2022 is a year of change for Bungie. Everything feels new after the launch of The Witch Queen, from our subclasses to our weapons. That also applies to events, and as a long-standing tradition, Solstice of Heroes is returning to Destiny 2 through summer. This time it's revised with a load of changes and a new name: Solstice.
Since Solstice brings many changes, with new armor to be acquired and the introduction of Event Cards, we've wrapped up what you need to know and how to unlock everything available.
Solstice 2022 start date
Destiny 2's Solstice event started on July 19, 2022, and runs for three weeks, finishing on August 9. This event is free to play for all Destiny 2 players and only requires that new players unlock access to the Tower before participating.
What activities are part of Solstice 2022?
During the Solstice event, there is only one new activity named Bonfire Bash. Bonfire Bash is a three-person matchmade playlist located on the European Aerial Zone (EAZ). It can be accessed through the totem next to Eva Levante in the Tower or directly through the Director.
To complete the activity, Guardians must kill enemies around the EDZ to generate orbs to grow the bonfire. Taken will arrive on the map to prevent further bonfire ignitions, and, after eight minutes, a boss will also spawn. Kill the boss to complete the activity, and the size of your bonfire will determine the rewards received.
What are the rewards for Solstice 2022?
There are plenty of rewards for Solstice 2022, but only the Something New Hand Cannon, Compass Rose Shotgun, and Candescent Armor Package are awarded for completing the Bonfire Bash activity. Silver Ash is also available but requires the player to earn Silver Leaves by participating in other activities in Destiny 2.
However, these are not the only rewards available throughout the event. Other bonuses, such as the Skateboarding emote (10 Event Tickets), Platinum Osprey (eight Event Tickets), Peach Spotlight Transmat Effect (four Event Tickets), and the Bitten Cookie Projection (two Event Tickets), can be purchased with Event Tickets earned by completing Event Challenges.
What are Event Cards, Event Challenges, and Event Tickets? How do they work?
Event Cards are a new way of sharing challenges in Destiny 2’s seasonal activities. These are related to seals and titles, culminating in a multi-event title for the various events, like Solstice and Festival of the Lost.
Event Challenges are essentially time-limited Weekly Challenges, only available when their respective event is live. Completing Event Challenges will reward Event Tickets to be spent on cosmetic items from Eva Levante. Bungie has confirmed that these items will be available for purchase with Bright Dust at an unknown date in the future.
Event Tickets are the seasonal currency used to purchase rewards in the Solstice event. Event Tickets will not carry over to new seasons and must be spent before August 9.
What is an Upgraded Event Card?
The upgraded event card costs 1,000 silver. Players will unlock the Hot Dog Eating Champ Emote, Iris Gossamer Shader, and Sunny Exotic Ghost Shell by purchasing this. These are the only benefits of buying the Event Card and will not affect your event participation in the event.
What are Event Seals?
Solstice 2022 introduces the first Event Seal, of many, into the foray. This event seal is only available during Solstice 2022 and will unlock the Flamekeeper title. Bungie has also confirmed that you can Gild these titles, and a Multi-Event Seal will have its own title too.
How do I unlock Solstice 2022’s Candescent Armour?
Your first set is given to you by Eva Levante in the Tower at the start of Solstice 2022. This armor will start at the base level for the event, and you will progress a quest for Eva Levante by equipping all of the gear at once, granting four Silver Leaves.
It’s possible to purchase additional armor pieces from Eva Levante for five Legendary Shards, 3,000 Glimmer, and 100 Silver Ash. However, the initial armor is far from among those in the best Destiny 2 builds, with upgrades also available.
How can I upgrade my Solstice 2022’s Candescent Armour?
Before you can upgrade armor, you will need to understand the resources of Solstice; Silver Leaves, Silver Ash, and Kindling. Silver Leaves are earned by completing activities throughout Destiny 2, and you only need to wear a single piece of Solstice armor to generate leaves from activities.
These Silver Leaves are converted to Silver Ash by completing the Bonfire Bash activity. You will earn five Silver Ash for each Silver Leaf, and the amount of Silver Leaves converted to Silver Ash is based on the number of Bonfire Ignitions during the Bonfire Bash. There is a maximum number of 20 Ignitions per event, which translates to a maximum of 100 Silver Ash generated for 20 Silver Leaves.
You also need Kindling to upgrade your armor. Kindling is unlocked by completing Event Challenges and only event challenges.
When it comes to using the resources, your armor requires Kindling and Silver Ash. There are three tiers of upgrades for Kindling and Silver Ash. Kindling starts with Small Kindling, which costs one piece of Kindling, Large Kindling costs two, and the final level, Fully Rekindled, costs three. After armor has been fully Rekindled, all future armor pieces will remain fully Rekindled.
The levels of Rekindling will then dictate the Embers of your armor, which govern the total number of stats available on each piece of armor. The first Ember, Glowing Embers, will cost 20 Silver Ash, Shining Embers then follows this at 40 Silver Ash, and it culminates in a “Spark of” one of the stats available on armor. This final Ember upgrade will guarantee the piece of armor holds a minimum of 20 in the chosen stat and requires 60 Silver Ash. Once you have selected your “Spark of” stat and spent your Silver Ash, you will no longer be able to upgrade this armor. If you are unhappy with the stat, you must purchase another armor piece from Eva Levante and spend Silver Ash on its Embers.
This means upgrading a single armor piece will cost six Kindling and 120 Silver Ash. Thankfully, you will only need to Kindle each type of armor (Helmet, Gauntlet, Chest, and Boots - there is no need to Rekindle Class Items) once. The only remaining requirement is to spend 120 Silver Ash rerolling its stats.
You will need to complete EVERY Event Challenge available, and because the progress doesn’t carry between different classes, you will need to complete them all three times.
Thankfully, the grind is all worth it. As the Rekindled armor offers a minimum of 60+ overall stats and a guaranteed 20+ stat in your chosen area, you can curate your armor extensively. It's also possible to manipulate stats via your Ghost Mod, tweaking stats for another 10+ on a stat of your choice. Unfortunately, you cannot select the same Ghost Mod and Spark on a piece of armor to get a minimum of 30 stats. As a result, carefully consider your primary stat for your build and secondary.
What is the best way to farm Solstice resources?
While many will recommend farming the final checkpoint in The Witch Queen’s Investigation campaign mission with a team of three cycling out (quitting before the mission ends), this will only generate Silver Leaves. Silver Leaves are a small part of the event and bountiful across all activities.
The reality is that there is no quick way if you are seeking to Rekindle all pieces of armor. It requires considerable investment across various activities, which should be a priority. When completing Event Challenges, you should manage your inventory effectively by completing a Bonfire Bash when you have 20 or more Silver Leaves to convert to Silver Ash and, subsequently, spend the Kindling and Silver Ash you unlock on your Solstice armor.
After completing all of the Event Challenges, efficient Silver Ash farming could be worth considering. Even then, the most efficient farm is predicated on a team of two Guardians and cannot be completed solo.
But most importantly, have fun during the Solstice event. It’s summer, the sun is shining, and there are plenty of ice pops to be slurped at while you sit in front of a monitor hoping for the perfect Candescent Armor roll.
