Destiny 2 Guardian Ranks: How to rank up & seasonal reset explained

Destiny 2 Guardian Ranks: How to rank up & seasonal reset explained
Images via Bungie

Written by 

Eoin Black

Published 

1st Aug 2023 16:30

Contents

Guardian Ranks are a fairly recent addition to Destiny 2, a system by which a Guardian's experience is shown for all to see. Destiny 2 has been around for quite a few years now, and many new systems have been added for players to show off their prowess.

Guardian Ranks is probably the most overt method of doing so, displaying a rank that shows just how dedicated you are to the game. Here is everything you need to know about Destiny 2 Guardian Ranks, how to increase yours, and how changes work each season.

Guardian Ranks explained & how to rank up in Destiny 2

The Guardian Ranks menu in Destiny 2 which shows the challenges needed to reach the next rank
Click to enlarge

Destiny 2 Guardian Ranks is a new personal ranking system introduced alongside Lightfall that represents the player's skill and experience level. Overall, it can be a good indication of how knowledgeable a Guardian is about the game.

New players will start from rank one, but veteran players will start at rank five. Each rank has a series of challenges, not unlike the seasonal challenges (but generally more involved). To rank up in Destiny 2, you'll need to complete all of the challenges in a particular rank, then head to the Tower to be promoted to the next.

The ranks go up to 11, and nothing short of a colossal effort will get you to the top rank - as you will need to take on the toughest challenges on the highest difficulties.

Destiny 2 Guardian Ranks seasonal reset explained

The Journey page which shows the Guardian's current rank as 7, despite being brought back down to 5 in the reset
Click to enlarge

When the Guardian Ranks system was introduced in Destiny 2, it was announced that every player's rank would be reset each season. This had some players a bit confused, as it seemed as though the point of the system was to denote high-skill players, and taking that away each season would just force more grinding.

However, while Guardian Ranks do reset each season, now that Season of the Deep is here, we know how it works - and it is not as bad as many Guardians feared. First and foremost, while your rank may reduce to five at the beginning of the season, it will not appear that way to others.

The rank that appears beside your username while in-game shows your highest achieved rank. In fact, the Guardian Ranks page also shows this rank, even if your rank is lower. This means that high-level players get to complete the new set of Guardian Rank challenges while still showing up at the rank they had achieved previously.

Unfortunately, it does mean that reaching a higher rank than before will involve completing all of the preceding challenges and climbing the ranks again, but this is not likely to be much of an issue for anyone aiming for ranks nine, ten or eleven.

Are there rewards for Guardian Ranks in Destiny 2?

Three Guardians about to fight some Shadow Legion soldiers
Click to enlarge

There are no traditional rewards for achieving Guardian Ranks, as you do not get any fancy or powerful gear from ranking up. For most players, there is little to be gained from Guardian Ranks outside of making a number go up.

New players just starting the game will unlock some fundamental features while making their way through the first few Guardian Ranks, such as the weapon and armour mod systems, or the ability to unlock titles.

More experienced players won't have to go through this, but they will need to rank up a bit in order to unlock more loadout slots. All that said, if you are hoping for a shiny new gun or some high-stat armour, there isn't anything like that at the top of the Guardian Ranks, just the prestige of the accomplishment.

So that's all there is to know on Guardian Ranks in Destiny 2. For more on the game, check out our Destiny 2 homepage for the latest news and guide, or take a look at the available Destiny 2 promo codes list for lots of free emblems and shaders.

Eoin Black
About the author
Eoin Black
Eoin has been playing video games his entire life. With a background in Call of Duty and Valorant Esports, he brings a wealth of competitive experience to everything he writes.
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