With the close of the third annual Guardian Games in Destiny 2, all three classes have now officially won one of the Guardian Games. While most players look towards the future and Season 17, it is important to look back to see what can be improved about Destiny 2, and Guardian Games is no exception. After three years, it's shown distinct failings and weaknesses that need addressing if it wishes to maintain its popularity.
The Guardian Games is an annual event in Destiny 2 that pits members of the three main classes of Titan, Hunter, and Warlock against one another in head-to-head matches to see who can come out on top. This starts by receiving medals from completing activities, with more difficult activities awarding better medals. Guardians then deposit these medals in the tower to see who can come out on top.
While it is nice to see all three classes come out with a win in Guardian Games, the biggest problem with the event has come to light. Every year, there has been a clear winner, even from the opening days of the event. 2020 showed Titans dominating the event after only three or four days, with a similar thing happening for Hunters in 2021. This year, Warlocks effectively won on May 18, as it became impossible for the other classes to accumulate more wins than them. All three years ended with the winner decided long before the event ended. There is no sense of competition during those latter days, as it is impossible for the outcome to change, and players often feel like that for the entirety of the event when one class starts to dominate over the rest.
One simple solution is to remove Guardian Games altogether. Now that each class has won, Destiny 2 can return to past events, such as the Revelry. While the tonics went rampant in the Crucible, they can be disabled in PvP modes. Overall the event created a fun atmosphere for players doing PvE game modes, as it mixed well with Nightfall mods such as Grenadier to make it so certain builds got their grenades back before they could throw the next one. Bungie could even create a whole new event to replace Guardian Games and put a new spin on what players already know.
Assuming one wishes for Guardian Games to return, it needs some changes to come along with it. One way to breathe some new life into the event is to add in more rewards such as Ornaments or Catalysts for players to chase after. As of now, players only have the Heir Apparent to chase. By adding quests similar to those wherein players could get Guardian Games-themed Ornaments for their exotics, it would add more incentive and excitement.
The biggest problem that needs addressing is the competitive side. As of now, it doesn't create the spirit the game is likely trying to elicit as there is no back and forth. If it was any class' game until the final day or two, it might actually feel like a real event. One way to fix this is to change it from a day-based victory to an overall average of medals. This would mean that the average medals deposited across the class would be each class' placement, allowing players to see exactly where they are in relation to others, and creating more competition because, even in the final days, one class could hypothetically bring their average up to win.
If Guardian Games is intended to return and maintain player participation, something needs to change. With the focus on competition, while simultaneously making players feel like there is no reason to compete, the event lets down all of its participants. Maybe this year is the last hurrah for the Guardian Games, but it doesn't have to be.
