Bungie has stepped in to clarify that its work on Destiny will continue with another “multi-year journey" following widespread studio layoffs last week, asking fans to remain patient in the meantime.
In new posts published on X/Twitter, Bungie acknowledged that the recent layoffs at the studio has resulted in a degress of uncertainty around its future. Despite this, Bungie says it will do its best to maintain transparency and communication as it remains committed to the Destiny universe.
“We'll be talking with you all about the future of Destiny and plans for our next multi-year journey soon,” Bungie said. “Once we plant a flag for the date, we'll let you all know.”
We'll be talking with you all about the future of Destiny and plans for our next multi-year journey soon. Once we plant a flag for the date, we'll let you all know.
Thank you for your patience, and we'll see you again soon.
— Destiny 2 Team (@Destiny2Team) August 8, 2024
It’s currently unclear how or when Bungie will launch into the next phase for Destiny. Its first major storyline, The Light and Darkness Saga, began with the launch of the original Destiny in 2014 and concluded with Destiny 2’s The Final Shape expansion this past June. Though many felt it was a fitting conclusion to a decade-long narrative (we gave it a 9/10 in our review), one major question remained: Where do we go from here?
Uncertainty grew when the Sony-owned studio announced it would cut 220 staff in late July. It was a shift that saw 17% of the studio let go, with an additional 155 workers planned to move from Bungie into Sony Interactive Entertainment in the coming months. That leaves the developer with around 850 employees.
“I realize all of this is hard news, especially following the success we have seen with The Final Shape,” studio head Pete Parsons said in a statement. “But as we’ve navigated the broader economic realities over the last year, and after exhausting all other mitigation options, this has become a necessary decision to refocus our studio and our business with more realistic goals and viable financials.”
A Bloomberg report emerged in the aftermath of mass layoffs at Bungie, stating that the studio would move away from large expansions and instead focus on smaller, potentially free updates for Destiny 2. The report, which included information from 10 current and former Bungie employees, also explained that the team had no plans for Destiny 3 to take shape and that it had canceled a Destiny spinoff project known as Payback just months ago. Development on its Marathon revival is said to still be ongoing.
While Bungie prepares to make its plans known, the future of the Destiny franchise is unclear. For more, you can read about how the industry reacted to last week’s layoffs.
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer at IGN.
