By Sagar V. Mankar Bungie, the renowned developer behind the popular FPS franchise Destiny, recently underwent another round of layoffs.
Parsons, Bungie’s CEO, revealed that the company is laying off 220 employees, representing 17% of its total workforce.
Of course, the decision was not well-received by both current and former employees, particularly regarding management’s handling of affairs since Bungie’s acquisition by Sony in 2022.
This dissatisfaction prompted numerous ex-employees to come forward and share their experiences across various media platforms.
This resulted in new details about a game called ‘Payback‘, which many initially thought was the codename for Destiny 3.
What Was Bungie’s “Payback” Project?
The first time we heard about Payback was back in 2021 when a Reddit user claimed to have connections with former Bungie developers and shared some initial details about a project codenamed Payback. This project was rumored to be Destiny 3, but there was little information available beyond the fact that it featured a classless system and a darker narrative.
Since then, multiple rumors surfaced online, but Bungie never acknowledged or confirmed the existence of the game.
However, citing ten current and former Bungie employees, recent reports from Bloomberg clarify that “Payback” was never intended to be Destiny 3. Instead, it was a third-person, open-world, puzzle-lite action game set within the Destiny universe.
This game was designed to diverge significantly from the traditional Destiny formula, incorporating elements like monster battles, puzzle-solving, and cooperative gameplay, akin to titles like Warframe and Genshin Impact (minus the gacha mechanics).
So, “Payback” was envisioned as a spinoff rather than a direct sequel.
Why Was “Payback” Canceled?
According to Bloomberg, Bungie had already canceled “Payback” two months earlier.
This move freed up resources and allocated them to new projects, such as the highly anticipated game “Marathon,” which has been running late (delayed to 2025).
Notably, executives Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy reportedly left Bungie after Payback was axed because they reportedly saw no future within Bungie post-“Payback.”
What Does This Mean for Destiny’s Future?
Bungie’s decision to cancel “Payback” and not pursue Destiny 3 has left many fans and veterans puzzled.
“The Final Shape,” an expansion for Destiny 2, is seen by some as an endpoint for the series as it wrapped up the 10-year Light and Darkness Saga, suggesting a fresh start with a new game could have been a logical next step. However, Bungie seems committed to evolving Destiny 2 rather than starting anew.
According to reports, Bungie is maintaining ongoing support for Destiny 2 but not dropping any big annual expansion as they did before. It looks like they were hit hard by the critical failure of last year’s Lightfall expansion.
They plan to shift to smaller, more frequent content drops, similar to the “Beyond Light” update from 2020. These updates are expected to be free for all players and aim to explore new characters and worlds within the game’s lore.
This will help retain the interest of the hardcore player base, as the player concurrent numbers are now substantially low a few weeks after the Final Shape. Small updates might bring back these user retentions.
Additionally, Bungie is working on several incubation projects, including one with its parent company Sony, to help them in game development.
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