Destiny 2's "death" is arguably the biggest gaming news of the month. With Sony spending lots of money and resources on chasing (and failing to capture) the live-service dragon this generation, we all thought Bungie would be safe – yet the enduring MMO shooter is on its way out.
If a former behemoth like Destiny 2 won't get any more support, what are the chances of new live-service shooters being afforded the space and time to soar? Pretty low, I'd say, and I'd wager the next generation of consoles will be defined by a return to basics from both Sony and Microsoft. Regardless, Bungie's $3.6 billion price tag – Sony's flashiest acquisition in years – should give everyone pause before deeming it "dead" or "doomed" in the near future.
I'm no oracle, but having lived through bigger live-service debacles and being close to Destiny 2 and Marathon's communities, I've collected some thoughts below.
Destiny isn't going the way of the dodo
Marathon review: "My favorite multiplayer shooter in years"
Destiny 2 may be "dying", but it's not going away. As hard as Bungie's leadership – blamed time and again by former employees for the studio's struggles – has tried to make things difficult for both the developers and players, it's abundantly clear people who actually played Destiny 2 and its predecessor are fond of the universe and the lives they've lived there.
Warframe might be cool as hell, but there's nothing out there like Destiny 2's approach to kooky but enchanting space opera. Whether you engage with its endgame content or not, the game has survived through its ups and downs – always related to the structure of its seasonal model and the awful onboarding – thanks to its unique universe, mostly relaxed vibes in spite of all the ongoing drama, and awesome-feeling gunplay. When you sit down and actually play Destiny 2, you're instantly reminded why Bungie is one of the best studios in the business and why closing the door on more space romps with Zavala, Ikora, and other Guardians is such a tragedy.
At the end of the day, Destiny 2 is hard to replace, which is why I'm not expecting its Light to vanish as soon as Bungie is done updating the game on June 9. Even the much derided Destiny 1 has retained a community over the years, so it's hard to see Guardians and curious new players moving on anytime soon. In fact, it might be the perfect time to jump in and experience a "finished" version of a game that had a longer journey in mind (vaulted content sadly excluded).
Marathon deserves to grow
With Destiny 2 out of the way, all eyes are turning to Marathon, which is now seen as the only thing separating Bungie from oblivion. There are big things on the horizon... provided the developers can reach it.
As many veterans have pointed out already, killing Marathon would be self-sabotage for everyone involved. That scenario is far less likely now, unless Bungie as a whole is shut down. Instead, layoffs are (unfortunately) expected to happen once Destiny 2's final big content update is done. Beyond that, Sony is reportedly doubling down on Marathon as the game tries to entice PvE-first players with new modes and a heavier focus on "live" narratives as seen in Destiny 2.
Considering the rumored production budget for Marathon was over $200 million and the game reportedly sold over 2.2 million copies during its debut month, it could be some time before Sony sees a return on its investment. Microtransactions spending is unclear, and such a game isn't easy to run, develop, and maintain over time, so expect aggressive marketing and discounts in the coming months in an attempt to attract and retain new players, especially those who were initially scared of the game's ruthless PvPvE extraction shooter pitch.
Needless to say, blaming Marathon for Destiny 2's struggles and leadership failures won't help anyone, and if you care about Bungie's future, my first recommendation would be to give the extraction shooter a try, especially now that Arc Raiders will be slowing down and adopting a more traditional approach to updates and that Marathon Season 2 is approaching. Tau Ceti IV is a scary place, but we Runners don't bite... as long as we're in the same party. Join the bloodshed fun!
Destiny 3 or not, Bungie needs a new project fast
Regardless of Marathon performing better or worse in the long run, Bungie not having another project going is a worrying sign. Destiny 3 isn't a thing at the time of writing even if a full refresh is exactly what fans have been wanting for quite some time, but other projects could take form in the near future. After all, the studio was promising "a new beginning" with its farewell to Destiny 2...
Money talks, of course, and we're expecting PlayStation's live-service push to dwindle even further now that even Bungie is downsizing its operations, but having all its talent focus exclusively on Marathon is a losing bet. While I believe in the extraction shooter if given enough time and resources to blossom, online games eventually die out. All things considered, Destiny 2 had a solid run of more than eight years which paid off the initial investment. We don't need forever games out of every online release.
As fans demand a third Destiny, I'm of the opinion it might be time for Bungie to return to its Xbox era and work on a traditional premium package with a strong campaign and Halo-like multiplayer modes, something that's cheaper and faster to produce. New IP or old (what about a Bungie-developed Killzone?), now feels like the time to play things a bit safe for everyone's sake. I'll be there day one – no matter what.
As someone who was all-in on Destiny from day one, I'm gutted to see where we are now
