Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Pokemon Winds and Waves
  • New Games for 2026
  • GamesRadar+ Replay
  • Mario Day deals
Don't miss these
Upcoming PS5 games for 2026 showing Lucia from GTA 6, Wolverine from Marvel's Wolverine, Arjun from Saros, and Grace from Resident Evil Requiem
Adventure Games Upcoming PS5 games: New PS5 games for 2026 and beyond
A close up of a blue woman Runner during the Marathon game PS5 reveal.
FPS Games Marathon's battle pass slammed as the "worst value for your money" as limits on cosmetics remind players of Destiny 2
Key art for World of Warcraft: Midnight showing Xal'atath hovering against a dark sky
World of Warcraft World of Warcraft: Midnight review: "My devotion to this RPG world has been renewed"
Marathon assassin runner shell holding knife
FPS Games Bungie doesn't want Marathon to repeat Destiny 2's vaulting controversy: "It doesn't matter when you join"
Best FPS games: A screenshot of the Doom Slayer shooting a Cyberdemon in the game Doom Eternal.
FPS Games The 25 best FPS games to play in 2026
Crimson Desert: Macduff looking out into the distance during the new game, Crimson Desert.
RPGs Crimson Desert: Everything we know so far about the upcoming game
Helldivers 2 democratic detonation warbond page
Third Person Shooters Best Helldivers 2 Warbonds to buy first and tier list ranking all 19 of them
Marathon automaton looking up
FPS Games Marathon will make everyone "start fresh" every season, and there'll be new features and gear that are "free for all"
Key art for Control Resonant showing Dylan with The Aberrant in its axe form standing on a ruined taxi as he faces shadowy figures across a twisted Manhattan
Action RPGs Control Resonant trades shooting for a shapeshifting sword because "melee is cool", its creative director tells me
Marvel Rivals ranked rewards previewing elsa bloodstone skin
Third Person Shooters Marvel Rivals Competitive mode and all rank, rules, and rewards explained
The Duskbloods screenshot Switch 2
Action Games The Duskbloods: Everything you need to know about FromSoftware's Switch 2 exclusive
Marathon Thief runner shell controlling drone
FPS Games Marathon: Everything we know so far about the upcoming game
Borderlands The best Borderlands games, ranked
Highguard screenshots
FPS Games Highguard: Everything you need to know about the new F2P shooter
Arc Raiders blueprints
Third Person Shooters The ultimate Arc Raiders guide and survival handbook
  1. Games
  2. FPS
  3. Destiny
  4. Destiny 2: Joker's Wild

Destiny 2 Joker's Wild: Gambit Prime, The Reckoning, and everything you need to know

Guides
By Austin Wood published 15 March 2019

Here's what annual pass owners are getting in Destiny 2 Joker's Wild

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Get the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter

Destiny 2 Joker's Wild is the second DLC in the game's three-part annual pass, and it's all about the Drifter, Gambit's mysterious ringleader. Joker's Wild delves into the Drifter's past and his ties to the Nine, and it greatly expands the world of Gambit with new activities and rewards. So, we've put together a roundup of everything included in the DLC. 

Before that, here's a quick reminder: where Destiny 2 Joker's Wild is a paid DLC, Destiny 2 Season of the Drifter is a free seasonal update which overlaps with Joker's Wild. In other words, you have to pay for Joker's Wild, but everyone gets the Season of the Drifter. 

Gambit Prime will crank the PvPvE mode to 11 

Gambit Prime is the "new Gambit experience" Bungie has been teasing for months, and it looks to be a doozy. It's a more hardcore version of Gambit with different rules and rewards. It's a four-player mode where matches are one round, Primevals are much stronger, and you can siphon Motes of Light from the enemy team. Gambit Prime will also feature new maps, with additional maps arriving every week through April. Gambit Prime private matches will also be added on April 2.

