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It’s not an exaggeration to say that Destiny 2 has an awful onboarding process. It floods your Log with Quests without any real understanding of why, progress is vague and constantly gated behind DLC, and even following the story can be an ordeal in and of itself. It’s not a fun time, and it’s why most people will likely bounce off the series despite its critical acclaim.
Bungie is well aware of what their gutting of the early game has done to Destiny. With Lightfall, they aimed to try and fix that by introducing Guardian Ranks. This is a universal starting point for all players that will – in theory – help them to understand the deeper mechanics, modes, and systems that make up the Destiny 2 experience. Let’s see what they are all about.
More Destiny 2 Lightfall content:
New Weapon Showcase | Strand Subclass | Defiant Engrams | Unfinished Business
What Are Guardian Ranks?
Your Guardian Rank can be found in the Journey tab of your menu, and they track how experienced you are with Destiny 2. The higher your Guardian Rank, the more you have done. Each rank requires players to master a specific set of mechanics, and as you climb through the ranks, more complex concepts will be introduced.
Most returning players to Destiny 2 will find themselves around Guardian Rank 6 by default, although newer players will roll in at Guardian Rank 1. Despite being introduced with the Lightfall expansion, the system is available to use for anyone – however, some progress is locked behind DLC. For example, you will not be able to progress beyond Guardian Rank 6 as that Rank requires you to complete the Lightfall campaign.
When all is said and done there are 11 Guardian Ranks in Destiny 2, and getting to the highest rank is going to take a long time. Each rank is gated by specific challenges, and these can be quite difficult to accomplish – especially later on. Interestingly enough, Guardian Ranks will reset every Season, forcing players to earn the Rank 11 over, and over again.
How Level Up Your Guardian Rank
Increasing your Guardian Rank is as simple as completing a set of challenges. Depending on your Rank, the number of challenges you need to complete, and the difficulty of each challenge, will vary. Starting from Rank 1, you will be introduced to things like Patrols, and Bounties. However, get to Rank 6, and you will have to contend with Nightfalls, Unstoppable Champions, and more.
Are There Rewards For Increasing Guardian Rank?
Unfortunately, there are not many rewards for putting in the effort to raise your Guardian Rank – outside of knowledge. You will unlock some Lore to read if you are so inclined, and it appears certain challenges may unlock new Armour Mods. But ranking up doesn’t seem to add much beyond prestige.
As of writing, we have yet to reach Guardian Rank 11, so we cannot say for certain that there are no rewards for maxing out your Guardian Rank.
That’s all we have for Destiny 2 Lightfall for now. Be sure to check out our other Guides, Lists, and Walkthroughs for more Destiny 2 content.
