Destiny 2 Season of the Drifter will tweak Gambit, shotguns and more

Destiny 2's new season starts in March, and it's bringing some welcome changes, including a nerf to rapid-fire shotguns and significant tweaks to the excellent Gambit mode. Bungie says that it's tried to address some of the feedback it's received since the mode appeared last year. Here are the changes:

  • Changed the third round of Gambit to a Primeval rush sudden death. This will speed up Gambit matches overall and add a change of pace to the final round. 
  • Overhauled how we choose the invader spawn location and increased the number of invader spawn points for each map. This should greatly reduce the chances of spawning very near or in direct line of sight of an enemy Guardian. 
  • Implemented Idle Protection which means that players that remain dormant for too long will not receive end-of-match rewards or Infamy points.  
  • The Triumph “Light vs. Light” can now be progressed by killing any Guardian using a Super, not just invaders. This makes attaining the Dredgen title a less daunting task.
  • Adjustments to Blocker types by deposit tier:
    Small Blocker = Taken Goblin with less health than the previous Phalanx.
    Medium Blocker = Taken Captain with more health than the previous Knight.
    Large Blocker = Taken Knight with more health than the previous Ogre.

As for those PvP changes, Bungie reckons rapid-fire shotguns and the full auto perk have become so essential in PvE that it's made other shotguns pointless. With the update, all shotguns will effectively do double damage, but the rate-of-fire bonus for shotguns will be reduced from 100 percent to 10 percent. 

Check out more of the changes here

During the final week of Season of the Forge, you'll also earn triple infamy from wins, losses and bounties, starting on February 26 and ending on March 5. That should help you get ready for the new and—hopefully—improved Gambit. 

Fraser Brown
Online Editor

Fraser is the UK online editor and has actually met The Internet in person. With over a decade of experience, he's been around the block a few times, serving as a freelancer, news editor and prolific reviewer. Strategy games have been a 30-year-long obsession, from tiny RTSs to sprawling political sims, and he never turns down the chance to rave about Total War or Crusader Kings. He's also been known to set up shop in the latest MMO and likes to wind down with an endlessly deep, systemic RPG. These days, when he's not editing, he can usually be found writing features that are 1,000 words too long or talking about his dog.