As Bungie plots a future for extra Destiny, head of product Josh Deane has clarified that gamers needn’t “purchase Marathon as a donation” simply to assist the studio’s plans.
It is a clarification that arrived after Deane posted a neighborhood message for Destiny followers yesterday. The message, featured as a part of a lengthy Q&A blog post, outlined the unvaulting course of for Destiny 2 content material that was beforehand promised final month, however one phase left gamers confused – and anxious – in regards to the future and extraction shooter Marathon’s position within the massive image.
“We’re not going to neglect the errors of the previous, however it is time to be taught from them and unify as one Bungie neighborhood,” the part in query mentioned. “For us, nearly all of our Bungie crew is legacy Destiny, and we’ll all let you know that nothing may also help bridge us into future greater than for Marathon to quickly evolve and grow to be sustainable. As we head into our December and March updates for Marathon, it’s a formative interval for all of us right here at Bungie that can assist decide the form of our future, so please encourage one another and know that your assist offers our crew the vitality to complete the battle.”
It is the “nothing may also help us bridge us into future greater than for Marathon to quickly evolve and grow to be sustainable” bit that is obtained the Destiny neighborhood so riled up. With the back-and-forth pulling Destiny 2 out and in of the fireplace all via the span of a few months, some believed Bungie was attempting to inform its viewers that choosing up a copy of its new sci-fi FPS would assist maintain it and the studio’s future safe. Deane stepped in to verify this isn’t the case.
The Bungie developer mentioned his intention was to not relaxation the Destiny revival on the shoulders of the followers that helped breathe life again into it earlier this yr. He chalks it as much as a mistranslation, “and that is on me.”
“Under no circumstances is the Destiny plan contingent upon Marathon,” Deane added. “Play what conjures up you, no matter it’s. Primarily hoping we are able to accomplish our objectives in each lanes with a stronger relationship with our whole neighborhood!”
I could have worded this clumsily however that is the true coronary heart of what I used to be attempting to say
Actually care about neighborhood therapeutic and consider that it’ll assist our studio bridge into the long run in essentially the most wholesome approach doable ❤️
Play and share what you might be obsessed with, no matter that’s
The Destiny plan strikes ahead it doesn’t matter what
— Josh Deane (@S14deane) October 30, 2026
When one participant advised they feared they have been being inspired to buy however by no means obtain Marathon simply to assist Bungie, Deane said, “Oh, do not buy Marathon as a donation or supply the rest.”
“It is our job to point out up for you,” he added. When one other fan expressed comparable concern, he said, “I actually love the sentiment however solely purchase or play a factor that conjures up you from us / you assume is cool! We are going to discover our approach again residence with Destiny.”
So, there you’ve got it: Destiny and Marathon do not rely upon the success of the opposite. As Bungie principal comms supervisor Dylan Gafner said, “Two muffins! One massive neighborhood.” That ought to supply some reduction not solely to Destiny gamers who feared their favourite recreation’s future should still be in jeopardy but additionally to Marathon gamers who’ve feared the identical.
Negativity has surrounded each video games in current months, with neighborhood members on both sides going at one another as each struggled. For now, we all know that the Destiny franchise will dwell on with a few initiatives. These embrace “celebration” content material updates, a mission that the crew has teased as “Destiny ‘Legacy’,” and a mysterious “redacted” mission.
For Marathon, Bungie will proceed to attempt to revitalize the extraction shooter with Symbiosis this December. The studio additionally lately reassured gamers that the extraction element is “nonetheless a main half” of the expertise as the crew experiments with PvE and Deathmatch modes.
What’s subsequent for Destiny and Marathon stays to be seen, but it surely’s clear Bungie is placing within the work to maintain each afloat. Whereas we wait to see how issues pan out, you possibly can see why the studio believes the latter struggled at launch. You may as well examine how the Destiny neighborhood banded collectively to assist the #SaveMassEffect motion.
Michael Cripe is a freelance author with IGN. He is finest identified for his work at websites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Remember to give him a comply with on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).