly new, two returning weapons from previous Guardian Games are also getting retooled. The Strand scout rifle Taraxippos and the Void submachine gun The Title are set to see new perk combinations. In particular, the TWID called attention to the inclusion of Slice and Precision Instrument for Taraxippos and the combo of Repulsor Brace and Surrounded on The Title.

Rounding out new rewards for the 2024 Guardian Games is a new Memento. The Guardian Games All-Stars Memento can drop any time players bank a Gold or Platinum Medallion, but it’s guaranteed to appear whenever a Diamond Medallion is dunked. And while players can still only hold one of each Memento at a time, Eva is willing to help a friend out. The event proprietor will hold any extra Guardian Games All-Stars Mementos until players make room in their inventory or the event ends. 

That’s well-appreciated help, considering how cool the new Memento looks. Guardians taking home the new Memento will be treated to a red and black colorway accented with gold trim. An appropriate donning for an All-Star.