How Destiny 2's Gambit Mode Works

Whether players prefer spending their time going against others in The Crucible, taking down fearsome bosses in Nightfall strikes, or even just hunting down that elusive piece of gear, it seems there's a little something for everybody in Destiny 2. But in an industry where popular genres and gameplay features are explored ad nauseam, Destiny 2 sought to change things up by introducing Gambit.

In the original Destiny, and until the Forsaken expansion of Destiny 2, there was only PvP and PvE content in the franchise. While this is the standard for most multiplayer games, Bungie introduced players to a brand-new mode in 2018. Gambit combines PvP and PvE elements to offer players a unique PvPvE experience. The game mode has undergone many changes since it launched alongside Forsaken, but the general principles and overarching gameplay remain the same.

The Rules

Two teams of four Guardians duke it out in a match of Gambit, and the whole game is decided in a single fast-paced round. The goal of Gambit is for one team to summon and defeat their Primeval, one of a handful of Taken bosses before the other team can manage the same.

To invoke a Primeval, the teams must defeat the enemies spawning throughout the arena and "dunk" the Dark Motes dropped by interacting with the large mechanism centered on the map. It takes a respectable 75 Motes deposited before players will get a chance at slaying their Primeval, and even then, Gambit is fraught with other hazards to contend with -- like enemy players.

Each player can carry a maximum of 15 Motes at any given time, and though some are dropped, most are lost upon death. Depositing Motes not only pushes a team closer to summoning their Primeval and victory but also causes The Drifter to summon pesky Taken adversaries, called Blockers, to harass the enemy team.

Blocker Mote Costs

5 Motes summons a Taken Vex Goblin
10 Motes summons a Taken Cabal Centurian
15 Motes summons a Taken Eliksni Captain

These Taken foes attack the enemy team and stop players from dunking motes for as long as they're alive. However, if players want to confront the enemy Guardians more directly, a team's invasion portal will become active after 25 Motes are deposited and then again at 50. It also activates if an enemy team successfully summons their Primeval.

Once a team deposits enough Motes and the Primeval is summoned, players will still have to hunt down and defeat two Primeval Envoys before the boss is vulnerable to damage. After a quick damage phase, this process will repeat until one team defeats their Primeval and wins the match.

Teamwork and Coordination Win Gambit Matches

Though there is a Freelance node that eliminates premade groups, a win in Gambit will always come down to the coordination and teamwork of players. Of course, specific weapons, mods, and loadouts can always give Guardians an edge, but those can change seasonally and function less reliably as general advice.

Make Multiple Blockers to Drain Enemy Motes

While a 15-Mote Taken Eliksni Captain is already a nuisance for enemy players, coupling that with a barrier-generating Taken Vex Goblin, or even another dastardly Captain, not only puts even more strain on the opposing team, it also starts siphoning any motes they've banked.

This occurs any time there is more than one Blocker active and ends as soon as there's only one active Blocker. This means Guardians should try to dunk their motes alongside like-minded teammates to add some pressure to the other side. Similarly, players should always eliminate any Blocker as soon as they appear to decrease the chances two or more will be active simultaneously.

Invader Kills Restore Primeval Health

Invading can be helpful before Primevals are summoned to slow down the enemy team's progress, but it's even more vital when two teams are racing to down their Primeval. Whenever an Invader kills another opposing Guardian, the enemy Team's Primeval regains a large chunk of health.

Between the regained health and the bit of downtime between players reviving, a team of Guardians can claw themselves back from the brink of defeat.

Primeval Slayer Buff Grows Stronger

After taking out the two Envoys, players might notice that they receive a buff called "Primeval Slayer" right when the boss becomes damageable. Each successive time players receive the buff, it will come with a modifier that increases players' damage to the Primeval. With this in mind, it's vital that players don't waste all of their heavy ammo during the initial damage phase, as they'll stand to do a lot more damage the second or third time around.