You may like
  • Destiny 2 Shadow and Order characters holding guns Destiny 2's big Shadow and Order update is delayed more than 3 months as Bungie implements "large revisions"
  • Key art for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred showing Mephisto, a spiky and angular demon, against a red, lightning backdrop, arm and claw raised menancingly, cropped to show more of him, and with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 branding frame Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred gives its devs "a chance to just get really horrible, and I say that the best way possible"
  • Key art for Highguard showing Kai riding a bear, Atticus with the Shieldbreaker, and Scarlet, crouched, aiming down sights Highguard is adding a new hero, sky palace map, wolf mounts, and 3v3-only ranked mode tomorrow

Gambit Prime roles are firmly defined and supported by armor  

The biggest difference between Gambit and Gambit Prime is that Prime has clearly defined roles. You don't queue for these roles, but by equipping specific armor sets with unique Gambit Prime perks - which you can learn more about here - players can specialize in one of four roles: 

  •  Reaper, a PvE expert who focuses on killing groups of enemies and big targets  
  •  Collector, a mobile player who cleans up enemies while grabbing and banking Motes of Light 
  •  Sentry, a defensive specialist who defends the Mote bank from invaders and Taken blockers 
  •  Invader, a PvP enthusiast who invades the enemy team to steal and siphon their motes  

Here's how to get Gambit Prime armor. 

Gambit Prime weapons look snazzy 

On top of role-defining armor sets, Gambit Prime will introduce a new suite of weapons to chase. We've already seen the Spare Rations hand cannon, Sole Survivor sniper rifle, and Doomsday grenade launcher, and there also seems to be a Gambit Prime gun for every weapon type. These weapons don't have Gambit Prime-specific perks, but they can roll with some new weapon perks like Multikill Clip and Overflow. 

Gambit Prime is the key to The Reckoning 

Gambit Prime isn't the only new activity coming in Joker's Wild. By completing Gambit Prime, you'll gain access to The Reckoning, a new four-player pinnacle PvE activity. The Reckoning is set in the realm of the Nine inside the Drifter's planet-sized cargo, and pits Gambit Prime teams against unending enemies in a timed horde mode. The Reckoning will be split into escalating tiers, with tier one arriving on March 5, tier two on March 8, and tier 3 on March 15. On top of the aforementioned role-defining Gambit Prime armor, The Reckoning can also dish out Gambit Prime weapons.

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Once you complete Gambit Prime and unlock The Reckoning, you'll be able to play queue up either mode independently. You won't have to play a match of Gambit Prime every time you want to play The Reckoning. 

Here's a full guide to Destiny 2 The Reckoning. 

The Destiny 2 Thorn Exotic quest is coming on March 12 

Thorn is back, and it's a doozy. It's got the same piercing, poisonous rounds you remember, and a new Exotic park called Soul Devourer on top. Here's how to grab the Destiny 2 Thorn for yourself. 

You may like
  • Destiny 2 Shadow and Order characters holding guns Destiny 2's big Shadow and Order update is delayed more than 3 months as Bungie implements "large revisions"
  • Key art for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred showing Mephisto, a spiky and angular demon, against a red, lightning backdrop, arm and claw raised menancingly, cropped to show more of him, and with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 branding frame Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred gives its devs "a chance to just get really horrible, and I say that the best way possible"
  • Key art for Highguard showing Kai riding a bear, Atticus with the Shieldbreaker, and Scarlet, crouched, aiming down sights Highguard is adding a new hero, sky palace map, wolf mounts, and 3v3-only ranked mode tomorrow

A new Allegiance quest is also coming March 12 

This two-part quest asks you side with the Drifter or the Vanguard, and it comes with all kinds of story implications. Everyone and their dog has a hand in it - the Drifter, Aunor, the emissary of the Nine. Your choice will affect the story and content you experience in the future, so choose wisely. 

If you want to ally with the Drifter, check out our guide to the Destiny 2 Drifter Allegiance quest. For you Vanguard-minded types, hit up we've got a guide on the Destiny 2 Vanguard Allegiance quest. 

Destiny 2 Xur Bounties, now called Invitations of the Nine, are coming March 15 

The Drifter is the focus of Joker's Wild, but so is his relationship with the Nine. So as you can imagine, ol' Xur, a merchant of the Nine, is a key character in all this. On March 15, Xur will offer players an "Invitation of the Nine" which turns into a bounty called "Into the Unknown." This will be the first of nine weekly bounties which will reward "new lore and powerful rewards."  

Here's how to complete the current Destiny 2 Invitations of the Nine. 

