What are ritual activities in Destiny 2?
Destiny 2 has many different types of content Guardians can engage with, most of which fall under three individual categories, collectively termed ritual activities.
Vanguard Ops, Gambit, and Crucibleare the primary pillars that represent Destiny 2’s three ritual activities, and engaging with their associated activities is an essential part of growing your Guardian’s Power to reach the current cap.
Barring Gambit, each category is subdivided into several different types of content. See below for a breakdown of each ritual type, what activities fall under their umbrella, and what type of player they appeal to.
What are ritual activities?
Ritual activities are evergreen contentavailable permanently in Destiny 2 that grantspowerful and pinnacle gear for completing various daily and weekly objectives. Chiefly, each branch caters specifically to PvE, PvP, or a mixture of both (PvEvP). Here’s everything you need to know about all three.
Vanguard Ops
For Guardians only interested in PvE, Vanguard Ops includes casual-friendlyStrikes, harder versions thatrotate weekly, dubbedNightfalls, andOnslaught– a wave-based base defence activity introduced in Into the Light.
The full list of activities is as follows:
The Crucible
Nothing gets the adrenaline pumping like testing your skills against other players. The Crucible ritual activity houses every type of PvP content, from casual playlists such as Control and Rumble to high-stakes competitive play in the form ofTrials of OsirisandIron Banner.
A blending of PvE and PvP, Gambit pits two teams of four against each other in a race to see who can fill up their team’s bank with Motes and slay the boss fastest. Each team is placed in their own individual instance and interacts via two primary methods: Blockers and invasions.
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Depositing Motes obtained from enemies and banking them in specific quantities will summon Blockers for the other side, preventing them from depositing their own Motes.
Upon reaching certain deposit thresholds, a portal granting the ability to invade the other team will open. Any Guardian who crosses the threshold will have a limited amount of time to kill as many members of the opposing team as they can before being sent back to their world. Getting kills in the final phases heals the other team’s boss, giving your team more time to win.
Other content (Legends)
While not classified as a ritual activity, you’ll have no doubt noticed a fourth option sitting alongside the aforementioned trio in Destiny 2’s Director. Here is where you’ll access Raids, Dungeons, and Exotic Missions.
There’s a lot of nuance to take note of for Legends. Some content housed here is permanent, while some will rotate weekly. For more information on weekly featured raids and dungeons,see our dedicated guide.
Ritual Challenges & Rewards
Completing challenges attached to any daily or weekly ritual activity will award different types of engrams, all with different qualities. See below for the full list of engrams obtainable from completing ritual challenges
Based on the above, the challenges that award Pinnacle Gear are most important to prioritize, with Powerful rewards of any tier coming second. The former usually requires more time investment and comes attached to tougher challenges, however, so feel free to mix and match as you see fit.
How does the Pathfinder system work?
Introduced inThe Final Shape, Pathfinder replaces activity-specific Bounties, granting various rewards for completing bite-sized objectives.
Vanguard Ops, Crucible, and Gambit all have their own dedicated Pathfinder trees, granting engrams, XP, and valuable materials each time a full path is completed. For more information, see ourPathfinder guide.
