Joining Sony won't stop Bungie "from standing up for what's right," according to one Destiny 2 community manager.
Dmg04, a well-known figure in the Destiny 2 community, took to Twitter to address concerns that joining Sony – which snapped up the studio for $3.6 billion and is now looking to close the deal – would "muzzle" the studio, as YouTuber Skill Up put it in a tweet.
This follows reports that while Sony will match a $50,000 donation from Insomniac to abortion nonprofit WRRAP, the company has blocked PlayStation studios from issuing public statements on reproductive rights. This follows a leaked US Supreme Court opinion which would overturn abortion precedent Roe v. Wade and allow for severe limitations on reproductive care.
Bungie, meanwhile, was among the first major game studios to issue a firm pro-choice statement after the leaked opinion. The studio invited its audience to donate to one of several pro-choice organizations and charities, and the official Bungie account made it clear that it will "never" just stick to games. Bungie responded similarly following the Black Lives Matter wave of 2020, even selling a Juneteenth pin and donating proceeds to racial justice charities.
Dmg04 now says that joining Sony won't blunt the studio's approach to issues like these: "We are, and will continue to be, Bungie. There will never be a 'muzzle' big enough to stop us from standing up for what’s right."
"It’ll need to be proven over time, but we continue to strengthen our pillars and culture year over year," Dmg added, seemingly acknowledging reports of the studio's work culture causing "pain" for some employees, which prompted an apology from CEO Pete Parsons. "There’s so much more work to be done, but I feel we’re on the right track with the talent we have and the passion they bring (not just making games, but improving industry.)"
Dmg04 stressed that he's "just a [community manager] in the grand scheme," but his comments were upheld by Parsons, who chimed in with a simple "yes."
Bungie's mystery projects include an unannounced third-person action game.
