A Destiny 2 self-play carry means you play your own account while an experienced Guardian joins your fireteam and guides the activity. Nobody logs in as you and nobody needs your password. The steps are: choose a service, check out, confirm details, play together, then review the result within 48 hours.
Last updated: November 3, 2026. Written by the Guardian Sherpa Team.
What is a self-play carry in Destiny 2?
A self-play carry is a guided run where you stay in control of your own character. Your Sherpa, our name for the experienced Guardian who joins you, helps with mechanics, positioning and pace so you can finish an activity you might otherwise struggle with. Your account, your controller or keyboard, your loadout and your progress stay yours from the first invite to the final reward screen.
That is the key difference from account piloting, where a stranger signs in as you. A self-play carry is closer to joining a very experienced friend's fireteam: you are in the activity, the completion lands on your own character, and the Sherpa's job is to make sure the team gets through it. This guide walks through exactly how an order works, what to prepare, what is and is not included, and how a carry compares with coaching or going it alone.
What are the steps of a carry order?
Every Guardian Sherpa order follows the same five stages. The diagram below shows the whole flow, and the list after it explains what happens at each stage.
- Choose your goal. Browse our services and pick a raid, dungeon, Trials, Grandmaster, catalyst or title goal. The price is shown before you pay, and each service page lists what is included.
- Check out. Pay through Shopify checkout. You never type a Destiny 2 or platform password into our store.
- Confirm your details. You receive a private order link to confirm your platform, gamer tag and a time that works for you.
- Play together. Your Sherpa sends a fireteam invite at the agreed time and guides the run.
- Review the result. When the order is marked complete you have 48 hours to tell us about any problem.
What happens between checkout and the run?
After checkout your order sits in a queue until a Sherpa accepts it. Until that moment you can cancel from your order page and receive a full refund to your original payment method. Once a Sherpa accepts, the customer-side cancel button closes, but our team can still cancel, refund or reschedule if something goes wrong. The full wording is on the refund policy.
When a Sherpa accepts, you will see the plan on your order page and can agree a start time. Pick a window when you can play without interruptions. Raids and dungeons in particular go best when everyone can stay until the final encounter.
What does the Sherpa do during the run?
A good Sherpa does more than clear enemies. Expect a short check-in before the first encounter covering your class, subclass and weapons, followed by a plain-language explanation of each encounter before you attempt it. Roles are assigned, callouts are kept short, and the Sherpa steps in on the hardest mechanics so the team keeps moving. You stay in the driver's seat the whole time.
What do I need to prepare?
Preparation takes about fifteen minutes and removes most of the things that slow a run down. Work through this checklist before your start time.
- Game and platform: Destiny 2 installed and updated, with the activity available on your account. Our fireteams use normal in-game invites, so make sure your platform's party and privacy settings let you receive them.
- Character: a character at or near the recommended power level shown for the activity in the in-game director. Your order page lists anything specific to your service.
- Loadout: weapons you know well for each damage type you can use, plus a build you are comfortable playing. A familiar loadout beats an unfamiliar meta setup.
- Voice chat: a working microphone or headset if you want to talk with the team. Listening without speaking is fine.
- Connection and time: a stable wired or strong Wi-Fi connection and the time window you confirmed on your order page.
Self-play carry, coaching or doing it solo?
These three routes solve different problems. A carry gets a specific activity finished with expert help, coaching teaches you skills you can reuse, and playing solo costs nothing but time. Many players mix them: a carry to unlock a goal, then coaching to get better for the next one.
| Self-play carry | Coaching | Solo | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Finishing a raid, dungeon, Trials or Grandmaster goal | Improving builds, aim and decisions | Players with time and a ready fireteam |
| Who plays | You, on your own account | You, with a coach watching and advising | You |
| Learning | Mechanics explained as you go | Deepest, tailored to your play | Trial and error |
| Cost | From $19, shown before checkout | From $29 | Free |
If you mainly want to learn, read our coaching guide and look at the Destiny 2 coaching session. If you want a goal finished, a carry is usually the faster route.
What is included, and what is not?
Being clear about this up front prevents disappointment on both sides.
Included in a self-play carry
- A Sherpa who joins your fireteam and guides the activity you booked.
- Plain explanations of each encounter, role assignments and live callouts.
- A quick loadout check before the first encounter.
- A private order page with your plan, plus the 48-hour review window.
