Bungie Betrayed Its Own Developers

by

Summary

  • Bungie developers reportedly wanted to work on single-player games but were shut down by leadership.
  • Despite cancelations of multiple live-service PlayStation projects, Bungie remains focused on it.
  • Bungie is still concentrating on live-service gaming with new projects like Marathon.

There are whispers that Bungie developers prefer focusing on standalone games, yet none of these proposals have been greenlit so far. Despite this, Bungie continues to develop Destiny 2 since its debut in 2017, introducing key components that continue to resonate within the live-service genre, which remains popular in 2025. Given their success in this area, there appears to be limited scope for experimentation regarding game format.

Enthusiasts of Destiny 2 often appreciate the game’s implementation of the live-service model, which has kept the Destiny series at the top of its genre for years. However, if a sequel is announced, this popularity could potentially wane. Yet, there remains optimism among some that AAA developer Bungie might revert to creating games centered around a single-player experience. It seems, though, that such a future may be more distant than some anticipate.

Zuhaad Ali, proprietor of Destiny Bulletin, reveals that during the process of writing a story last year, he learned that several developers at Bungie expressed a wish to focus on developing single-player games rather than persisting with live services. Ali mentions that when developers attempted to propose less risky ideas and projects that would require fewer resources, these proposals were swiftly turned down. It seems unlikely that gamers will witness Bungie returning to single-player games anytime soon, especially given that their upcoming ambitious title, “Marathon,” is anticipated to be released soon.

Bungie Devs Apparently Wanted to Make Single-Player Titles

It appears that Bungie’s plans for live-service games are far from winding down, with the team currently engaged in more than just the development of Marathon. They’ve been diligently working on a new Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA) game, internally referred to as Gummy Bears. This team has recently become part of a brand-new PlayStation studio, and rumors suggest that the PS-exclusive Gummy Bears shares similar ambition with games like the Super Smash Bros. series, while also aiming to bring something new and innovative to the table.

The fact that Bungie continues to prioritize live-service games might come as a surprise, given the rising trend of canceled PlayStation live-service titles, such as their own Destiny spinoff, known as Payback. These cancellations suggest that these games may not have earned back their production costs, even if they lasted beyond their initial release dates. This change in focus could potentially lead to Bungie’s developers exploring and expanding single-player ideas that are said to be in development at the studio.

Read More

2025-01-22 01:53