‘Destiny’ Developer Bungie and Activision Break Ties

It’s been no secret that the relationship between Bungie and Activision has been a tough one since even before the first Destiny but things really took a tumultuous turn with the MMO’s sequel. After all of the backlash, property disagreements, and practices that didn’t quite fit with the overall Bungie promise, the studio took to their website to announce something huge: They’re breaking up with Activision.

“When we first launched our partnership with Activision in 2010, the gaming industry was in a pretty different place. As an independent studio setting out to build a brand new experience, we wanted a partner willing to take a big leap of faith with us. We had a vision for Destiny that we believed in, but to launch a game of that magnitude, we needed the support of an established publishing partner,” reads their full statement.

“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.”

Though they mentioned they “enjoyed” their 8-year run with Activision, Bungie is ready to have the Destiny name fully in their grasp once more. The team also announced that plans for the separation are already under way and that both teams are dedicated to making sure the fans aren’t hurt by the transitional process.

Ever since the sequel made its big reveal, it seemed that the developers were plagued by controversy after controversy. From pay wall-locked content, to numerous failed communications between the community have made for a very rocky launch and a steep hill to climb up for the team as a whole. With this move, many are hoping that the microtransactions will cool it a bit while Bungie focuses on the story that they’ve developed along the way.

“With Forsaken, we’ve learned, and listened, and leaned in to what we believe our players want from a great Destiny experience. Rest assured there is more of that on the way. We’ll continue to deliver on the existing Destiny roadmap, and we’re looking forward to releasing more seasonal experiences in the coming months, as well as surprising our community with some exciting announcements about what lies beyond.”

Thoughts on the split? What do you hope to see Bungie do with the franchise from here? Sound off in the comments below, or hit me up over on Twitter @DirtyEffinHippy!