Destiny 2 is currently in a rough spot. Player morale is at an all-time low, tanking after a round of Bungie layoffs and news of a reported delay for the upcoming The Final Shape expansion. And while Bungie is using the delay to double down on ensuring the new expansion is a smash hit, serious concerns about Destiny’s longevity are cropping up. Even if The Final Shape proves to be everything Bungie promises, inescapable factors persist against the game.
But the situation didn’t get like this overnight. Bungie’s decisions reportedly came after noting the title’s yearly revenue would fall 45% below expectations. That sharp decline is symptomatic of issues that have been building for years. And with player sentiment where it is, alongside a projected content drought and a perceived “endpoint” at The Final Shape, it’s hard to see a bright future ahead for Destiny 2.
Bungie doesn’t have a good reputation with players
Players’ animosity toward Bungie is nothing new. And fairly, any studio taking on a game with the scope of Destiny should expect a degree of backlash at some point. But Bungie has become infamous for some of the decisions it has made over the span of the Destiny franchise. Though the studio often tries to make amends with the community, it tends to be too little too late.
Of course, one of the most prominent stains on Bungie’s reputation came when Destiny 2 saw most of its early content vaulted. Bungie explained that it was a necessary evil in order to keep adding to the game and later promised the practice would end. However, the act angered veteran players and made it impossible for new players to experience the story-centric game fully.
Frustrations had continued, whether because of half-baked seasonal content or ever-increasing monetization. Still, it came to a head in 2023 as game outages and error codes frequently left players unable to log in. In some cases, routine weekly resets would turn into several hours of downtime. This came after community posts highlighted previous back-end work on game stability.
Most recently, Bungie promised that studio jobs would remain unaffected by Sony’s acquisition of the company in 2022. As the community saw first-hand, this was not the case. Just a day before Halloween in 2023, Bungie laid off 8% of its staff, or around 100 employees, without notice. This, naturally, led to fans vocally criticizing Bungie on social media.
Engagement was already sinking
If Bungie’s layoffs and delays are indeed due to revenue loss, the likely culprit is engagement. Many factors can affect whether players are actively romping around (and spending money) in Destiny 2. Sometimes, these circumstances can even be out of Bungie’s control — like the outstanding selection of games released throughout 2023.
Outside of the year being packed with bangers, it’s easy to recognize Lightfall as a major miss for Bungie. Coming off of the stellar The Witch Queen expansion, Lightfall had high expectations. While it would initially sell well and provide Destiny 2 with its highest headcount, Lightfall wouldn’t land. Bungie later admitted that Lightfall‘s delivery was off, but the damage was already done. New players, lured by Lightfall‘s hype and burned by the fumbled story, would be hard-pressed to put further faith in the game.
With most of Lightfall‘s growth squandered, Bungie would have to hope that Seasons 21, 22, and 23 proved alluring enough to reengage players. While Seasons 21 and 22 had some great content, they did little to stabilize the population. Now, with Season 23 on the horizon and the possibility of it unexpectedly inflating to six or seven months, it’ll be tougher than ever to convince newcomers to join the game. And that’s topped by those actively canceling their The Final Shape preorder in light of Bungie’s layoffs.
This population and engagement problem is a tricky one. Destiny 2 is about to enter one of the game’s most sterile and empty periods, already at a player deficit. With the title largely populated by veteran players who may have already hit a point of burnout, an overlong season with a lack of content won’t help bolster numbers before The Final Shape.
There’s still worry even if The Final Shape is great
Even if The Final Shape is better than favored expansions like Forsaken and The Witch Queen, Bungie will still have a daunting hill to climb. Namely, this is because, for better or worse, The Final Shape is billed as the end of Destiny‘s initial saga.
While Bungie relied on Destiny veterans to carry the title through its worst times, the upcoming expansion will act as an exit for many players. With no new expansions confirmed, and with three longer “Episodes” replacing the typical four yearly seasons, it feels a lot like The Final Shape is the game’s final act and Episodes are an epilogue.
Though Bungie has repeatedly stated that Destiny will go on after The Final Shape, no one knows in what capacity the game will continue. And these worries haven’t been soothed after the Bungie layoffs included central figures like composer Michael Salvatori. With the initial saga concluding, decade-long Destiny players could hardly be blamed for hanging up their hats after The Final Shape.
Of course, this only reintroduces the problem of engagement. With an expected dropoff of those that Bungie usually banks on to play Destiny 2, will the game be able to make up those players? It’s certainly possible. But it won’t be easy, given the ongoing disastrous state of the new player experience.
Where can Destiny go from here?
Some have noted that this predicament might signal that it’s high time for Bungie to start considering a successor to Destiny. The idea of a Destiny 3 has some merit. It could effectively act as a hard reset and a point of excitement for longtime, burnt-out players. The same could be said for those hesitant to participate in the hellscape that is trying to start Destiny 2.
That said, it would mean that longtime Guardians would have to face some scary changes. Players would likely have to give up their hard-earned loot again, learn the intricacies of whatever new systems the game might bring, and lose access to even more beloved content. This, of course, does not sit well with every player. And who’s to say the game wouldn’t just stumble back into the same issues?
Regardless of where players stand on a Destiny 3, there doesn’t seem to be any indication that it’s something Bungie has lined up. While there’s no telling what the future might bring, the current plan is to continue riding out Destiny 2. A lot hinges on the success of The Final Shape. Here’s hoping it serves as a triumphant turnaround rather than a nail in Destiny’s coffin.
