Guardian Games is back with Act 2 in Episode Heresy, and that launches this week. Time to bank some medallions, earn some great rewards, and show everyone which class is the best. Today I’m going to run down everything that’s coming in Guardian Games 2025 in Destiny 2.
This info is from the latest This Week In Destiny, and we’ve got the rundown on everything you need to know about Guardian Games.
This year we’ve got some big changes. With Guardian Games Nightfalls and Focused Activities not a part of the event this year, we’ve got something that will reacquaint you with some familiar foes and let you flex your god-killing prowess with the brand-new activity, Rushdown.
Rushdown
Rushdown is a boss rush-style activity where you’ll battle a series of bosses taken from Destiny 2’s campaigns, Seasonal story missions, and Exotic missions. With each boss encounter defeated, combatants in the activity increase in difficulty. With five total encounters per run, you’ll have a time limit to complete the run, with time added for each successful encounter completion. Completing encounters in a run will earn your rewards, with faster times offering a chance for more drops or higher quality loot.
You’ll have three ways to play Rushdown. You can start with the Warm-up mode, which will be your entry point for the activity. Standard and Expert then ramp up the difficulty, offering more powerful combatants with modifiers and adding revive tokens to the mix. Each mode will offer options for standard matchmaking, class-based matchmaking, andprivate fireteam.
As you work your way through Rushdown, your performance will help determine the quality of your rewards. You’ll be judged on two criteria; bosses defeated, and total score. You can increase your score by completing encounters quickly and earning bonus points for the extra time remaining. Limiting your use of revive tokens will also increase your score as you get a bonus for unused tokens.
Completing at least three encounters in any mode will guarantee a Guardian Games weapon drop for that run. With five score thresholds (bronze, silver, gold, platinum, diamond), reaching higher thresholds in Standard and Expert modes will improve your chance for additional perks on Guardian Games weapon drops for that run. High scores in Expert mode will also offer the chance to earn fully Masterworked Guardian Games weapons with additional perks.
Be Proud of Your Class
While there is a lot to do during Guardian Games, the path to victory is simple. Team up with other members of your class to compete in PvP, complete activities, and earn precious medallions. Bank your medallions at the podium to earn points for your class. 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 class that has won the most days by the end of the event gets the gold, and more importantly, bragging rights.
Depending on your contributions to Guardian Games All-Stars, you’ll also earn glows to proudly wear. These are linked to your personal and group achievements, and we have four in total:
One for being the “best in Tower” Guardian.
Another for being a member of the winning class of the day.
A shoulder glow linked to your weekly performance in Rushdown.
A second shoulder glow for your weekly performance in Supremacy and Gambit.
And a bronze, silver, or gold glow with the shape of a laurel crown (depending on your class place) in the Friday coronation ceremony.
To kick off the festivities, visit the lovely Eva Levante in the Tower to grab the intro quest, Best In Show. You’ll also get your Guardian Games class item you can equip to start earning Medallions.
As you look to start earning Medallions, Eva will also have a great variety of Contender Cards to choose from that will earn you Medallions upon completion. The cards are divided between gold, platinum, and diamond, with increasingly challenging objectives for each tier. The diamond medallions are worth a lot and can change the course of the day, so they’re limited to two a week.
Returning Favorites
You’ll also have a chance to grab some returning favorites. Last year, we introduced the new Allstar Vector Skimmer, which will be available to grab again this year. If you haven’t felt the free-flowing power of a Skimmer, this is your perfect chance to grab one. You’ll get a temporary version for the duration of the event, but completing Drop In quest will allow you to add a permanent one to your collection.
We also have the Fizzled Games Memento available to earn again this year. You’ll have a chance to earn one any time you bank gold, platinum, and diamond medallions.
New Trace Rifle Coming
On top of a renewed perk pool for Taraxippos, The Title, and Hullabaloo, we have one new weapon available only during Guardian Games: Keraunios, a new Arc Trace Rifle that can roll with some strong combos that fit very well in our Arc-centric Episode. Jolting Feedback? Check. Recycled Energy? Yep. Rolling Storm? Of course!
New Event, New Look
With the Guardian Games’ returning, we know you want to look the part. We’ve got three new armor ornament sets ready to fulfill your Guardian Games fashion needs. Jump into the Eververse store to check out the new sets which can be grabbed with Silver or Bright Dust.
The Champ Title And Event Card
Complete challenges in your Event Card to earn some great rewards, including weapons, a new Exotic emote, a new Exotic Sparrow, and a new Legendary shader. Completing all the challenges will earn The Champ Title as well. If you’re looking for a little something extra, Event Tickets can be used with the upgraded Event Card available in the in-game Eververse store to unlock additional rewards.
Get Your Guardian Games Jersey
With everything you need to look the part in-game, how about something new to plus up your look at home? Celebrate the event in style with a Guardian Games jersey. This Bungie Reward will be available for Guardians who complete the Gold Triumph before the end of the event. So, grab your medallions and get dunking.
Let me know what you think in the comments.