What Are Playlist Activities in Destiny 2?

There is a lot to do in Destiny 2. The game is known for always having something in store for its players every week.

When there isn’t a big event happening, such as The Dawning or the release of a new Season, players will usually enjoy one of their favorite Raids, Dungeons, or playlist activities. If you are new to Destiny 2, you may not know what playlist activities are.

Playlist activities, also referred to as Ritual Activities by some challenges in the game, are the core game modes of Destiny 2. They are the type of matchmade, repeatable game modes that you would expect to find in any other multiplayer game.

In Destiny 2’s case, playlist activities consist of Vanguard Playlist Strikes, Crucible matches, and Gambit matches. These are the three core game modes that make up the matchmade multiplayer experience of Destiny 2.

Each type of playlist activity offers a different experience for players. PvE players and PvP players each have playlist activities dedicated to them.

Those who enjoy pure PvE with a Fireteam to help them out will want to load into Vanguard Strikes. Note that Nightfall Strikes and Grandmaster Nightfalls are not considered playlist activities.

For players who crave the fast-paced PvP that Destiny 2 is known for, the Crucible offers a large variety of game modes for both serious and casual players. Every game mode inside of the Crucible is considered a playlist activity.

And last, for players looking for a mix of PvE and PvP gameplay, Gambit just might be what you are looking for. This game mode pits two teams of four players against each other to see who can clear the most enemies and bank motes to summon a Primeval and kill it before their opponents do the same.

Throughout the Gambit match, players will have the chance to invade the enemy team and attempt to kill them, forcing them to drop their motes and set them back. While Gambit isn’t for everyone, it may be the perfect game mode for you.

Each playlist activity is tied to a specific vendor in the Tower. Commander Zavala handles Vanguard Strikes, Lord Shaxx handles the Crucible, and The Drifter oversees Gambit matches.

At the end of every playlist activity, players will receive rewards, often Glimmer and some Legendary loot, as well as reputation for that playlist’s vendor. Gain enough reputation with a single vendor, and you will increase their reputation rank.

Reputation ranks offer players additional rewards as milestones for their time inside of playlist activities. These milestones provide much-needed rewards, including crafting materials, Powerful Gear, Exotic Engrams, new Seasonal Ritual weapons, and more.

After reaching the maximum reputation rank with a vendor, you can reset their rank to start from zero again, rewarding you with an Ascendant Shard. You can learn more about testing your vendor rank in our guide on How to Reset Crucible Rank, as this process applies to all of the vendors in the same way.

Every playlist activity vendor offers simple Bounties specific to their game modes. Completing these Bounties will reward you with a small amount of XP, Bright Dust, or reputation rank for that vendor, depending on the type of Bounty.

If you plan on playing through any of the playlist activities, it is always a good idea to first go and pick up as many Bounties as you can for that activity. Otherwise, you are basically missing out on free rewards as you will passively complete most Bounties during your play session.

Daily Bounties reward you with the most amount of XP. Each vendor will have four Daily Bounties per daily reset.

Repeatable Bounties, as the name implies, are Bounties that you can continually complete throughout the day with no upper limit. These Bounties reward less XP than Daily Bounties in exchange for a small amount of Bright Dust.

It is important to remember that Seasonal Activities, such as the current Season’s Riven’s Lair activity, do not count as a playlist activity even though they follow the same parameters as a traditional playlist activity.

Now you know what playlist activities there are in Destiny 2! I hope this guide was able to explain everything surrounding these activities clearly

Do you have any other questions about playlist activities, vendors, or Bounties? Feel free to leave a comment!