Bungie has announced the end of major content development for Destiny 2, with the game's final update, titled "Monument of Triumph," scheduled for release on June 9, 2025. The decision follows a period of declining player counts, layoffs affecting a significant portion of the studio, and a strategic reallocation of resources to the extraction shooter Marathon, which launched to mixed player reception.
End of Destiny 2 Development
According to Bungie, the "Monument of Triumph" update will be the game's last major content release. After this date, the game will remain playable but will enter a maintenance phase with no further expansions or major system updates planned. The update is designed to be welcoming for returning players and will include:
- New weapons and armor sets
- The return of Sparrow Racing
- Updated rewards for activities
- A Moments of Triumph event
Destiny 2 is now considered a "complete" game by the developer. Weekly blog entries about the game from Bungie will go into hibernation following the update. Bungie stated it will announce any future Destiny news when it becomes available, but noted its next major title will not be set in the Destiny universe. A mobile game spin-off, Destiny Rising, is in development by NetEase. No sequel, such as Destiny 3, has been announced.
All past expansions and content packs for Destiny 2 are available for a single purchase of $25. The final update does not restore content previously removed via the "Content Vault," which included the vanilla campaign and the Forsaken expansion.
Bungie Layoffs and Restructuring
Bungie leadership announced a reduction in force as part of a reorganization. A Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice filed in Washington State indicates 292 job cuts affecting employees in that state. Reports from various sources estimate that 40-55% of the studio's total staff have been laid off, affecting several hundred employees.
Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) head Hermen Hulst stated that the decision followed an extensive review of Bungie's long-term direction and that reductions were necessary to align resources with priorities. Reports indicate that most of the Destiny 2 development team was laid off, along with some developers working on Marathon and SIE support staff. Bungie has not secured approval for any new project beyond Marathon, which is the only game currently in active development.
Financial Context
Sony acquired Bungie for $3.6 billion in 2022. Since the acquisition, Sony has recorded impairment losses totaling $765 million against the Bungie acquisition. An additional impairment loss of $565 million was announced in 2025. Sony has stated it expects impairment losses for Bungie to be absent or significantly reduced by fiscal year 2026.
According to Sony, player reception to Marathon is strong, citing a Metacritic score of 82 and over 90% positive Steam reviews, as well as high retention metrics. However, third-party data indicates that Marathon's player count on PC has been declining since launch. The game peaked at approximately 88,000 concurrent players on Steam and now averages 10,000 to 11,000 nightly players.
Sony's Broader Live-Service Strategy
Sony's push into live-service games has encountered multiple challenges:
- Concord, a multiplayer shooter, was shut down two weeks after launch following low player numbers.
- Fairgame$, a live heist shooter, has not been shown since its announcement in 2023 and is reportedly undergoing a design pivot.
- Horizon: Hunter's Gathering, a co-op live game, received negative reactions after its reveal.
- Bluepoint Studios, which was developing a God of War multiplayer project, saw the project canceled and the studio closed.
- Helldivers 2 retains approximately 10% of its launch player count; its developer, Arrowhead, will self-publish its next title.
Sony's single-player titles, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet and a Wolverine game, remain in development.
Player Response
"Current players of Destiny 2 view the game's completion as the end of a live-service era, but note that the game remains playable with substantial content."
The final update has been positively received by the player base. Since the announcement, Destiny 2 has attracted over 100,000 concurrent players on Steam nightly. Bungie stated that the game entering maintenance mode will ensure it remains welcoming for returning players, similar to the original Destiny.