Gambit was a popular game mode in Destiny 2 that seems to be causing issues once again, just ahead of the release of the Lightfall expansion. Players are reporting a number of bugs and problems, including no post-match rewards, no Rank XP, and getting suspended after the game is over. This could be a serious problem for players who spend most of their time in the PvEvP mode in Destiny 2 and could be indicative of bigger issues Bungie may be tackling.
There are a lot of mechanics at play in Gambit, and as time has continued moving forward through the new Destiny 2 Seasons, whatever new changes Bungie has made on the backend of Destiny 2's systems and engine may have caused some issues. For example, the addition of crossplay has been causing issues with the consistency of some modes like Gambit. Even Season of Plunder saw issues with the Crucible giving players an early match quit pop-up notice if they launched directly into a new activity from the Crucible post-match screen instead of returning to orbit first.
Why Destiny 2's Current Gambit Issues Make The Mode Unwelcoming
Players report not receiving post-match rewards, which is a major problem because it's hard to justify playing a mode that doesn't properly give rewards for ten to twenty minutes of gameplay. Additionally, some players are not receiving Rank XP after a Gambit match ends, likely making said players question why they were playing in the first place. Bungie also seems to be automatically suspending players after Destiny 2's Gambit matches end, which compounds the frustrations players would feel by that point. Some players don't feel like there is much point in playing Gambit anymore with its current complete lack of progression.
Every new Season so far in Year 5 has had similar issues with either Gambit, the Crucible, story-based mission, and The Witch Queen campaign where progress doesn't register due to a bug in combination with players, or a certain Triumph doesn't. Some players express their frustration with these issues around Bungie's choice to originally make and iterate its own custom engine for the Destiny franchise instead of building its games with the third or fourth Unreal Engine. Whether that would solve Destiny 2's current issues with Gambit and other game modes remains to be seen, and it's unlikely to be the core issue in this specific case.
Bungie Should Dedicate Entire Future Seasons To Overhauling Gambit
All these issues have made Gambit a less appealing game mode for players regardless of the unique gameplay, and many are now choosing to play other modes instead. This is a serious problem for Bungie, as Gambit remains one of Destiny 2's core playlist activities that new players and veterans alike converge to for weekly loot or a more casual game or two. Bungie's focus on a year's worth of engaging story content, system overhauls, and Crucible changes has seemingly left little room or love for Gambit, which is difficult to keep updated in its current iteration.
Ultimately, Gambit Labs allowed Destiny 2 to experiment with the game mode, but it is currently facing several issues beyond the norm. The lack of new content and the removal of maps have made the game mode feel stale and uninteresting to many players. More importantly, with it being currently bugged and with players not receiving post-match rewards, Rank XP, and potentially getting suspended from the mode after the match, Gambit seems quite unwelcoming. These issues have made Gambit a much less enticing experience to enjoy, and Bungie should address this as soon as possible to keep players engaged and interested in Destiny 2 - possibly ahead of Lightfall.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X.