The Destiny 2 Old Lights emblem and Elemental Qi emote are veteran rewards added with Monument of Triumph in June 2026. They’re exclusive to players who logged into Destiny 2 at least once during every major expansion era from launch in 2017 through June 8, 2026. Missing even one era means you don’t qualify. This guide covers every eligibility window, how to check your status, and exactly where to claim each reward — they’re in two different locations and most players check the wrong one first.
- You must have played at least once during all eight expansion eras from September 2017 through June 8, 2026
- Eligibility checks your Bungie ID and every platform account linked to it — not just your current primary account
- Missing even one expansion window disqualifies you entirely
- Old Lights emblem: claim from Collections → Flair → Emblems → Account tab
- Elemental Qi emote: claim from the Special Deliveries Terminal in the Tower (between Banshee-44 and Rahool)
- Rewards distributed in waves — if you’re eligible but don’t see them, wait a few days before raising a support ticket
- A fan-made eligibility checker at d2oldlightcheck.online lets you verify your account history before logging in
What Are the Old Lights Emblem and Elemental Qi Emote
These are two exclusive cosmetic rewards Bungie created as a final tribute to the most dedicated long-term Guardians. The Old Lights emblem is an account-level emblem recognizing your presence through the entire history of Destiny 2. The Elemental Qi emote is an animated victory gesture reserved for the same group.
Neither has any gameplay effect. They’re badges of honor — proof that you were there for every chapter of Destiny 2’s run. Because the eligibility bar is strict and retroactive, these rewards cannot be earned by new players or anyone who took an extended break during any expansion window. They’re the most exclusive cosmetics in the game’s history.
Old Lights Emblem Eligibility — All Eight Expansion Windows
To qualify, your Bungie ID must show at least one recorded login across all eight of these expansion eras. Even a single session of any length during each window counts. Missing any one of them means you are not eligible.
- Destiny 2 Launch: September 6, 2017 – September 3, 2018
- Forsaken: September 4, 2018 – September 30, 2019
- Shadowkeep: October 1, 2019 – November 9, 2020
- Beyond Light: November 10, 2020 – February 21, 2022
- The Witch Queen: February 22, 2022 – February 27, 2023
- Lightfall: February 28, 2023 – June 3, 2024
- The Final Shape: June 4, 2024 – July 14, 2025
- The Year of Prophecy: July 15, 2025 – June 8, 2026
One session of any activity during each window qualifies. You don’t need to have played every day, every week, or even every month. One login per era is the requirement. The cutoff date was June 8, 2026 — the day before Monument of Triumph launched.
How Cross-Save and Multi-Platform Accounts Affect Eligibility
This is the most commonly misunderstood part of the eligibility system, and it matters significantly for players who have moved between platforms over the years.
Bungie checks eligibility based on your Bungie ID and all platform accounts linked to it — not just your current active platform or your Cross Save primary account. If you played on PlayStation during Forsaken, then moved to PC via Steam during Beyond Light, both accounts’ activity counts as long as both are linked to the same Bungie ID.
This means players who moved platforms and properly linked their accounts benefit from their full cross-platform history. A session on any linked account during any required era covers that window.
Important caveat for platform-switchers: If you played on a platform you never linked to your Bungie ID, that activity cannot be counted. Account merging conflicts — where someone switched platforms without completing proper cross-save linking — can result in older activity being invisible to the eligibility check. If you believe you played during an era but your account shows no activity there, verify your linked accounts at bungie.net before assuming you’re ineligible.
How to Check Your Eligibility
There are two ways to check whether you qualify before looking for the rewards in-game.
Fan-Made Eligibility Checker Tool
A community-built tool at d2oldlightcheck.online lets you sign in with your Bungie account and see your play history broken down by expansion era. It shows which windows have recorded activity and which are missing, giving you a clear pass/fail result per era.
The tool is safe to use. It reads your account data live through the official Bungie API and does not store any information. It was built by the community specifically for this purpose and has been widely used by Guardians checking their status. The source code is publicly available on GitHub for anyone who wants to verify what it does.
