No more Destiny expansions (and no Destiny 3) as Bungie cut-backs hit | This Week in Videogames

The Nugget

Bungie's drastic layoffs and restructuring mean no more expansions for Destiny 2 and no Destiny 3, marking a downturn for the franchise. The company is reducing its staff by about 40%, leading to a future that lacks the ambitious content once expected by fans.

Make it stick

💔 220 staff layoffs signal the end of major Destiny expansions.
📉 Bungie's revenue struggles resulted in a 40% overall workforce reduction.
🚫 Destiny 2 will not receive annual expansions anymore; smaller content updates are the new norm.
🌀 The failed project "Payback" reflected Bungie's overextension with resources across multiple projects.

Layoffs and Restructuring: Bungie announced they're cutting 220 staff, on top of 100 from October last year. This leaves the company about 40% smaller than in the previous year.
Financial Pressures: Bungie’s CEO acknowledged that they overcommitted on projects, leading to significant layoffs intended to reduce costs.
No More Major Content: Bungie plans to stop annual expansions for Destiny 2 as sales decrease, moving instead towards smaller content updates only.

Cancellation of “Payback”: A planned spin-off game set in the Destiny universe was canceled, highlighting a shift in priorities away from existing IP.
Sony Acquisition: The $3.6 billion acquisition by Sony did not meet financial expectations, necessitating further cuts to avoid insolvency.
Management Issues: Reports indicate Bungie’s failure to adequately assess its financial health led to mismanagement and ineffective project allocation.

Player Count Concerns: Previous expansions didn’t generate enough revenue; peak concurrent players on Steam have declined since the Final Shape release.
Shift in Strategy: Bungie's officials have indicated a shift to smaller content updates, which could alienate the fanbase that thrives on significant expansions.
No Destiny 3 Planned: There are currently no plans for Destiny 3, with Bungie focusing instead on improving Destiny 2's onboarding process for new players.

"Bungie's leadership has squandered the potential of this franchise."
"The company feels half as big as it was 9 months ago."
"Those left at Bungie will now have to make do with tighter schedules and a company that looks significantly different."
"The final shape really was that farewell that we feared it would be."
"Destiny has become a much more narrow game over time, owing to a lack of investment in many of its core elements."

This summary contains AI-generated information and may be misleading or incorrect.