Guardian Ranks, New Clan Requirement?

With this year's major expansion, Lightfall, Destiny 2 now has a new feature called "Guardian Ranks" that could impact clan recruitment. We talk with TSG Clan Leader, DidTheTango, about if Guardian Ranks should be a concern for future Guardians looking to join the clan.

We are a few weeks into Destiny 2 newest expansion, Lightfall, and we are seeing a lot of mixed reviews on several features. One Feature in particular could have a major impact on future players looking to join in game Clans.

Guardian Ranks are meant to be a tool that help players navigate this massive game. Over the 7 years of content this game has to offer, including past quests that are playable in the H.E.L.M space, there is a lot to dive into when first starting this game. That is where the Guardian Ranks system enters the scene!

Each Rank has objectives to complete that, overall, help you become a better player. We see it as a Tutorial for the game when you first start out. We see this in early ranks like Rank 2, which is simply completing the first mission in the game and in Rank 3 where players are asked to explore areas of the game's interstellar landscape.

As you climb those ranks, however, you will start to notice how difficult the tasks can truly get. For example, a lot of Veteran players started off at Rank 6 where they must complete a flawless Legendary Lost Sector to continue. This means a deathless Lost sector where the difficulty is at 1830, 2o levels higher than the season's gear level cap.

While some players have managed to achieve this, others have not. This is what starts to set more casual players apart from hardcore players. We are already seeing some clans placing certain Guardian Ranks within their membership requirements, and we got to thinking how this could impact the community.

We asked Tango Smash Leader, DidTheTango, what her thoughts were on Guardian Ranks and how they would impact her clan and the community.

"I defiantly believe that this new system will showcase how much time and effort players put into the game," she says, echoing the feedback from the Destiny 2 Community, "However, I believe that Guardian Ranks shouldn't have an impact on Clan Recruitment."

DidTheTango goes on to talk about the importance of the system and how helpful it can be for New players. "It's meant to be a in-game guidebook so to speak. It shows new players what they need to be doing, without depending on the forums we see on Reddit. We all know how those can get sometimes..."

DidTheTango voiced concerns about the community making new players believe the game isn't worth picking up. "People read those forums, watch those videos, and read those articles first. They don't try to form their own opinions after playing the game, and those forums exist because people have questions that need answers. Guardian Ranks allows people to have a bit more independence in the game so they don't have to go at anyone else's pace anymore, or feel discouraged by the many "Get Good" type of posts."

"This is why Guardian Ranks shouldn't be a Clan Requirement," She says, going on to say that the Ranks System is meant to be a helpful guide, not a "who is a better guardian" system. "Anyone can get carried through Ranks, just like anyone can get carried through a raid. Requiring members to be at least Rank 10 to join is ridiculous, especially when there is a reset each season."

The Guardian Ranks system does reset for every guardian over rank 6 each season. This is because most of the objectives past this rank require seasonal content that won't be around for the entire year. With seasons being put out about every three months, that means everyone gets a big reset button on their hard work and put on the same playing field again.

DidTheTango's claims ring loudly within her community. She has made it clear that the Ranking system will not impact the recruitment of her clan, however it will impact how the clan members interact with each other.

"We want to make sure that everyone is getting the help where they need it. Since Guardian Ranks acts like a step by step guide, we want to make sure it has a focus in our clan. We encourage members to help each other rank up each season." - DidTheTango

It's safe to say that Tango Smash will not be requiring certain Guardian Ranks to join their clan. This means that our community will continue to be open for new players and veterans alike.

Our final thoughts are on the impact this new system will have on the community as a whole. We suggest skipping over those clans that have those kinds of requirements if you are a new player. With the ranks being reset each season, it's hard to ensure that players keep up with their ranks.

When we don't even know what the next set of ranks will require, it's going to be hard on Clan Leadership to keep up with their own ranks and the ranks of their members. We see such requirements putting stress on clans, and causing a few to disband over it.

We also see a more toxic side of the community coming to light with the Guardian Ranks system. Some might see lower levels as "noob" players, a popular gaming slur that is used for unskilled players. We encourage others to remember this ranking system can be manipulated like any other ranking system, and to take those ranks with a grain a salt.

We want to remind new players that your rank will not always have an impact on who you can play with online. Just recently, DidTheTango mentioned how a new clan member is already Rank 6 when they've only had the game since Lightfall dropped. It isn't something to stress about, and there are plenty of players that are willing to help you no matter what!

Not only do we suggest our clan, but we also suggest groups such as Ladies of Destiny, a Facebook group for players who Identify as a Woman who are a very helpful bunch. We also suggest local groups or smaller clans to help you better understand exactly how the game works.