Smashing Week 1 Destiny 2 Challenges in 2026: A Guardian's Hilarious Guide

It’s 2026 and Bungie has once again lured me back into the endless grind with a fresh seasonal drop. I’m talking about the newest set of weekly challenges that have me questioning my life choices at 3 a.m. while I shoot Fallen in the face for a pittance of Bright Dust. The seasonal challenge system hasn’t changed its bones – it’s still a glorified to-do list that rewards you with juicy XP and that sweet, sweet glow currency. But let’s be real, we’re all just here for the serotonin hit of a completed Triumph. So, grab your favorite primary, a questionable amount of caffeine, and let me walk you through how I bulldozed all ten Week 1 challenges without losing my entire Saturday.

First up, Into the Depths I – the seasonal quest starter pack. You log in, get slapped into a cutscene, and before you know it, you’re back on Titan (yes, Titan is apparently the flavor of the season again in 2026, don’t @ me). Completing the opening mission is a no-brainer; just follow the waypoint and try not to get squished by a Hive Knight. Once you’ve done the deed, swing by the H.E.L.M. to officially pick up the questline. Then it nudges you to play a round of Salvage or Deep Dive. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy. Pro tip: if you’re really lazy, just load into Salvage and let your fireteam carry you while you pretend to shoot adds. I won’t judge.

The next one had me dripping in Arc energy like a malfunctioning Tesla coil. Front Line Salvager I wants you to complete three Season of the Deep (or whatever they’re calling this 2026 vintage) activities while rocking an Arc or Strand subclass, and also to merc 50 Fallen anywhere. I opted for Deep Dive because the first boss arena is practically a Fallen rave, and my Strand Hunter makes threading up those poor Dregs an absolute hoot. I recommend the Strand subclass if you enjoy turning the battlefield into a green spaghetti disaster. With the right build, you’ll have those 50 kills before the final boss even thinks about spawning.

Now, onto my favorite passive-aggressive challenge: Successful Salvager. You need to successfully complete five jobs in Salvage. Jobs are those mini-objectives that pop up before the final boss – stuff like standing near a spark or shooting a thing. You get three jobs per run, so buckle up for at least two full matches. I won’t lie, I’ve seen more job failures than a college grad with an art history degree because someone decided to emote instead of defusing a mine. My advice: stick with your team like glue and pray the matchmade randos have at least two brain cells to rub together. If all else fails, equip a sword and start swinging at anything that glows.

Then there’s the challenge that made me feel like I was playing a farming sim: The One That Didn’t Get Away. Catch 50 fish and complete two public events. Yes, you read that right – fishing in Destiny. It’s 2026 and my Guardian is sitting by a pond in the EDZ with a tackle box, hoping to reel in a Legendary fish while a Cabal drop pod flattens the guy next to me. Fishing spots rotate between destinations, so check your tackle box in the inventory to see where the fish are biting. Public events are literally everywhere; if there isn’t one active, just wait ten seconds. I paired this with EDZ Activities, which has you do bounties, patrols, and Lost Sectors in the EDZ. I grabbed Devrim Kay’s bounties and farmed the Atrium Lost Sector until my thumbs hurt – bounties complete themselves, patrols are a fun break to admire the rust, and public events spawn like clockwork. Efficient, and you get to pretend you’re a tourist.

If you’re a glutton for punishment, Taking All Challenges is your jam. It demands three weekly playlist challenges. This is a fancy way of saying “do your powerfuls.” I hit up Vanguard Ops, a couple of Crucible matches, and one agonizing Gambit round. Gambit, of course, made me want to throw my controller into the Sun, but at least Standard Issue overlaps. That challenge requires 100 Guardian kills in Gambit with Primary ammo – bonus progress for Auto Rifles, Hand Cannons, and Scout Rifles. I slapped on Sunshot and went to town on waves of adds. The collateral damage from blowing up a cursed thrall near an enemy Guardian counts as a Guardian kill, which is just chef’s kiss. Centrifuse is also a beast if you like making your screen shake.

Speaking of Crucible shenanigans, Spark Defender is back from the vault to haunt us. Score 50 points in Rift. Rift is where you play rugby with a glowy ball. Points come from carrying the Spark, killing carriers, or igniting the enemy Rift. The fastest way? Be that annoying Hunter who goes invisible, grabs the ball, and dunks it while the other team is still checking their radar. I got this done in two matches by charging the Rift like a bull seeing red. Communication is optional; just run faster than your teammates and hope for the best.

Now for the kill-count challenges that make you a murder hobo across the system. The Fallen Fall wants 200 Fallen kills in Vanguard activities. I loaded into The Devils’ Lair strike three times and emerged covered in ether and self-loathing. If you’re lucky, Glassway will pop up, but honestly, any strike with Fallen works. And finally, Calibrate Close Range – 200 kills with Sidearms, SMGs, Shotguns, Glaives, or Swords. I dusted off Huckleberry and headed to the Shuro Chi checkpoint in Last Wish (yes, that farm is still a thing in 2026, bless). Alternatively, the opening of Grasp of Avarice is a loot cave paradise. I recommend Trespasser if you want to pretend you’re a cowboy. Shotguns are great for getting up close and personal, but you’ll spend half the time reloading, so stick to an SMG and let the bodies hit the floor.

After all that grinding, I’ve got a mountain of XP, enough Bright Dust to buy a new emote I’ll never use, and a sense of accomplishment that will last exactly until the next weekly reset. The key to smashing these challenges is stacking them where possible – run EDZ Lost Sectors while doing fishing and bounties, play Strikes with Fallen to double-dip, and always bring a primary exotic that makes adds cry. 2026 may be the future, but some things never change: I’m still chasing that perfect roll, and Bungie is still making me fish in a looter shooter. Stay frosty, Guardians, and may your RNG be ever in your favor.