Power Surge bounties will shoot you to 640 Power 

To ensure annual pass owners are ready to play the new content in Joker's Wild, Bungie will offer a set of Power Surge bounties which reward a set of blue-grade 640 Power gear. These will be available from the Drifter, and judging from the bounty we saw in the ViDoc, they won't be too hard to complete.  

CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Xbox One PS4 Platforms Xbox PlayStation
Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Social Links Navigation
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

Read more
Destiny 2 Shadow and Order characters holding guns
Destiny 2's big Shadow and Order update is delayed more than 3 months as Bungie implements "large revisions"
 
 
Key art for Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred showing Mephisto, a spiky and angular demon, against a red, lightning backdrop, arm and claw raised menancingly, cropped to show more of him, and with the GamesRadar+ Big in 2026 branding frame
Diablo 4: Lord of Hatred gives its devs "a chance to just get really horrible, and I say that the best way possible"
 
 
Key art for Highguard showing Kai riding a bear, Atticus with the Shieldbreaker, and Scarlet, crouched, aiming down sights
Highguard is adding a new hero, sky palace map, wolf mounts, and 3v3-only ranked mode tomorrow
 
 
Fortnite South Park
The Fortnite South Park Born in Chaos event explained
 
 
Marvel Rivals ranked rewards previewing elsa bloodstone skin
Marvel Rivals Competitive mode and all rank, rules, and rewards explained
 
 
Helldivers 2 Righteous Revenants Killzone Warbond in warbond menu
Everything in the Helldivers 2 Killzone Warbond and is it worth it?
 
 
Latest in Destiny
Destiny 2 Renegades trailer with Warlock holding blue lightsaber
Destiny 2's Star Wars-themed expansion pulls in series-low Steam numbers while fans debate if Renegades is "pretty great" or a "$10 season disguised as a $30 Campaign"
 
 
Destiny 2 Renegades trailer screenshot of aged Drifter
Destiny 2 game director says "we don't want to be a dead live game" as Renegades arrives at a low for the MMO, admits "relatively few [new] people come" in and Edge of Fate pivot "didn't work"
 
 
Destiny 2 Star Wars outfits
Bungie and Star Wars owner hashed out the tone of new Destiny 2 expansion Renegades together, realized it can't "feel like a side quest": "What’s the bad version of this?"
 
 
Destiny 2 The Edge of Fate reveal
As Destiny 2 faces dwindling player counts, MIA roadmap, and another scrapped in-game currency, Sony admits the MMO has not met expectations following $3.6bn Bungie acquisition
 
 
Destiny 2 Renegades trailer with Warlock holding blue lightsaber
Remembering its MMO has an expansion out soon, Bungie addresses Destiny 2's missing roadmap as player counts hit a new low on Steam
 
 
Destiny 2
Bungie is once again "doing what we can to rebuild some trust" as it amputates Destiny 2's latest terrible currency and gives the MMO a pretty generous replacement
 
 
Latest in Guides
Marathon outpost pinwheel base green keycard access clearance code
All entrances to Pinwheel Base in Marathon
 
 
Sorcerer Incremental codes: A white-haired ninja.
Sorcerer Incremental codes (March 2026) for weapon rolls and more
 
 
Helldivers 2 Entrenched Division warbond helldivers in sapper armor running across no-man's-land
All weapons and items in the Helldivers 2 Entrenched Division Warbond
 
 
The Minecraft Live logo over a promotional image for the Tiny Takeover drop.
How to watch Minecraft Live 2026
 
 
Bizarre Lineage codes
Bizarre Lineage codes (March 2026) for free Stat Point Essence, Rare Chests, and more
 
 
Hoppip at the till in the Pokemon Centre in Pokopia
How to access the Pokopia Limited Event and get Hoppip
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. One Piece
    1
    After One Piece creator dropped the answer to the anime's biggest mystery underwater, iShowSpeed seems set on finding it
  2. 2
    All entrances to Pinwheel Base in Marathon
  3. 3
    Brie Larson knows "every detail" of Super Mario Galaxy, so trust her when she says the movie is "filled with references"
  4. 4
    One Piece's Chopper actor thought it was a voice-only role so initially turned it down
  5. 5
    Project Hail Mary debuts to near-perfect 96% Rotten Tomatoes score

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...