Destiny 2’s third annual Guardian Games has kicked off a class war

Bungie are bringing Destiny 2’s Guardian Games back for their third annual outing, pitting Warlocks, Titans and Hunters against each other in a futuristic shooty Olympics. The free, time-limited event is still all about hoovering up medallions for your chosen class, but there are two new elements called Strike Scoring and Strike Medals to consider this time around. Strike Scoring is based on your time spent in Guardian Games playlists and where you rank, while Strike Medals are won by “pulling off some pretty impressive feats, like taking out a ton of enemies with a fancy little combat jig like Shatter,” says Bungie say.

the Guardian Games Cup is new to the event for this year, with 42 teams of streamers from 14 global regions competing in two-hour slots over three weeks to dunk as many medallions as possible for their class at the Tower. All the digital violence is for a good cause too, as the cup is partnering with humanitarian aid organization Direct Relief to try to raise $300,000 (approximately £240,000) for people affected by poverty and emergencies. Donating at least $25 (£20) can land you a special Guardian’s Oath emblem.

This year’s Guardian Games was meant to introduce a legendary Void SMG called The Title, but it’s not gone very well so far. In theory, you’re meant to speak to Eva Levante in the Tower to start the Best in Class quest, which is meant to remind you how the Guardian Games work, and upon completing it you should receive The Title. However, Destiny 2 community manager Liana Ruppert has tweeted that Bungie are aware that The Title doesn’t seem to be dropping for all players. A lot of players say they’ve nabbed the SMG as a guaranteed drop from the quest, but haven’t seen any more even after several hours. Bungie’s looking into it, apparently.

Alice O was not keen on the Guardian Games when they first started in 2020. “No part will ‘test your skills’ or let you ‘prove that your class reigns supreme’ by demonstrating your prowess,” she said. “It’s a grinding contest. Destiny already puts too many rewards behind bounties rather than activities, nudging us to spend time traveling around to gather bounties we’ll need to play in specific ways to complete. Checklists are not fun.”

If checklists do sound like your cup of tea, though, then Destiny 2’s Guardian Games are live now and run until May 24th. Here’s the full breakdown over at Bungie’s site.