Bungie splits from Activision, takes Destiny with it

Destiny 2

A shockwave hit the gaming industry this week, as the studio behind Destiny and Destiny 2 announced the franchise would no longer be published by Activision – and would be self-published by Bungie instead.

The surprise split comes only five years into Bungie's 10-year publishing deal with Activision, who had provided resources and support to the development and marketing of the Destiny IP since the the ambitious online shooter first launched in 2014.

In a blog post, Bungie explained the split as a jumping off point, for, well, controlling its own destiny (sorry):

"With our remarkable Destiny community, we are ready to publish on our own, while Activision will increase their focus on owned IP projects.

"We’ll continue to deliver on the existing Destiny roadmap, and we’re looking forward to releasing more seasonal experiences in the coming months, as well as surprising our community with some exciting announcements about what lies beyond."

While officially the split remains amicable, players and onlookers alike are wondering what it means for the future of Destiny.

Destiny 2

Bungie jumping

While Bungie retained full creative control of the IP in their contract – hypothetically, at least – Activision will have been in control of the release schedule and financial strategy of the franchise until now.

Bungie was also hosted through Activision's Blizzard.net platform, though the Blizzard Customer Service Twitter account confirmed this wouldn't change. Even so, the split could mean we see Destiny come to other platforms like Steam, or even the fledgling Epic Games Store.

Fans have criticized the game's use of micro-transactions, timed exclusives for PlayStation 4 players, as well as the frequency and quality of DLC updates (a recent piece of content in the game had to be 'unlocked' by Bungie after players failed to solve the puzzle meant to access it).

Many are hoping the split from Activision will solve their personal bugbears with the game, though whether we'll see a massive overhaul of Destiny's business model, or a meaningfully different experience for players, is very uncertain.

Either way, self-publishing will bring its own challenges, and sales of Destiny 2 haven't been what Bungie or Activision hoped for.

Henry St Leger

Henry is a freelance technology journalist, and former News & Features Editor for TechRadar, where he specialized in home entertainment gadgets such as TVs, projectors, soundbars, and smart speakers. Other bylines include Edge, T3, iMore, GamesRadar, NBC News, Healthline, and The Times.

Latest in Consoles & PC
Image of Naoe in AC Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows is hands-down one of the most beautiful PC ports I've ever seen
Image of AC Shadows cover art & Steam Deck
It's not perfect, but Assassin's Creed Shadows' performance is impressive - it runs smoothly on the Steam Deck and Asus ROG Ally
Steam Deck OLED in limited edition white color
With a single update SteamOS could turbocharge handheld PCs – here's how
Samus Aran leaping through space
Metroid Prime 4 tipped to be at the heart of April's Nintendo Switch 2 deep-dive
Nintendo Switch 2
Nintendo Switch 2 expected to have AI upscaling and I can't wait to finally play Tears of the Kingdom with upgraded graphics
Asus ROG Ally using Steam
I think Asus could be the perfect partner for an Xbox handheld – but I have questions
Latest in News
Quordle on a smartphone held in a hand
Quordle hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #1154)
NYT Strands homescreen on a mobile phone screen, on a light blue background
NYT Strands hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #385)
NYT Connections homescreen on a phone, on a purple background
NYT Connections hints and answers for Sunday, March 23 (game #651)
Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold main display opened
Apple is rumored to be prioritizing battery life on the foldable iPhone – which could also feature a liquid metal hinge for added durability
Google Pixel 9
The Google Pixel 10 just showed up in Android code – and may come with a useful speed boost
L-mount alliance
Sirui joins L-Mount Alliance to deliver its superb budget lenses for Leica, DJI, Sigma and Panasonic cameras