Destiny 2's Shutdown May Not Spell The End For Bungie

The end of Destiny 2 came as a big surprise for many players, despite the claims of declining quality that fans have been adamant about over the game’s last few expansions. The closure of such a long-lived ongoing title has many wondering if developer Bungie will dissolve as a result of this shutdown, but some clues may point toward the studio already working on another project. The hiring pattern of Bungie suggests that they are still looking for talented creators, suggesting that Destiny 2‘s fate might give way to something new.

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Part of the problems behind Destiny 2 were exemplified through Sony’s larger financial reports this year, which painted Bungie as a source of great impairment loss as the studio’s value kept decreasing. The end of Destiny 2‘s support comes alongside the mixed reception to Bungie’s other current game, Marathon, which has its own issues. With rumors about a theoretical Destiny 3 already shot down, it’s easy to see why Bungie’s future is a subject that has captured the curiosity of players.

Destiny 2’s End Might Pave The Way For Bungie To Reboot Matter As Its Next Project

Matter Bungie game artwork — Courtesy of Bungie

Matter is a Bungie project that was cancelled back in December 2020, almost six years ago. This game has re-surged in rumors and theories a number of times following its shelving, but new evidence points toward it once again, implying that Bungie could be trying to reboot it under a new development banner. This comes after the game tried to make a different revival in 2022, only to be cancelled again in the same year. Although fans might be skeptical of Matter‘s third attempt at a comeback, details at Bungie provide greater hints than ever before.

In July 2024, Sony created an internal development team called TeamLFG, taking some creators from Bungie to work on a “incubation project” there while the new studio was being formed. TeamLFG then went on to create several job postings, including one for a Senior Engineer – Build Systems role. The first lines of this job pose the question “Would you like to work on something comedic with lighthearted and whimsical characters?” This hints at the incubation project being something far different from the vibe of Destiny 2 or Marathon, but perfectly fitting descriptions repeatedly used for Matter.

TeamLFG’s official project description also states that “Our first game is a team-based action game that draws inspiration from fighting games, platformers, MOBAs, life sims, and frog-type games. Players will inhabit a lighthearted, comedic world set in brand-new, mythic, science-fantasy universe.” When originally listed before its cancellation, Matter was presented with the genres of Multiplayer Action, Hero Shooter, RPG, MMO, and Third-Person Action, lining up with TeamLFG’s details regarding this project.

Many of these changes that come from TeamLFG’s creation are still ongoing even in 2026, showing that whatever project is under development has continued without change in the past two years. To add even more credibility to this, both the new job listings at TeamLFG and the original job listings for Matter back in 2020 have some similarities. Mainly, that both mention the use of Unreal Engine 5 in the associated project. Since Bungie does not use Unreal Engine for either Marathon or Destiny 2, the TeamLFG project has to at least be something new entirely.

Recruitment Suggests That Bungie’s Next Project Might Be Its Last Chance

All of these details point toward Matter being rebooted as the next step for Bungie, as they likely commit more resources to collaborate with the newly made TeamLFG. With the shutdown of Destiny 2, internal teams at Bungie will no longer be working on larger expansions, either investing resources to new projects or to the refinement of Marathon post-launch. The “reboot” of Matter again could have been in the works since Sony bought out Bungie in 2022, but now it might be the latter studio’s big chance to recover after Destiny 2.

A brand new IP for Bungie directly following the ongoing updates for Marathon would be next to impossible if Destiny 2 was still being supported. The amount of effort that went into that live service title took tons of work, despite what players may say about the quality of that work in later years. However, by using the bones of Matter already established through earlier attempts, Bungie has an opportunity to refine and polish a project they already were a number of steps in making some time ago.

All signs seem to point toward a Matter reboot for Bungie, almost suggesting that the Destiny 2 shutdown was part of a larger plan to shift the studio’s focus. Although TeamLFG’s project could be an unknown IP completely outside of what players expect, there is a strong possibility that Bungie seeks to quickly turn around from Destiny 2‘s dropped support, and look to the future with something they can present to players sooner rather than later.

What do you think Bungie’s next project will be, if there is one? Leave a comment below or join the conversation in the ComicBook Forum!