Destiny 2 is Ending...Guardians Make Their Own Fate

In the face of dwindling profits, falling player numbers, and waning enthusiasm, Bungie and Sony have decided to put another franchise out to pasture. Active development on Destiny 2 will end with the June 9th Monument of Triumph update. What follows is our reaction.

I’ve struggled with writing this. Honestly, I’ve felt nothing but grief and despair since this was announced two weeks ago. With Sony and Bungie management both doubling down on the live service extraction shooter Marathon, and in the face of low profits and a drop off in the player base since the release of The Final Shape DLC (and, indeed, since Lightfall before that), as well as a massive over-valuation of the company which led to a far more costly acquisition than Sony would have liked…the time has come for the live service aspect of Destiny 2’s development cycle to end.

And I’m not okay with that.

I am many things right now. Angry, depressed, sad… And yet, I’m resolute in my belief that this game, and indeed this franchise, should not die. It must not. It means too much for too many of us.

For me, Destiny 1 and 2 were my gaming home. My comfort game. A lot of people play cozy games to get the same kind of effect that Destiny has on me. When I was stressed out about life, or I had a terrible day, or got into an argument with my family, I knew I could log on, join a matchmade Strike mission, kill some Fallen and Hive and Vex and Taken and Cabal, and get awesome new loot. It was always there for me.

At least the Director is coming back forever. The Portal will exist, but it’s no longer front and center. Huzzah!

Now it’s not going to be, or at least, it’s not going to be updated. It’s not going to have new content drops, new seasons, newly designed loot to chase after. It’s not going to be the same.

I know that the lights will stay on, so to speak. The game’s servers will be maintained, and they will keep running. Destiny 1 is still online, so I have faith that the game will be evergreen. It will exist, and it will persist. Much like we have. Every Guardian has stories of how they found Destiny, how they left Destiny, how they returned to Destiny. Every person has stories of frustration, triumph, anger, hope, and joy.

This is my Hunter, Nyvessa, trying out the Solar subclass. She’s been with me since 2014.

For me, that story begins with the announcement of the game way back in 2013, post-Bungie’s relinquishment of the Halo franchise (another sci-fi FPS series I loved dearly), followed by the release of the Destiny 1 Alpha on June 12-15, 2014. From the moment I first picked up the game, I was hooked. Although I’ve taken breaks, and I only have limited firsthand experiences with the franchise’s Raids and Dungeons and all of its true endgame content, I am a huge fan of the series. I consider it my favorite MMO game of all time, and the only live service community I’ve ever considered a home.

That doesn’t mean that it’s been all wine and roses with this game. I’ve seen beloved characters in the game die, and I have mourned them (never letting go of my boy Cayde-6). I’ve been so frustrated with mechanics and bosses that I’ve sworn off the game many times. And I have often left the game for months on end, only to return with the release of new DLC, to see the changes implemented by the massively talented developers at Bungie. To bear witness to…well, the Witness. To wield the light and the dark. To reconnect with my fireteam. To forge new relationships in game and in life.

This is quite possibly my favorite weapon. One of my best rolls. I call her Vera.

For as much sadness and tears as I have seen, I’ve also beheld passion and undying hope. The community responded by re-installing the game, by pushing the number of concurrent players up on Steam (and I’m sure on consoles, as well), creating tributes in word, voice, and video, and becoming louder and more united than I’ve ever seen before. During the State of Play earlier this week (at the time of writing), we saw a massive amount of “We Want Destiny 3” messages in the chat. Sony’s PlayStation social accounts have been inundated with Guardians commenting that we want the franchise to live on.

I’m sure that it’s irritating for some. I remember the campaign to revive Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (known as #FreeMvC2 on social media) was so loud that many would respond negatively to even a single post using the hashtag. But guess what? It happened. Capcom saw the public outcry and eventually re-released the game. Different circumstances, perhaps, but a similar sentiment.

Gambit armor set coming with the 6/9 update. Mad drip, yo.

For my part, I’m going to keep pushing in a small way. I’m going to keep posting on social media about the petition for Destiny 3, which just surpassed 350,000 verified signatures as of this writing. It may not change anything; in fact, it probably won’t. But it sends a message in the same way that the State of Play wall of chat messages did.

Most importantly, it shows the developers at Bungie that we’re not letting this go. That we appreciate and value their work. Through all the ups and downs of this franchise—and believe me, there have been many on both sides—we Guardians have been there. We are not letting this game die quietly. Never.

New Void Hunter melee is the shizzle.

On June 9th, with the release of the Monument of Triumph update, Guardians from all walks of life will stand together and converge on the Tower for one final content drop. It’s going to be an epic day. I will be streaming on Twitch, with my friends in tow with me. It’s honestly stunning to see the entire community come together in a way it never has before.

Speaking of the Monument of Triumph, let me just say this: the update’s changes look phenomenal. This is the Destiny 2 that we wanted all along. The fact that we’re getting it at the end, when all the gloves are off and the devs have nothing else to lose, is bittersweet. I am both excited and melancholic about it, and that duality is something I’ll feel from that day onward.

Hey, Sony. Guess what I’m about to say? #WeWantDestiny3

Until the franchise returns, or we collectively behold the revelation of Destiny 3.

I know that the development team at Bungie has worked hard on this content update. It’s their last hurrah as much as it is our last ride. I’ll always be grateful to them, and I will never take their work for granted, because this game has been with me for a quarter of my life. Nearly 12 years. It means a lot to me.

I hope you’ll take a moment to stand with us and sign the petition, get loud with the #WeWantDestiny3 hashtag on socials, and encourage others to do so! Maybe I’ll see you in the Tower on June 9th and beyond. Hope springs eternal, my friends.

As so many others have, I shall conclude this article by quoting the great poet Dylan Thomas:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Eyes up, Guardians. Forever and always, we make our own fate. And I know that wherever he is, Lance Reddick is rallying right there alongside us. Per audacia ad astra.

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Note: I did not create this image, but it’s so badass I had to feature it here.

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The opinions expressed above are my own, btw. See you on June 9th, Guardians! Eyes up, always!

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