Destiny 2 has been chugging along strong for almost 4 years now and Bungie has been hard at work adding (and, unfortunately, vaulting some) clever and entertaining content for its players. Although there may be mixed feelings about the future of Destiny 2 and where the MMO-like FPS is headed, one can't deny that developers don't work hard to bring unique twists, turns, and upgraded gameplay to their community.
Progression can seem a bit murky to new players, thanks to a massive overload of materials, relics, and catalysts. Most will find themselves gaining a wide array of "things" as they progress through Destiny 2's expansive world and there may be times that their inventory seems outright overwhelming. Between the planetary resources, weapon parts, and "buffs," it can be hard to understand what's important and what is simply "filler."
One resource that sees a lot of confusion is Glimmer. This "currency" is gained by doing a multitude of activities across Destiny 2 but what exactly is it used for and how can players get tons of it as quickly as possible?
Updated on December 14, 2021, by Anastasia Maillot: There have been a lot of changes to Glimmer and Vendors in Destiny 2 in the past year. And with more changes on the horizon most likely for Witch Queen in February 2022, the best way to earn Glimmer in Destiny 2 is a matter that is likely to keep on changing as time goes on.
For now, however, with the 30th Anniversary out along with the Grasp of Avarice dungeon and Dares of Eternity six-man activity, this Glimmer guide has been updated to better reflect the methods of earning Glimmer and the best uses for it.
What Is Glimmer Used For?
Glimmer is rewarded for doing almost anything in Destiny 2. Players can earn Glimmer from killing enemies, completing planet patrols, opening chests, completing strikes, quests, bounties, and just about everything else. Players can even unlock certain mods that will help them gain glimmer faster. It may not seem like a big deal at first, because this resource bleeds from many facets of the Destiny 2 world, but Glimmer can actually be pretty valuable, especially if players are trying to grow stronger.
There is a multitude of reasons players would want to carry as much Glimmer as possible at all times.
Purchasing Upgrade Items
Destiny 2 isn't like a traditional MMO where players will be saving up their stores of gold to purchase powerful potions and incredible weapons. Instead, Vendors offer unique items that can be used to help upgrade equipment, such as Enhancement Prisms, Upgrade Modules, and Ascendant Shards. Players can also buy Armor pieces to make their Guardian stronger or even purchase lower-level gear pieces to dismantle, in order to grab any basic materials they might be missing.
It's important to note that mods from Banshee-44 and Ada-1 located in The Tower do not cost Glimmer, but instead require players to have Mod Components.
Upgrading And Masterworking Armor & Weapons
Glimmer is also important when it comes to upgrading armor and weapons (and Ghost shells), and eventually masterworking them. This is one of the main goals of most players, as masterworked weapons and armor gain powerful stat boosts that can make a huge difference when building a Destiny 2 character.
Luckily, as of the 30th Anniversary update in Destiny 2, swapping armor mods no longer costs Glimmer. However, swapping weapon mods and Ghost mods still costs a bit of Glimmer.
Buying From Xur And The Exotic Archives
Every Friday, the mysterious Vendor affiliated with the Nine arrives at a random location in Destiny 2's world and shares his wares of Exotic items and Legendary goods. Many of his weapons and armor can have very good rolls, so players should save a bit of Glimmer and Legendary Shards to afford his wares. Exotics will not cost Glimmer, but any Legendary weapons and armor will cost both Legendary Shards and Glimmer.
Completing Xur's Exotic Cipher quest allows players to spend a Cipher at the Exotic Archives, Monument to Lost Lights, located in the Tower. Exotic weapons from previous seasons and DLCs can be purchased here, and many of them have extremely steep prices in Glimmer. For example, the Ace of Spades hand cannon from the Forsaken DLC costs 125,000 Glimmer. On top of that, these Exotics also demand planetary resources, Ascendant Shards, and occasionally Spoils of Conquest from raids.
Given that this is the only way to get some of these unique Exotic weapons, it's one of the best uses of Glimmer in the game.