Not included or not promised
- Specific random drops. Loot in Destiny 2 is random, and a completed activity does not guarantee a particular weapon or armor piece.
- Anyone playing on your account. You always play your own character.
- Guaranteed results in competitive modes such as Trials, where opponents and matchmaking decide outcomes.
- Anything outside the service you booked, unless the order page says otherwise.
Which services can I book?
Pick the category that matches your goal. Prices below are starting prices; the exact price for each activity is shown on its page before you check out.
| Service | Starting price | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Raid carries | From $30 | A guided clear of a full raid with a six-player fireteam |
| Dungeon carries | From $25 | A guided clear of a three-player dungeon |
| Trials of Osiris carry | From $19 | A guided Trials session, from a short win goal to a flawless-goal run |
| Grandmaster Nightfall carry | From $29 | A guided attempt at a Grandmaster Nightfall |
| Exotic and catalyst hunt | From $29 | A session focused on an exotic or catalyst goal |
| Title and seal assistance | From $25 | Help working through a title or seal's requirements |
For deeper detail, see the guides on exotics and catalysts and titles and seals.
How long does a carry take?
Duration depends on the activity, your team and how smoothly the run goes, so treat any time as a planning range and not a promise. As a rough guide, a Trials session is measured in individual matches, a dungeon is commonly around one to a few hours, and a raid is often a multi-hour block, with newer raids with more mechanics taking longer than older ones. Each service page shows an estimated time, and your order page confirms the plan for your specific run.
What are the most common mistakes?
- Booking a window you cannot keep. Leaving mid-raid can end the attempt for everyone. If your plans change, message us on the contact page to reschedule.
- Skipping the update. A pending patch is the most common reason a start gets delayed.
- Arriving with an untested build. Swap in a build you know, not one you read about an hour ago.
- Staying silent. If a mechanic is unclear, ask. Sherpas would rather explain twice than wipe.
- Expecting guaranteed loot. The carry guarantees guidance, not a specific random drop.
Is a self-play carry safe for my account?
Self-play carries carry less risk than services where someone else logs in as you, but no provider can promise zero risk. Bungie's rules restrict some third-party services. We never ask for your password, your email login or your platform credentials, and you join through a normal in-game invite. Read our account safety page and FAQ before you order.
What if I have a question?
Use our contact page and we will help. You can also read the full FAQ or browse more Guardian Sherpa guides.
Frequently asked questions
What is a self-play carry?
A self-play carry is a guided run where you play your own account with an experienced fireteam. The Sherpa explains mechanics, assigns roles and leads the activity while you complete it yourself, so the completion, loot and triumphs land on your character without anyone else logging in.
Is a self-play carry allowed?
Playing with other people is how Destiny 2 is designed to be played, and a self-play carry is simply an organised fireteam. The account-sharing risk comes from services where someone logs in as you, so our self-play services keep everything on your own account. No provider can promise zero risk, and Bungie's rules restrict some third-party services.
What do I need before the run?
Destiny 2 installed with the activity available on your account, a character near the recommended power level, a headset for voice chat and the time window you confirmed on your order page. Your Sherpa handles the rest, including a quick loadout check before the first encounter.
Do I have to share my Destiny 2 login?
No. Self-play means you stay signed in on your own account and join our fireteam through a normal in-game invite. On self-play orders we never ask for your password, your email login or your platform credentials. Piloted orders need secure account access, shared only after payment through your private order page. Read the account safety page for the full policy.
Can I cancel my order for a refund?
Yes, up to the moment a Sherpa accepts your order. Until then you can cancel from your order page for a full refund to the original payment method. After a Sherpa accepts, the customer-side cancel option closes, but our team can still cancel, refund or reschedule if something goes wrong. See the refund policy.
How do I book and what happens next?
Pick the run type on the product page and check out. You get a private order page where you confirm your platform, Bungie name and a time window. A Sherpa accepts the order, you receive a fireteam invite at the agreed time, and you play the activity together. Afterwards you have a 48-hour review window.
Will I get a specific drop or guaranteed result?
No. Loot in Destiny 2 is random and competitive results depend on opponents, so we guarantee guidance and a serious attempt at the activity you booked, not a particular item or win record. Each service page describes exactly what is included before you pay.
What if I need to reschedule?
Message us through the contact page as early as you can. Before a Sherpa accepts your order you can cancel for a full refund from your order page. After acceptance, our team can help reschedule or resolve the order, so please do not simply miss the slot.