Skip to main content

Long read: The beauty and drama of video games and their clouds

"It's a little bit hard to work out without knowing the altitude of that dragon..."

If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.

Destiny 2 Cabal Gold farm recommendations and sources explained

How to get your hands on the Season of the Chosen currency.

Destiny 2's Cabal Gold is a resource introduced in Season of the Chosen.

This can be sourced across the solar system, from matchmade playlists to certain patrol activities.

Once you've collected enough, you can use it to socket Medallions into the Hammer of Proving.

By learning how to farm Cabal Gold effectively, you can maximise your returns from Season of the Chosen.

On this page:

Destiny 2 PS5 vs Xbox Series X|S - A True Next-Gen AdvantageWatch on YouTube

How to get Cabal Gold in Destiny 2

Cabal Gold is a resource which drops upon completion of many activities across the game.

Unlike the Lure charges from Season of the Hunt, Cabal Gold drops from a wide variety of places, and not just playlist activities. These include:

  • Strike playlist - approx 14 Cabal Gold
  • Crucible matches - approx 8 Cabal Gold
  • Gambit matches - approx 8 Cabal Gold
  • Public events - approx 7 Cabal Gold for Heroic
  • Nightfall Strikes
  • Dungeons*
  • Raids*
  • Nightmare Hunts
  • Blind Well

* A bug at the start of the Season of the Chosen means Cabal Gold is not dropping from these activities.

As noted, the above are approximate amounts. For example, we earned both 8 and 9 Cabal Gold upon the completion of a Gambit match, and though Strikes appear to reliably drop 14 Cabal Gold - which is perfect if you want to earn the exact amount to socket the base Medallion into the Hammer - it's possible this could differ.

Strikes and Gambit drop approximately 14 and 8 Cabal Gold respectively.

As well as this, you can also unlock additional Cabal Gold drops upon completing Battlegrounds events by unlocking the following Hammer enhancements through earning War Table reputation:

  • Tribute Chest 1: Earn 1 Cabal Gold per Tribute Chest smashed
  • Tribute Chest 3: Earn 2 Cabal Gold per Tribute Chest smashed

Finally, when you complete the season's introductory Challenger's Proving quest, you'll receive a one-off reward of 28 Cabal Gold:

Cabal Gold cap and Cabal Gold not dropping in Destiny 2 explained

An important thing to know about Cabal Gold is there is a cap, whereby you won't earn any more when reached.

Destiny 2 - Charging the Hammer of Proving with Cabal GoldWatch on YouTube

If you find yourself completing activities and Cabal Gold isn't dropping, or seeing your Cabal Gold reward significantly lower than expected, it's likely you've reached the cap. As such, it pays to keep an eye on your Hammer of Proving to see how close you are to the cap, then socket a Medallion to spend some Cabal Gold to so you're not missing out on any drops.

The Cabal Gold cap at the start of the Season of Proving is 42. It is then possible to increase the Cabal Cap with the following Hammer enhancements through earning War Table reputation:

  • Cabal Gold 1 - Increases cap to 56
  • Cabal Gold 2 - Increases cap to 70
  • Cabal Gold 2 - Increases cap to 84

The Season of the Deep is here alongside the Into the Depths quest. You can know go fishing too! Don't forget to keep an eye on the Lost Sector and King's Fall challenge rotation schedule!


Cabal Gold farm recommendations in Destiny 2

Weighing up the above Cabal Gold sources and the length of time of each event, the best Cabal Farm sources appear to be Crucible matches (approx 8) and Heroic Public Events (approx 7).

Mayhem and Rumble matches in particular are the fastest Crucible modes to engage in. Completing the former is particularly useful during Season of the Chosen, as one Week 1 Seasonal Challenge has you rack up kills in the mode.

Similarly, Public Events are useful for another Week 1 Seasonal Challenge - Contender's Ascent - which has you collect Rocket Launcher kills against the Cabal.

If you visit the EDZ's The Gulch and Winding Cove regions, not only are these Cabal Public Events quicker than most, but the clusters of enemies spawning in make for easy fodder for your Rocket Launcher rounds.

The Contender's Ascent challenge is also a source of War Table reputation, helping you upgrade your Hammer of Proving.