Following layoffs, Destiny 2 dev addresses Lightfall woes and Final Shape plans: "We know we have lost a lot of your trust"
Nov. 2, 2023Bungie says it has a plan for a “bigger, bolder, brighter vision for The Final Shape” and a way to “take us all out of this Darkness and into the Light”
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Destiny 2 studioBungiehas addressed a few pressing concerns around Lightfall and the upcomingDestiny 2 The Final Shapeexpansion followinglayoffs at the company.
Ina blogtitled ‘Our Path Forward’, the Destiny developer first acknowledges the laying off of roughly 100 staffers - roughly 8% of the studio’s workforce - that was announced Tuesday.
“This has been one of the most difficult weeks in our studio’s history, as we’ve parted ways with people we respect and admire,” reads a message from the Destiny 2 dev team. “We’ve spent this week supporting one another, including those who are at the studio, as well as friends and colleagues who no longer are.”
The developer also addresses in frank terms the largely negative response to the Lightfall expansion. OurDestiny 2 Lightfall reviewgave it a 3/5 and called it a “deeply uneven experience that makes a terrible first impression” despite “an excellent new subclass and raid.”
“We want to acknowledge the feedback and concerns you have about Lightfall and recent Seasons, as well as your responses to the reveal of The Final Shape,” Bungie says. “We know we have lost a lot of your trust. Destiny needs to surprise and delight. We haven’t done this enough and that’s going to change.”
“To us the path forward is clear: We need to make The Final Shape an unforgettable Destiny experience. We want to build something that will be regarded alongside the best games we’ve ever made – a fitting culmination that honors the journey we’ve been on together for the past ten years. Forsaken, The Witch Queen, and The Taken King – these are the standard bearers we aim to live up to.
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter
Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more
“We are intensely focused on exceeding your expectations for The Final Shape. Destiny 2 has more than 650 dedicated teammates pouring all their energy and expertise into delivering this epic moment and its subsequent Episodes.”
Bungie says we’ll learn more about its short-term plans, including what’s in store for the next season launching in late November, “in the weeks ahead.” After that, the studio says we’ll get an update on its “bigger, bolder, brighter vision for The Final Shape, as well as the bridge we plan to build to take us all out of this Darkness and into the Light.”
Destiny 2’s director recently announced a change for The Final Shape that players have wanted for 9 years: shader icons that actually make sense.
After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer, I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.
Former WoW and League of Legends MMO dev showing off new game today, but be warned - “We’re taking Unreal Man with a bunch of store-bought assets”
WoW veteran says the MMO’s devs had to make “ten times the amount of quests” as originally planned to sate playtesters, and now the game has 38,000 of them
Dev behind new Doki Doki Literature Club-style psychological horror says it’s not “for those with weak hearts,” but with 98% positive Steam reviews, I’m not sure I can stay away
