How to get Defiant Keys in Destiny 2’s Season of Defiance

Running in parallel with the launch of Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion is the beginning of Season of Defiance, chronicling the story of the battle for Earth while Guardians are chasing Calus to Neomuna. Season of Defiance utilizes a remix of the popular Battlegrounds seasonal activity—Defiant Battlegrounds—for its core gameplay loop, but if you want to make the most out of each run, you are going to need a new resource: Defiant Keys.

Unlike prior seasons where the grindable currency could number in the thousands and require spending hundreds to make use of, Defiant Keys are a much simpler concept to grasp. One Defiant Key will provide one chest worth of high-tier loot at the end of a Defiant Battlegrounds playlist run. The key is automatically consumed when opening the final chest as well, meaning you will get the better rewards without needing to use the key on a separate chest at the end of the activity.

With Defiant Keys a must-have for the most efficient grinding of Season of Defiance, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the sources within Destiny 2 that these keys can be obtained prior to hopping into the Defiant Battlegrounds playlist.

How to get Defiant Keys in Destiny 2’s Season of Defiance

Defiant Keys can be obtained by completing any activity throughout the system. Whether it’s via ritual activities like Vanguard Ops or the Defiant Battlegrounds themselves, any activity completion has a chance of including a Defiant Key as a reward.

Players can hold up to five Defiant Keys maximum at any given moment, and as Defiant Keys can be earned via Defiant Battlegrounds, there is a chance to earn more as you use up the five keys that you start with. While the seasonal vendor at the War Table does not provide any upgrades to hold more Defiant Keys at once, you can unlock a few nodes that enhance their potency or open up additional key sources. These can be found in the Queensguard Vows section of the Upgrades table.