Summary
Ready to feel old? Bungie’sDestinylaunched ten years ago today.
The space-based online shooter has since gone on to become one of the most popular series in gaming, with countless evolutions and expansions hitting the first game and Destiny 2.
Destiny Is Ten Years Old
It started with a tweet.
Destiny’s launch actually started ten years ago yesterday, when the officialBungieTwitter accountsimply tweeted, “Destiny servers are live,” and the rest is history.
However, while the servers were live, fans faced an anxious half-day wait. Many replied to Bungie’s tweetasking if they could jump in early,butBungie didn’t oblige.
After the game fully launched, receiving a solid critical reception, things went from strength to strength. Within two years, Destiny had received multiple expansions and built up a player base of over 25 million Guardians.
The two-year mark was an important one for Destiny, with The Taken King ushering in major changes to the title and the way things were rolled out. The game continued to receive updates until March 2017, with the Age of Triumph expansion, before being replaced byDestiny 2in September of that year.
Fans Remember
Ten years is a long time, and fans on Reddit have been lookingback at things fondly.
Players exchangedstories about their time with the first gameand how it shaped their lives and gaming habits going forward.
While the Reddit post was a nice way for Guardians to reminisce, it also was a stark reminder that time is a very real thing, with multiple players sharing that they feel their “bones turning to dust”.
The thread also served as a way for people to share stories oftheir loved ones who are no longer with us, many of whom stated that they would have loved the way the game is now.
A Lot Has Changed In Ten Years
At the time Destiny was released, Bungie was four years into aten-year publishing deal with Activision.Activisionwould help fund Bungie throughout this period, with the developers receiving around 20-35% of the income from the game, plus performance-related bonuses. The two companies split in 2019, with Bungie retaining the rights to the Destiny IP while denying claims that Activision was difficult to work with.
Initially owned by Microsoft, the formerHalodevelopers were acquired bySony Interactive Entertainmentin 2022. Sony promised that Bungie would be able to continue operating independently ofPlayStation. However, two big rounds of layoffs occurred inOctober 2023andJuly 2024. It was reported that the company hadhired too freely and explored too many new projectsto be sustainable.
The most recent round of layoffs, which happened whileCEO Pete Parsons kept his multi-million dollar car collection, caused a ripple through the company. Reports emerged thatSony overpaid for Bungie, that thestudio isn’t working on Destiny 3, and thatDestiny 2’s model was changing to two seasons per year.
Whatever the future holds now, remaining successful for such an extended period is an outstanding achievement. Here’s to 10 more, Guardians.
