Live-service games are inherently risky. The expectation is that they maintain a 'forever' playerbase that continues to funnel money into a developer, or, more realistically, a publisher's pocket, while also invariably growing that playerbase every year. Even those who succeed, like Fortnite, aren't infallible, as we've seen with the recent Epic Games layoffs.
So, when a studio builds itself almost entirely around a live-service game, what happens when it collapses? That's the question looming over Bungie's head this week, with Destiny 2 finally being sunset, and with reports suggesting that Destiny 3 won't be going ahead after all. Everything now hinges on Marathon, the studio's new live-service extraction shooter.
As reported by GamesRadar+, Valve veteran Chet Faliszek, one of the writers behind Left 4 Dead and Portal, is one of many expressing concern about the studio's future. "Are we witnessing the end of Bungie?" he asked in a new video. "I say that not celebrating and yelling 'dead game' or anything, but just super bummed out. Because closing Destiny 2 on June 9 means they don't need a whole bunch of people to keep Destiny 2 going, and they're not doing a Destiny 3."
Indeed, reports suggest that Bungie is now bracing for layoffs.
"Marathon was the big bet and that did not hit," he continued. "Sony bought Bungie for their multiplayer games... I don't think Sony cares anymore, right?"
Studios Want Forever Games, And Destiny 2 Just Proved That The Series Isn't Indestructible
PlayStation announced its intent to break into the live-service space in 2022 shortly after acquiring Bungie for $3.6 billion, with plans to launch ten live-service games by 2026. Most of those have not panned out. Concord suffered such a humiliating launch that it was pulled from sale just two weeks later, while The Last of Us' standalone Factions game, a new live-service Twisted Metal, PlayStation London's unannounced triple-A fantasy game, and Spider-Man: The Great Web were outright canceled, just to name a few.
Marathon is not only vital to Bungie's future, but PlayStation's live-service efforts. But with Sony reportedly considering Destiny 3 too expensive to greenlight, it's clear that faith is wavering. As Faliszek explained, publishers want to invest in live-service games that never die, such as Counter-Strike, which continues to dominate the Steam charts even after decades on the market. "Counter-Strike's been going on since 1997," he said. "These games, once they find an audience, can live forever, and that's what these publishers are chasing."
Destiny 2 proved that the IP isn't indestructible, which is likely why Sony is so reluctant to continue with sequels or any other adjacent projects. That leaves Bungie with Marathon, which is already failing to meet expectations. In so many words, Sony spent billions acquiring the studio that made Xbox with Halo to help with its live-service push, and is now left with a niche extraction shooter. It's hard to blame Faliszek for being worried.
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