Destiny Returns

In a surprise move, Bungie plans to bring back Destiny 2 and unlock all the game’s content. Find out the details below. Also, Microsoft announces more reorganizations and layoffs at Xbox. All this and the latest news. Let’s go. 

Bungie brings back Destiny 2

In a surprise update, game studio Bungie posted online that they are “not done with Destiny,” and that the series is “foundational” to the company’s future. 

The news comes just three months after Bungie announced the shutdown of Destiny 2 and laid off over 300 employees who worked on the game. Over 400,000 fans petitioned Bungie’s owner Sony to make a Destiny 3, and the heads of the studio acknowledged this in their blog post:

When we announced that Monuments of Triumph would be the final content update to Destiny 2, you responded in force. Your voices mattered, and the way you showed up made a real impact. You reminded everyone how much this world, its history, and its future still mean to you.

One of the reasons Destiny 2 lost players was that Bungie removed or “vaulted” the initial content from the game as they added new areas. This meant players who bought the original game could no longer play content they purchased, and the initial starting area and storyline for the game was removed. This made it difficult to attract new players. Bungie now says they plan to make all the game’s content available to players. 

We understand that removing these experiences had a lasting impact on player trust and enjoyment of Destiny. Destiny 2 is more than just the content itself. It is a place where players have built memories together, formed lasting friendships, and shared experiences that have stayed with them for years. We cannot change the decision we made, but we can acknowledge its impact and do the work to make it right by restoring these important parts of Destiny’s history.

In their post, Bungie admits it will take time to make these changes to Destiny 2. 

Bungie also discusses their latest game, Marathon, saying it “did not reach as many players as we had hoped.” The company breaks down their plans for the game over the rest of this year, saying they will “continue strengthening its combat, world, and competitive tension while giving players more agency in how they engage with the game.”

Xbox makes more changes, cuts more jobs

Another wave of layoffs hit Xbox studios along with more changes for the company’s studios. 

After cutting 1,600 jobs in July, Xbox laid off another 268 employees as part of their ongoing restructuring. Along with these layoffs, Microsoft announced some major reorganizations to its studios. They include:

• Rare (makers of Sea of Thieves) and World’s Edge (Age of Empires) will now be part of Activision. Activision will also be making future Halo games, with “a new, purpose-built Halo team that is separate from ongoing development and plans for Call of Duty.” For now, Halo Studios (the studio currently making these games) will “continue supporting the Halo community and games in-market.”
• Obsidian will now be part of Bethesda, and will continue to work on Grounded and their new Fallout project. Bethesda’s president assured Obsidian staff that they would not lose their creative identity after the merger. 
• Playground and Turn 10 will consolidate into one studio focused on the Forza and Fable franchises. 
• King will take over Microsoft Casual Games.
• Undead Labs, makers of State of Decay 3 transitioned to become an independent studio, similar to former Xbox studio Double Fine. However, with the financing of Microsoft gone, Undead Labs was also forced to make significant layoffs. 
• Ninja Theory, makers of the Hellblade games were not so lucky. Unable to find a buyer, Microsoft plans to close the studio. 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella weighed in on the changes at Xbox, saying the layoffs and changes were “great to see.” Analysts call the changes a “reverse acquisition in slow motion.” Of note, Microsoft is now 75% through its planned consolidations at Xbox, with more to come.

Side Quests (more stories worth reading)

🎮 Sony patented technology to allow their PlayStation controllers to accept credit card payments. 

📺 Meanwhile, Microsoft filed a patent for an “ad-credit” system which would display advertisements in-game, without interrupting gameplay. 

🥽 Meta announced new VR glasses that weigh 3.5 ounces and cost $1,300. New Ace Attorney, Beat Saber and Tetris Effect games are also coming for the system. 

🦔 Sega planned to stop making Sonic the Hedgehog games, but the movies revitalized interest in the titles. 

🎮 Sony announced the Lisa Limited Edition PlayStation 5 controller, a collaboration with the lead singer of the K-pop group Blackpink. 

🚧 Microsoft’s Minecraft Live event showed off changes that are coming to the game, including a new dimension and Dungeons II updates. 

🏀 NBA star Steve Adams warns of a “league-wide” drops in performance this November once Grand Theft Auto 6 is released. 

📈 Round numbers: Star Wars Zero Company sold over one million copies and board game Take Time sold over 325,000 copies. 

New Releases this week:

9/29: Minecraft Dungeons 2 (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC)
9/29: Nivalis Nights (PC)
9/29: TOEM 2 (PlayStation, Switch and PC)
10/1: End of Abyss (PlayStation, Xbox and PC)
10/1: Dynasty Warriors 3: Complete Edition Remastered (PlayStation, Xbox, Switch and PC)
10/2: Ace Combat 8: Wings of Theve (PlayStation, Xbox and PC)

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