Method of operating a gaming system, a gaming system and a game controller

A method of a gaming machine, the method comprising:

• presenting first symbols at symbol display positions of one or more display devices of the gaming machine;
• in response to a trigger condition:
• holding a wild symbol of the presented first symbols at its respective symbol display positions;
• presenting second symbols at the symbol display positions of the one or more display devices;
• modifying the held wild symbol into a modified wild symbol of the presented second symbols in response to another wild symbol of the second symbols being presented at the symbol display position of the held wild symbol;
• and
• presenting, via the one or more display devices, an award based on the presented second symbols.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, in response to being executed, cause a gaming machine to at least:

• present first symbols at symbol display positions of one or more display devices of the gaming machine;
• in response to a trigger condition:
• present second symbols at the symbol display positions of the one or more display devices;
• and
• modify a designated symbol of the presented first symbols into a modified designated symbol in the presented second symbols in response to another designated symbol of the second symbols being selected for the symbol display position of the designated symbol of the presented first symbols;
• and
• present, via the one or more display devices, an award based on the presented second symbols.