Few games have dominated a category likeDestiny 2has done with the action MMO scene in the last few years, although in the overall free-to-play space, the Bungie product has endured stiff competition from the likes of theOverwatchfranchise along its path to international stardom.Destiny 2’s advancements in PvE and PvP gameplay have made the title a trailblazer in online gaming, attracting swathes of esports players and Twitch influencers with each new expansion release and Raid Race.Destiny 2’s successes are exemplary for modern generation shooters, and withOverwatch 2’s PvE story modein the works and adopting more futuristic ideas, developer Blizzard could look toDestiny 2’s Gambit Mode as a source of inspiration for more content.
PvPvE has been touted as the future of gaming in some circles, combining elements of NPC interaction and multiplayer gameplay, although the mechanism has taken quite a while to spread its wings and fly in the industry. Most gamers still prefer traditional PvP modes, andDestiny 2is no different, with players investing large chunks of their playtime into Crucible. Gambit, on the other hand, has struggled for attention fromDestiny 2’s fan base, with the mode lagging well behind its Crucible counterpart in average time spent. A few reasons have been proffered forGambit’s struggles, andOverwatch 2would do well to take note of the mode’s history before any attempt at employing the PvPvE format.
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Gambit Mode’s journey inDestiny 2has been anything but smooth sailing, performing far below Bungie’s initial expectations in just about every way possible. Usually, gamers are open to testing new mechanisms, but Gambit Mode has been unable to garner much optimism from theDestinyfan base, with most players preferring to spend their gaming hours testing outDestiny 2’s other gaming modes. Bungie has made several attempts to fix the problems with the Gambit Mode to entice gamers' interest, most of which have proved unsuccessful.
Gambit Mode’s balance has floundered since its inception, sporting problems with its Titan builds, invasions, and other minor bugs. Considering the fan base’s numerous complaints,Destiny 2’s developers set about to improve the mode’s gaming experience, introducing a flurry of changes inThe Witch Queen expansionin 2022. The upgrades aimed to reduce the occurrences of strong individual builds melting bosses and increase rewards for mote collection. Although the expansion brought a few notable improvements, like increasing respawn points and concealing a player’s motes from an invader, it also raised a few problems that accentuated some of the most irritating aspects of the Gambit’s gameplay.
To combat the problem of players defeating bosses too easily after a few Envoy wins, Bungie introduced damage gating, making Primevals practically invincible unless every Envoy on the battlefield had fallen. However, this mechanism overcorrected on the difficulty issue, effectively discouraging players from trying their hands at the Gambit Mode unless necessary. Not much has changed positively in Gambit Mode since The Witch Queen expansion fixes, with reports of persistent bugs in the gameplay as recently as January, in the weeks leading up to the release of the highly anticipatedLightfall expansion. Players made complaints of not receiving post-match rewards, Rank XP, and complete suspension from the game’s servers in some cases.
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Gambit’s Struggles Could Open the Door for PvPvE Gameplay in Overwatch 2
The lack of player progression, coupled withGambit’s struggles in its gameplay, made it essentially unplayable. Players found it hard to invest their time in a format that didn’t guarantee them rewards, and as such, Gambit’s reputation took a further hit. The mode’s misfortunes inDestiny 2have led it to become one of the least played modes in the title, and the State of the Game address from director Joe Blackburn doesn’t inspire hope that the mode will feature in the game’s plans for the future.
The conspicuous omission of Gambit from the post raised eyebrows but utlimately did not come as a surprise, as Gambit - originally intended to be a part ofDestiny 2’s core ritual activity grind- has struggled mightily. However, the PvPvE mechanism’s potential isn’t easy to ignore, andOverwatch 2’s foray into a PvE mode could open the door for future use of PvPvE in the title.Overwatch 2’s introduction of a PvE mode comes on the back of the successes of its PvP format, which hit a player base landmark of 25 million within the first ten days of its release.
Despite the impressive numbers, gamers noted the drop in quality between the originalOverwatchand its sequel upon release, and while Blizzard has made a handful of corrections to polishOverwatch 2’s gameplay, the PvE mode could determine the title’s fortunes for years to come. Blizzard has big plans for the story mode, intending to furtherOverwatch’s lore through PvE, and adding numerous enemy types for players to test their skills against. In-depth information on the mode has been hard to come by, as the developer keeps mute aboutOverwatch 2’s PvE content, although speculation has been rife in some circles.
With optimism high forOverwatch 2’s PvE mode due to its reported depth, Blizzard could furtherOverwatch’s lorewith a foray into PvPvE provided its PvE mode lives up to expectations. Although meshing the elements of PvE and PvP is a difficult task,Destiny 2’s experiences with Gambit should provide a detailed blueprint forOverwatchto create a successful PvPvE mode. While Gambit has a problematic reputation, the format’s improvements - although minimal compared to its problems - should inspire confidence in PvPvE’s overall potential.
Destiny 2is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
