What is Destiny 2 Solstice? Solstice returns this week with some absolutely fire rewards, including an all-new machine gun, a sick armor set, and a brag-worthy title.
But like everything else in Destiny 2, there’s no gain without some pain, and in this case, you’re going to need to jump through a few hoops to get your Guardian gloves on these spicy new items. Here’s everything you need to know about the 2023 Destiny 2 Solstice event, which is bringing the heat in Bungie’s popular FPS game.
Destiny 2 Solstice start time
Destiny 2 Solstice begins on Tuesday, July 18 with the game’s weekly reset at 10am PDT / 1pm EST / 5pm UTC / 6pm BST. The event will end on August 8.
At that time, anyone who owns the free PC game can then kick off the Solstice quest by chatting with our fave space grandma, Eva Levante, in the Tower. She’ll direct you to the European Aerial Zone (EAZ), where you’ll fight enemy hordes and transform an event-based currency called Silver Leaves, which is one of the currencies you’ll need to upgrade your Solstice armor sets, into Silver Ash. If you’ve played in previous years and found the activity to be a breeze, be forewarned that Bungie pumped up the difficulty and enemy density this time around.
Destiny 2 Solstice rewards
If you’re partaking in Solstice this year, you can look forward to a classy new armor set. The base armor set is free, but there’s also a paid option available via Eververse, and you can upgrade either with bonus stats and pretty nifty glow effects. You can also pick up special Solstice cosmetics (including a bumper boat sparrow and a zeppelin ship) at Eververse.
Players can also opt to purchase an upgraded Solstice Event Card, which rewards players with additional cosmetic rewards and costs about 1000 Silver, or $10/£10. The paid Event Card also includes an Exotic emote called Liberated Fish, an Exotic sparrow, and a special shader.
Note that you have only until the end of the event duration to complete challenges and claim your rewards, even if you choose the paid option.
Upon completing all event challenges as well as some additional Triumphs, which are generally more difficult than the event challenges, you’ll earn the Solstice Seal and the Flamekeeper title, demonstrating your dedication to the grind. Additionally, Solstice bounties from Eva Levante will also grant XP, Bright Dust, and Glimmer, and completing the Fuel for the Fire II event challenge requiring you to stoke a set number of flames grants an emblem called Sunkissed.
Solstice also brings us a ridiculous-but-fun Strand precision frame rocket launcher called the Crowning Duologue, which is the first rocket launcher of its subclass type and can roll with the Hatchling perk.
Completing the Fuel for the Fire Event Challenge grants a Bungie Reward that allows interested players to purchase a pair of themed sunglasses from the Bungie Store.
How to upgrade Solstice armor
You can upgrade your armor by earning Silver Leaves, which you’ll get from the EAZ Solstice activity and other in-game activities, and you must have the Solstice armor equipped to earn this currency.
You can then transform Silver Leaves into Silver Ash by completing the Bonfire Bash. Silver Ash allows you to reroll armor stats from the mod screen.
You’ll also need to earn Kindling, which you can earn from completing Solstice Event Challenges. Spending these allows you to upgrade your armor stat potential, and each armor piece can be upgraded three tiers. Upgrades are permanent and shared across all Solstice pieces for that armor slot.
Solstice event quest line
You’ll kick off the Solstice event by visiting Eva Levante in the Tower, who will give you the quest Celebrating Solstice. Note that this is where you can also pick up additional pieces of armor if you don’t like your initial rolls.
The quest steps are:
- Equip a full set of Sunlit armor.
- Visit Eva Levante in the Tower.
- Complete the Bonfire Bash activity to transform Silver Leaves into Silver Ash. (This requires entering the EAZ and earning 20 Silver Ash.)
- Visit Eva Levante.
- Open your Event Card to claim your first Event Challenge.
- Open the Details screen of any Sunlit armor, and add the Kindling under armor mods.
- Imbue a piece of Sunlit armor with Embers by going to armor mods of the Sunlit armor. You must have Kindling applied as a mod to do this.
- Speak with Eva Levante, who will reward you with Silver Leaves.
Eva will then grant the Guardian in Shining Armor quest. For this one, you must:
- Collect 8 Silver Leaves.
- Transform Silver Leaves into 40 Silver Ash by completing the Bonfire Bash event.
- Collect 2 Kindling by completing Event Challenges that award them.
- On a piece of Sunlit armor with the Small Kindling mod, add the Large Kindling mod.
- Imbue a piece of Sunlit armor with Shining Embers, which rerolls armor with a chance of landing a high stat at random.
- Visit Eva Levante in the Tower, who will then grant four more Silver Leaves.
Upon completing this, Eva will award another quest titled Rekindling the Spark.
- Collect 12 Silver Leaves.
- Transform your Silver Leaves into 60 Silver Ash by completing the Bonfire Bash.
- Collect 3 Kindling by completing Event Challenges that award them.
- Add the maximum amount of Kindling to any piece of Sunlit armor. Fully rekindling a piece of Sunlit armor unlocks its glow, and allows you to imbue it with a Spark.
- Imbue a piece of fully rekindled Sunlit armor with a Spark of your choice. You can do so from the armor mods of the fully rekindled Sunlit armor.
- Visit Eva Levante in the Tower.
Upon completing that quest, you’ll then earn one more quest, which is called A Glowing Solstice.
- Add Small Kindling to a piece of Sunlit armor with no Kindling.
- On an armor piece with Small Kindling, add the Large Kindling.
- Add the maximum amount of Kindling to a piece of sunlit armor.
- Repeat the previous three steps two more times.
- Visit Eva Levante in the Tower.
Solstice event buffs
This season’s event will also introduce two new buffs, which are:
Firebound: Only available in Bonfire Bash, this buff grants Guardians increased Recovery and Super regeneration when near allies.
Flare: Available in both the Vanguard Ops playlist and Bonfire Bash, rapidly defeating enemies around you unleashes waves of paracausal fire, which deals damage to enemies around you.
That’s everything you need to know about Destiny 2 Solstice, a popular annual activity in the multiplayer game. If you’re just now diving into Season 21, check out our Destiny 2 Season of the Deep guide for more info on what you’ll discover beneath the waves of Titan, including the Destiny 2 Ghosts of the Deep dungeon that rests far below the surface.