Bungie leaders worried that Destiny 2’s Trials gear would hurt microtransactions.
A recent video posted by YouTuber Destin Legarie has brought to light a series of allegations made by anonymous former employees of Bungie, the developers behind Destiny 2 and Marathon. The claims range from a proposed Destiny subscription model being shot down by higher-ups to complaints about the toxic and unaccountable leadership at the company. One particularly interesting revelation was that there were concerns within Bungie that a specific armor set in Destiny 2, known as the Trials Of Osiris PvP armor, would be so enticing to players that it might hinder sales of additional gear in the Eververse cosmetics store. This dilemma highlights the delicate balance artists must strike when designing in-game items for loot-driven games with microtransactions. While it’s essential for all game elements to be visually appealing, there must also be a clear distinction between items available through gameplay and those offered for purchase separately.
Legarie’s video combines paraphrased information with direct quotes, but he does not provide details about his sources, leaving the extent of these allegations’ representativeness within Bungie unclear. The video’s sources criticize Bungie’s leadership for being dictatorial, dismissive of creatives’ input, and overpaid. Although specific names are not mentioned, former Bungie figures such as Luis Villegas, Eric Osborne, and Joe Blackburn are spoken of positively. The sources also express disdain for Bungie’s human resources department, accusing them of shielding leaders’ misconduct and mistakes.
The video implies that Bungie leaders who proved challenging to work with have been reassigned to the Marathon reboot project, resulting in less experienced individuals now overseeing Destiny. This shift has reportedly led to structural problems within the studio that have negatively impacted decision-making processes and the final product. Furthermore, there are claims that Bungie’s vocabulary has shifted towards corporate jargon following its acquisition by Sony in 2022. The concern over the Trials Of Osiris armor set illuminates the clash between the gear’s design as a lasting ranking system and the game’s need to continuously entice players to make in-game purchases to generate revenue.
This wave of revelations follows a tumultuous period for Bungie, marked by controversy over the unauthorized use of an artist’s work in Marathon and allegations of a lack of PvE functionality in the project. The company’s troubles have been compounded by layoffs and declining returns for Destiny, prompting the formation of a new game studio at PlayStation by some former Bungie employees. Amidst this upheaval, Bungie is yet to respond to these allegations and inquiries from both the media and Sony.