The economy inDestiny 2is established around what gear a player can get. This means most of the currencies that players use inDestiny 2have their value directly tied to different forms of loot. For a looter-shooter this makes a lot of sense, and the cycle built aroundDestiny 2’s economy incentivizes grinding while encouraging players to explore different locations. With each location comes different loot, and this often means there is a different form of currency to help get that loot.
While this works well for compartmentalizing aspects of the game and pushing players around the universe, it can make things confusing, especially fornewDestiny 2players. Instead of having a standard currency and a premium currency, there are multiple currencies for players to keep track of. Most currencies have clear benefits and uses, but some of the more niche ones may only be for a single item that doesn’t hold much relevance anywhere else.
RELATED:Destiny 2 Players Are Purposefully Lowering Their Light Levels to Help New Players
Glimmer, Legendary Shards, Silver, and Bright Dust
Destiny 2’s two general currencies tend to come into play whenever buying something. Glimmer is useful in almost every situation, and it currently tops out at 250,000 - though a Glimmer cap increase or removal would be nice to see inThe Witch Queenexpansion. Legendary Shards are somewhat similar to Glimmer and are most often found from dismantling legendary gear. The shards are used for buying gear from different vendors, most notably Xur and Banshee-44, as well as the early stages of upgrades for weapons and armor.
Silver and Bright Dust, while more notable than other currencies inDestiny 2,are only used for cosmetics from the Eververse store. Silver is a premium currency bought with real-world money and Bright Dust can be reliably obtained from event quests and bounties. Farming Bright Dust from bounties during events likeThe Dawning inDestiny 2is one of the most efficient ways for Guardians to top up their stash of Bright Dust for use throughout the year.
Planetary Materials
Planetary Materials exist as a weird form of currency. While they can be used to up a player’s rank at location vendors, this isn’t as effective as in the vanilla version ofDestiny 2. Now planetary materials get most of their value by trading with Spider on the Tangled Shore, or purchasing exotic gear from the Monument to Lost Lights. Hopefully they’ll evolve and find more use withweapon crafting inThe Witch Queen, but for now the seven materials sit in a sort of limbo.
RELATED:Destiny 2 Player Defeats 4 Raid Bosses With 7 Throwing Hammers Total
Upgrade Materials
As some of the most useful currency items inDestiny 2after Glimmer, upgrade materials are important for players looking to get the most out of their Guardian. As their name implies, these materials are necessary for upgrading and masterworking gear, but they can also be used for purchasing items inDestiny 2.
Mod Components, Spoils of Conquest, and Exotic Cyphers
Similar to upgrade materials are Mod Components, Spoils of Conquest, and Exotic Cyphers. Mod Components are restricted to buyingmods inDestiny 2, but these are some of the most useful pieces of equipment that players can get regardless of what subclass they main. Spoils of Conquest and Exotic Cyphers, however, are specific to gear but can still be useful.
Vendor Currencies in Destiny 2
Along with the major currencies used inDestiny 2, there are also ones that can be used at vendors. While these currencies are specific, they are still important for farming different weapons and armor, or filling out pieces of lore. These also have come as part of expansions withForsaken(which iscontent being vaulted whenThe Witch Queenlaunches),Shadowkeep,Beyond Light.TheBungie 30th Anniversary Pack also has a vendor to trade with.
While the currencies inDestiny 2can get confusing and difficult to track, once players have figured out their different uses, prioritizing them becomes much easier. As they fluctuate in value based on a player’s needs, activities like grinding Dark Fragments to buy charges for the Blind Well might become less effective than spending Legendary Shards toget a rare god-roll from Xur. It all depends on what currencies Guardians have or need at the moment.
Destiny 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
