‘Destiny’ Developer Bungie Splits From Activision
Video game developer Bungie, best known for creating the Halo franchise — and more recently, Destiny— is calling it quits with publisher Activision, reports Kotaku.
The breakup between the two companies is one of the bigger splits the video game industry has seen in some time. Unlike other similar breakups, control and publishing rights of Destiny will now lie with Bungie.
As detailed by IGN, the transition to separate the two companies is already in progress, with both Bungie and Activision committing to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible.
For those who are still enjoying Destiny 2 on PC, you’ll be glad to hear that the game will continue to be supported fully. Taking to Twitter, Blizzard Customer Service confirmed that the game will still be receiving their full support and attention and that they don’t expect any service or gameplay disruptions as a result of the two companies going their separate ways.
For those who aren’t aware, Destiny made its first foray into the PC space with the launch of Destiny 2. Unlike most other games, which might launch simultaneously across multiple distribution platforms — such as Valve’s Steam and Ubisoft’s uPlay — Destiny 2 is available exclusively on Blizzard’s BattleNet service, which is also home to games such as Overwatch, Hearthstone, Diablo III, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.
Today, we're announcing plans for Bungie to assume full publishing rights for the Destiny franchise.
Read the full story at https://t.co/nxcJOVXAv6.https://t.co/RyD1jvi0hW pic.twitter.com/giFKmkyc9y
— Bungie (@Bungie) January 10, 2019
As Kotaku explains, the recent development between Activision and Bungie is not wholly surprising — it comes after years of tension that has been growing between the two. In a company meeting that took place earlier today, Bungie executives told employees of the upcoming split, framing it as a positive development.
It seems that the friction between the developer and publisher stemmed from the annualized release schedule that Activision mandated, which required Bungie to release a new title — or downloadable expansion — each year. As IGN notes, Destiny 2 had — reportedly — not achieved the level of retail success that Activision had hoped for, which may have added to the aforementioned tension.
At today's meeting announcing the news, Bungie staff cheered loudly. Can't over-emphasize how happy they are not just to get away from Activision, but to have a game that they now own completely. Imagine a Destiny free from Activision's restrictive annualized schedule!
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 10, 2019
Bungie released the following statement regarding the split on their official website.
“With Activision, we created something special. To date, Destiny has delivered a combination of over 50 million games and expansions to players all around the world. More importantly, we’ve also witnessed a remarkable community – tens of millions of Guardians strong – rise up and embrace Destiny, to play together, to make and share memories, and even to do truly great things that reach far beyond the game we share, to deliver a positive impact on people’s everyday lives.”
“The planned transition process is already underway in its early stages, with Bungie and Activision both committed to making sure the handoff is as seamless as possible,” the statement continued.
Destiny 2 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PCs.
