Destiny 2 aims to make ‘stronger connections between Guardians’ with new Commendations system in Lightfall

If you’ve ever wanted to express gratitude to fellow players in Destiny 2, you’re in luck thanks to a new feature arriving in the game’s Lightfall expansion later this month.

Sometimes when playing solo activities with random matchmade teammates, you’ll find yourself impressed with the synergy and want to show thanks. That’s what the new Commendations system is for.

“The Commendations system is the first step in creating stronger connections between Guardians this year,” Bungie said in a new blog post about the year of Lightfall.

“It can be hard to reach out to someone you don’t know. Commendations are an icebreaker – a simple way of saying thanks to players that you appreciated playing with,” Bungie said. “Over time, players will accumulate a ton of different commendations that help build a story for how others in Destiny 2 perceive you.”

Certain commendations will only be available in specific game modes, like the “Pacesetter” and “Saint’s Favorite” commendations found in Trials of Osiris. There’s also the “Perceptive” and “Knowledgeable” commendations received in raids and dungeons.

“With the Commendations system, those at the highest levels of Guardian Ranks will have proven to be folks that are consistently appreciated by others in the community,” Bungie said. “Sometimes it will be because they are the kinds of people willing to do the heavy lifting when organizing a large group of players. Sometimes it will be because, even if they aren’t the kinds of people comfortable speaking up, they are always doing what needs to be done to help the group overcome the obstacle in front of them.”

In short, commendations are a badge of honor, a reward for playing well or doing the right thing in Destiny 2. And that’s something most players should be able to get behind.

In an attempt to further play communications, Bungie said it’s changing text chat from universal opt-in to opt-out, meaning chat channels will be on by default, giving players “more frequent opportunities to reach out to a fellow Guardian.”

Destiny 2 Lightfall launches on Feb. 28.