Destiny 2’s Gambit mode gets a big rework with Witch Queen

pcgamesn.com:

Destiny 2’s Gambit mode, a PvEvP co-op game mode that has fireteams racing to collect motes from fallen enemies to summon and defeat a massive boss, will see some significant adjustments when the Witch Queen expansion arrives next week. The latest This Week at Bungie lays out the changes in detail, and they touch every element of Gambit, from the way you queue for matches to the rewards you get for playing.

Principal designer Alan Blaine says the Witch Queen update was a chance for the team to respond to the feedback Gambit has collected over its three year stint in Destiny 2. He writes that the goal for the changes is to make Gambit “more appealing to a wider audience by addressing points of player feedback and improving upon what exists, without changing the core nature of the mode.”

To that end, Bungie is adding a Gambit Freelance node, which is a way to jump into a matchmade team without having to worry about facing off against a full stack of clanmates or friends on voice chat, who typically have an innate advantage in Destiny 2’s competitive modes. Bungie says this has helped balance matches in Iron Banner, Glory, and Trials of Osiris, and that it’s looking for another solution – but in the meantime, it’ll create Gambit games that feel more evenly matched.

Gambit also will add new respawn points to all the maps’ fronts, so you won’t always have to run all the way from the backfield to get into the fight again. It’ll also provide new points for invaders to spawn on.

Bungie is also making adjustments to blockers and the primeval boss fights. The 10-mote phalanx blocker is getting a health boost, while the 15-mote knight will have a stasis attack. During the primeval phase, teams with multiple blockers on the field