‘Destiny 2: Forsaken’ – Hands On With the Chaotic New Gambit Mode

James Pickard
Games Xbox
Games Xbox PlayStation PC Gaming

There’s little else quite so satisfying in Destiny 2’s new PvE/PvP hybrid mode than teleporting into your opponent’s zone and going on a brief massacre as a powered up version of your guardian to completely disrupt their entire match. In any other game this would be considered griefing. But in Gambit, a new mode coming exclusively to the Forsaken expansion, it’s all part of the experience.

Before we get to that, though, it’s important to explain that a round of Gambit is comprised of two parts — starting with the PvE element.

Gambit Round 1 — The Comp Stomp

Here, you and your fireteam must wipe out enemies of a randomly chosen faction to accrue the motes they drop.

Waves of these forces spawn in constantly at different locations on the map, so you’ll be bombing around the area hoovering up as many motes as fast as possible so you can deposit them in a container in the centre. Reach 75 and a Primeval boss will spawn which you must kill to win the round.

Destiny 2 Forsaken taunt match start
If you don't taunt the enemy, are you even playing Destiny?

But banking motes also sends blockers to the side where your opponent’s fireteam is attempting the same objective – the more you bank at once the stronger the enemy you force them to fight. But that’s not the only way you can cause chaos in their zone. It gets real interesting when you can invade.

Once you hit 45 motes, a portal opens in the arena that you or one of your team’s guardians can pass through. It’ll bring out whoever travels through directly within the middle of the opponent’s skirmish as a one person wrecking crew – an over-shielded guardian whose intention is to take down as many members of the opposing fireteam as they can within a 30-second time limit.

Destiny 2 Forsaken invader Gambit mode
Will you devote one player to wreak havoc on the enemy team?

Why is this worth doing? Well, you just create more confusion and scupper their plans for delivering motes to their own receptacle. That’s because when an opponent is killed by an invader you deny all of the motes they are carrying, slowing their team down and bringing you closer to summoning and killing the Primeval first.

Obviously, the very same thing can happen to you too, so it’s worth keeping your eyes open and ears out for any guardians invading your match. At that point you have to decide as a team whether to briefly switch your focus away from the Fallen or Vex to try and take out the interloper, or just hope they can be avoided and continue scooping up more motes.

Let’s Inject Some More PvP

A round becomes even more dramatic once you’ve summoned the Primeval, as that opens up the portal permanently for one opponent to teleport through. So, not only do you have a giant boss monster stomping around the area to deal with, but also a constant wave of opposing guardians who are intent or stopping you from securing victory.

It does open up some interesting tactical decisions too. Say, if both teams are working on bringing down their Primeval in the final stage of a round, do you all make that your focus and try to burn it down with heavy weapons and supers? Or do you lessen your firepower by sending a guardian through the portal to throw the opponent’s game into disarray and hope that does enough to stall them so you can sneak ahead?

Destiny 2 Forsaken Gambit mode Primevil boss invader
Players fight a Primevil boss, but an invader shows up.

Whatever your preferred tactic, Gambit mode adds an exciting and unique spin on competitive Destiny 2. Soon enough, serious fireteams will likely find some of the most optimal ways to cause havoc to opponents by banking motes in certain amounts or at certain times, while devising specific plans for when and how to invade. Overall, it feels like there’s a surprising amount of depth on offer in the new mode.

Participating in a match feels like an event too. Gambit shares some of the pomp and circumstance of Destiny’s hotly competitive Trials of the Nine, as each match starts with opposing teams facing each other down as the Drifter narrator hypes up the action about to take place. Serious taunting is supposed to be exchanged between both teams, but naturally it descends into mocking with out-of-place emotes from both sides.

That light-hearted demeanour drops as soon as the match is underway, though, with players racing to gather motes, bank them, invade, and do everything they can to cause turmoil to the other team. For the most hardcore Crucible players in Destiny 2, Gambit may lack the moment to moment PvP action they’ve come to love, but should offer enough strategic depth to keep them invested – while also making them feel like a badass when they stomp through the opposing fireteam.

For those who prefer the PvE side of Destiny 2, this is a thrilling new way to add a dose of tension and competition to that already satisfying loop of popping foes in the head and taking down giant some bosses for some sweet loot.