Sign in with your Bungie account, wait for the scan to complete (it may take a minute if you have a long play history), and the tool will show you a table with each expansion window and whether your linked accounts have visible activity in that period.
Manual Check via Bungie.net
Go to bungie.net and log into your account. Navigate to your account settings and check which platform memberships are linked to your Bungie ID. Verify that every platform you’ve ever played on is listed. If a platform is missing, link it before concluding you’re ineligible — your history on that platform may be what fills the gap.
Where to Claim the Old Lights Emblem
The Old Lights emblem does not appear in the Special Deliveries Terminal. This is where most players check first and come away confused.
To claim the emblem:
- Open your character menu
- Navigate to the Collections tab
- Select Flair
- Go to Emblems
- Find the Account sub-category
The Old Lights emblem will be there if your account has been flagged as eligible. You can equip it directly from Collections.
Where to Claim the Elemental Qi Emote
The Elemental Qi emote is claimed from the Special Deliveries Terminal in the Tower — the same kiosk where the free Toast to the Monument emblem and 50 Legendary Marks were available at launch. It’s located between Banshee-44 and Master Rahool near the back wall of the Courtyard.
Interact with the terminal and check for the Elemental Qi emote in the available items. If it’s there, claim it directly.
To summarize the two different locations clearly: the emblem goes to Collections, the emote goes to Special Deliveries. They’re in different places. Check both.
Wave Distribution — Why You Might Not Have Them Yet
Bungie confirmed that Old Lights rewards are distributed in waves rather than instantly to all eligible players at once. If you meet the criteria but don’t see the emblem in Collections or the emote at Special Deliveries, you may simply be waiting for your wave to process.
Wait a few days after Monument of Triumph launched before assuming you’re ineligible. The distribution process runs across multiple batches. Log in, check both locations, and if nothing is there after several days, then consider whether your account history actually covers all eight windows.
Bungie recommended waiting until the second major distribution wave finished before contacting support about missing items.
What to Do If You’re Eligible but Didn’t Receive the Rewards
If you’ve waited through the distribution waves and believe you should have received the rewards but haven’t:
- Verify all platform accounts are linked to your Bungie ID at bungie.net
- Run the eligibility checker at d2oldlightcheck.online to confirm your history shows activity in every required era
- Check both claim locations — Collections for the emblem, Special Deliveries for the emote
- If all of that checks out and rewards are still missing, file a support ticket through help.bungie.net referencing the Old Lights eligibility criteria
Account merging conflicts are the most common reason eligible players don’t receive their rewards. If you changed platforms and didn’t complete proper Cross Save linking before the June 8, 2026 cutoff, Bungie may not have been able to see activity across all your accounts.
What If You’re Missing One or More Eras
If you missed any expansion window, you are not eligible for the Old Lights emblem or Elemental Qi emote. The June 8, 2026 cutoff has passed. There is no way to retroactively qualify.
This is intentional. Bungie designed these rewards as strict recognition of players who stayed through the entire journey. Missing even the Lightfall era, which was widely criticized as one of the weaker expansions, disqualifies you. The bar is high on purpose.
These are the only Monument of Triumph rewards with this kind of eligibility gate. Everything else in Monument of Triumph — Legendary Marks, Tenet vendor rewards, SRL cosmetics, the Immortal title — is available to all players regardless of when they started or returned. The Old Lights emblem and Elemental Qi emote are the exception, not the rule.
For everything else available to all players in Monument of Triumph, our Destiny 2 Legendary Marks guide covers how to farm the currency used across all Tenet vendors. If you’re deciding whether to return to Destiny 2 or buy The Collection, our Destiny 2 The Collection guide breaks down everything included and whether it’s worth the price. For Tower Triumphs worth completing for quick Marks — like petting Archie, the floor is lava challenge, and spawning the giant ball — our Archie location guide, Floor is Lava guide, and Tower giant ball guide cover each one. For the Immortal title grind that unlocks the Immortal Legend Armor Ornament Set, see our Destiny 2 Immortal title guide.
