In 2025, We Will Witness if 'Destiny 2' Has the Resilience to Endure
In 2025, We Will Witness if 'Destiny 2' Has the Resilience to Endure
As we approach the threshold of 2025, marking the commencement of Destiny 2's departure from its decade-long Light and Darkness narrative, the question looms large: Can Destiny 2 sustain its existence, not just in the game world, but in the real world as well? This year could potentially demonstrate Destiny 2's resilience, if not Bungie's longevity, given the uncertainty surrounding Marathon, a project that heavily impacts Bungie's long-term survival.
2025 will usher in the concluding "Episode" centered around the Hive and the reemergence of the Dreadnaught. Subsequently, the game will transition into its "Frontiers" phase, unveiling a summer Apollo expansion and a winter Behemoth expansion. These expansions, seemingly devoid of narrative-heavy "Major Updates," will occur quarterly, eschewing the conventional season and episode structure. Apollo and Behemoth appear to occupy a middle ground between a traditional expansion and an episode in terms of size.
The predicaments are manifold:
- Destiny 2 currently experiences record low player engagement on Steam, prompting concerns about console usage as well. Despite the addition of commendable activities in the current episode, the vast chasms between "Acts" engender unparalleled downtime. This inactivity will persist in the upcoming Episode, raising doubts about whether alterations will suffice to lure more players or if the downward spiral will persist.
- The advent of the Frontiers era entails venturing beyond the current solar system into uncharted territories. However, the question remains: what percentage of players will show up for these smaller expansions? The Final Shape managed to approach series highs, but the plunge at year's end suggests an uphill battle to entice players back for Frontiers and Apollo. Will it be 70%? 50%? 30%? And what about the interim periods without actual seasons or Episodes?
- Bungie's headcount has dwindled to approximately 850 employees, divided between Destiny and Marathon, representing half the workforce from a few years ago due to downsizing and personnel departures. As Marathon inches closer to a 2025 release (more likely 2026), resources will divert towards Marathon, implicating reduced scale for future Destiny content, regardless of its success.
- Despite its commercial success in 2024, Destiny 2 continues to exhibit astronomical cash expenditure, leading to financial instability post-Lightfall, prompting cuts and adjustments. The game's constant decline has taken a toll, with its future feeling tenuous as we draw near to a new console generation.
Hence, if the 2025 content fails to meet expectations, Bungie may entertain the notion of placing Destiny on hiatus in favor of devoting resources to Marathon or other projects, maintaining Destiny in maintenance mode. However, hope persists in the form of a potential Destiny sequel, estimated to emerge five years later, which could help revive the series and halt the incessant decline. But the initiative to commence such a project would necessitate an immediate commitment...now. It seems improbable for Destiny 2 to merely churn out Frontiers-level content for the following five years without any tangible progress towards a sequel. As time elapses, Destiny 2 risks feeling outdated, edging closer to an entirely different console generation.
Perhaps Frontiers will prove to be a triumph, and if player spending remains consistent or increases despite reduced content investment, it could signal a more profitable, leaner Destiny as the new norm. However, my outlook remains tinged with apprehension as we enter 2025, despite my fervent desire for a different outcome.
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The upcoming "Frontiers" phase of Destiny 2 will include two expansions: Apollo and Behemoth, which will occur quarterly and fall between traditional expansions and episodes in size. With the departure of Destiny 2 from its Light and Darkness narrative in 2025, the "Destiny 2 Frontiers" era will introduce a new phase of exploration beyond the current solar system.