On Grief and Gaming
Hello, everyone! Neoplasmic here with a very different, more personal take on the end of Destiny 2, Sony’s decision to end physical media production, and the importance of a furry, four-legged companion through it all.
Note: This article covers heavy themes like guilt, depression, some family trauma, and the re-homing of a pet. Just wanted to warn you before we go onward.
2026 has been a rollercoaster of emotions for me. As I imagine it has for us all. Today, however, felt like a culmination of feelings and events that have been in the works since this year began. I know that’s annoyingly vague, but give me time to set the stage. This is going to get personal, and it’s different from anything I’ve ever written for this site, so bear with me.
My family and I have what I would call a complicated relationship. Growing up, I was “the good son,” the one who stuck around with my folks while my two older sisters had either escaped the nest or were forced out. My parents were very, very conservative Roman Catholics. Y’know, the kind who’d pray the rosary every night and go to daily Mass in the morning? Those types.
Any deviation from the social-cultural-religious norm was not welcome in our household, which meant that I could watch TV and movies, play games, read comics and books, as long as they were “morally sound.” Nudity was heavily frowned upon, foul language not put up with, violence was okay as long as the “guilty” were punished. I never read Playboys, obviously never tried to access porn, hell, even HBO was frowned upon because they showed “uncensored” films. Everything was curated, and even comics were extremely scrutinized.
This isn’t me having a pity party; just setting the stage for what’s to come.
As for my older sister (the middle one, not the eldest), I thought our relationship over the years was pretty good. I remember when she briefly lived with us in my early teenage days, we used to watch movies and make fun of the bad guys and their henchmen and give them all silly names. We’d have actual conversations and mock stupid shit together. In more recent years, before I injured my knee, we’d go to Disney World and see movies together and go to dinner. Things seemed copacetic.
Things changed last year, when she was going through end of life care for her dog, and she saw the way my parents and I lived with our pet. You see, we adopted a cute puggle (pug/beagle mix) named Willow about four years ago. Little did I know what was in store for us.
Without getting too bogged down in details and revealing too much, I can just say that my relationship changed with my sister. It suddenly became about how my injury was preventing me from taking care of my mother and father (both of whom have health issues) and my dog. She began tossing out ideas like re-homing my dog, which I was vehemently against, and my folks rejected outright at first.
Over time, as their health issues progressed and my recovery took time, she and I broke off from each other, and she recently decided to move forward unilaterally on the re-home decision. While I see the idea behind it, and readily admit that I cannot handle my own recovery and taking care of what I can in the house and caring for my dog, I was still not in favor of it.
This all coincided with a number of other things happening at the same time in the world of popular culture. The first being the shutdown of Destiny 2 at the hands of Bungie leadership and Sony. The still-ongoing decimation of Xbox and the massive layoffs of longstanding employees and development teams. Sony’s decision to remove hundreds of digital movie purchases from users’ accounts due to the termination of licensing deals. The gutting of id Software on the cusp of the release of their excellent Doom: The Dark Ages DLC. Finally, Sony’s decision to cut off physical media production in 2028, transforming the hobby so many of us love into a soulless, capitalistic, corporate money-grab devoid of physical media that we can own, share, and display proudly.
It may sound like I’m comparing the loss of my dog to people losing their jobs and the transition of a hobby. Which I am, but I don’t mean to trivialize any of them. My personal loss is a valid thing to grieve, just as the loss of a safe play space (Destiny 2 shutting down) or the loss of someone’s livelihood is upsetting, tragic, and sad. It sucks that we’re all struggling in different ways, that we are all victims of an uncaring system and a cold as ice universe.
We all experience things that we cannot control in life. It doesn’t mean we give up doing our best in the midst of suffering, or that we cannot see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. It means that sometimes, the only thing we can do is grieve.
Today, I am grieving, fellow Renegades. Not just because I lost my safe space in gaming, nor because I hate Sony’s recent decisions with a fiery passion, just as I loathe Microsoft’s business practices over the past decade or even longer.
I grieve because my pet, my best friend, is now finding a new home without me. She always will be here with me; maybe not physically, but in my heart. I took lots of pictures with her, and I can still see her in my mind’s eye. She brought me so much love and so much comfort, and that doesn’t truly stop, even though she’s with someone else now.
Destiny did the same thing for me in a different way. It opened me up to a community of players who shared a common goal and even common trials and tribulations. It’s my comfort game, and I need it now more than ever.
But I do have a lot of sadness and even some anger and resentment in my heart. I have to sit with that. I have to face the fact that I’m dealing with grief, and yes, as silly it sounds, I’m still grieving the loss of a game as well as the loss of my pet.
In the end, all we can do is move forward, especially in the midst of grief. Cry it out. Have a support system, whether it be friends or a mental health professional. Hell, vent about it on a blog or website or podcast!
This is one of my final pictures with my little dog. I miss her so much already.
I truly believe that we all face monumental suffering and depression and grief in our lives. That’s a big part of existence as a human being. I know that we can and will make it through those moments if we stick together and support each other. I will make it through today, thanks to you, our audience, and my fine co-hosts and editors here at RPC.
I’ll just leave you with this: You’re never alone. And if you need us, we’re here.
If you or someone close to you are struggling with issues related to mental health, depression, or suicidal thoughts, please know you are not alone. Help is available!
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (Available 24/7, free, and confidential in the US and Canada). You can also chat online at 988lifeline.org.
The Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor 24/7.
SAMHSA’s National Helpline: Call 1-800-662-4357 for 24/7, confidential treatment referral and information services.
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.