Destiny 2's Simulant Sleeper Nerf For Gambit Revealed

Destiny 2: Forsaken's new Gambit mode has been a very welcome addition to the game, but ask many players what they would change about it, and you're likely to hear the name Sleeper Simulant. The Exotic weapon has been the go-to choice for countless players since day one, and complaints about it convinced Bungie that it needs to change.

In its latest weekly blog post, Bungie outlined a change to Sleeper Simulant. Alongside tweaks to how it deals with players who quit or disconnect during Gambit, picking up Power ammo in the mode will now net you fewer shots with Sleeper. Rather than the four you got previously--easily enough to invade the opposing team's side and wipe it out completely--you'll now only get two. (All Swords, meanwhile, get a buff, receiving 12 ammo instead of six.)

This change to Sleeper doesn't directly impact its effectiveness, but it does limit the total damage that can be inflicted with it. That falls in line with what Bungie said it hoped to do when it first announced that changes were coming. "We're aware of reports that Sleeper Simulant feels too strong in Gambit," Bungie said last month. "The Sandbox team is looking at potential changes to address this. Our goal is to retain the strength of the weapon, but tune it so it doesn't feel to be the only viable power weapon in Gambit. Stay tuned."

Bungie plans to roll this out as part of update 2.0.5. That's scheduled for release on October 30, but the developer warns that plans could still change.

Sleeper Simulant is not actually a new gun to Forsaken; it was a part of Destiny 2's second DLC, Warmind, as the reward for an extended questline. It's always been good--and fun--but with the significance of player kills in Gambit being so great, it's become a huge part of the mode.

Whether this truly changes things remains to be seen; it's possible another linear fusion rifle will take its place. This won't be the last balance change the game sees, and a variety of other tweaks are on the way, as well as the launch of Festival of the Lost on October 16.