Buying Bounties For XP And Powerful Gear Challenges
Bounties are one of the best ways in Destiny 2 to earn XP and progress the Seasonal Pass. Past the light level cap, bounties are also the primary way of earning XP and leveling the Seasonal Artifact to gain a Power bonus for one's light level. Most Vendors also require players to complete a set number of bounties per week for Pinnacle or Powerful Gear drops, which is essential for players under the power level cap to level up.
Glimmer is the number one currency to purchase these bounties. Whether it's from Banshee-44, the Drifter, Zavala, Lord Shaxx, or even Vendors outside the tower, like Variks and Shaw Han, all of these bounties have a Glimmer price tag that can add up quickly for XP-hungry Guardians.
How To Make Glimmer Quickly
Now that players know there's a Glimmer-eating monster lurking beneath the waves of Destiny 2, they'll need a way to bankroll all of their purchases and upgrades. Unfortunately, there is also the annoyance of a pretty unforgiving Glimmer cap. Players can only hold 250,000 of the currency at one time, so they won't be able to "farm for a week and retire." Glimmer use and production are a revolving door and dedicated players will need to constantly replenish their currency.
Thankfully, there are some great ways to make Glimmer quickly in Destiny 2 and with all of this "money" exchanging hands it's easy to see why Bungie rewards players with Glimmer for practically everything they do.
Dismantling Items
Players earn a lot of loot from various activities, most of which they'll never end up using. Any weapons, armor, ghosts shells, shaders, and such can be dismantled for some Gunsmith Materials, Legendary Shards, the occasional Enhancement Core, and even some Glimmer. It's not much, but those with an excess of items in their Vault and inventory should regularly do a clean-up. They might be surprised by how much spare Glimmer they end up with.
Trade With Spider
Spider is absolutely and without a doubt "The Man" when it comes to gathering Glimmer quickly. If players are looking for the fastest way to get a ton of currency, look no further. Spider allows players to trade certain materials with him and the trade structures will shift weekly. Sometimes they'll be able to snag Legendary Shards and Planetary Materials from him for Glimmer, which is handy if players are short on upgrade materials, but the flip side is that Spider will also allow players to trade certain planetary materials and shards for cold, hard, cash.
The exchange rate is pretty generous too, with batches netting up to 10,000 Glimmer per trade. If players don't feel like farming and want the instant gratification of money-in-hand, Spider is the man to see. Note that after December 2021, the Tangled Shore will be vaulted and Master Rahool will take over the Glimmer exchange trade in The Tower.
Farming PVP & Difficult PVE Activities
Perhaps players don't want to give up their hard-earned planetary materials and their incredibly valuable Legendary Shards. That's definitely understandable and smart for the Destiny 2 player that doesn't mind farming up a firestorm. Sure, they can grab Glimmer through planetary Patrols and Public Events but players are honestly much better off running through PVP and PVE activities.
PVP players stand to make the most from these ventures because matches are fast and short depending on the Game Mode. PVP is a great place to grab not only Glimmer but materials, shaders, weapons, armor, and even exotics.
For those that simply can't stand PVP and prefer to throw hands with Destiny 2's hordes of A.I., it can be rewarding to enter the Strike playlist. Challenging Nightfall strikes, and Grandmaster Nightfalls, in particular, can yield a motherload of loot and Glimmer for players.
Solo Legend and Master Lost Sectors are also fantastic for players who don't have a clan or a fireteam ready to grind for Glimmer with them. These Lost Sectors also have a chance of dropping some cool Exotic gear. Finally, completing raids will earn players a ton of Glimmer, though it's not a quick process by any means and requires a dedicated fireteam.
Ghost Buffs & Rainmaker
No matter what players end up doing, they'll want to take a look at the modifications available for the Ghost, which can help players get more Glimmer. A cache-detector mod is also useful if players are on patrol and want to open as many chests as possible.
Bungie's latest fray into Seasons can also prove fruitful as buying the Season Pass and climbing through the "levels" of it can unlock Glimmer-based buffs. Players with the Rainmaker consumable item can also pop it before PVE activities for a chance to create a shower of Glimmer when scoring precision kills.
Destiny 2 was released on September 6, 2017, and is available on PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and Google Stadia.