The death of Destiny 2 is the end of an era for live-service games

As painful as it sounds, Fate 2who The days of development are over, and while Bungie plans to keep the game live for as long as possible, the potential for meaningful new content has now dwindled to nil. It feels like the end of an era, and as someone who regularly jumps back in when a new expansion drops, I'm surprised at the decision, but still glad we're able to keep playing, at least until Bungie decides to shut everything down for good.

The announcement may have been unexpected, though it certainly didn't come out of nowhere. It's been clear over the years that live-service games are struggling to regain the same reach and staying power that they once had. With such a big name now along with many more, we're about to enter a new era for the world of live-service games, with many different priorities, problems, and hopefully, many new solutions.

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What this means for Bungie

Where do we go from here?

• moving to Marathon is the main priority.

• Potential for new projects in the pipeline.

Bungie has made their work very clear Fate 2 The game is stopping short of one final update to send it into an eternal sunset. However, it was only in 2022 that Sony acquired the developer for a small amount of a few billion dollars, and they apparently still want to hold on to at least part of the team. While hello With Xbox having a lot on its hands, Bungie's next steps are going to be very important for the developer's future.

A clear change Marathonwhich has already carved a good niche for itself in the extraction shooter space. I can definitely see the universe expanding into a full-scale single player game, or even another multiplayer title like an MMO. The alternative is that attention shifts to a new game destiny universe, although it has been noted that many ideas have failed to make it beyond the drawing board. If that's not possible, I personally think it would be great from Bungie to reclaim its place on the live-service FPS throne with something completely new, away from sci-fi and on new ground.

Even big names can die

No IP is too big

• Seems to prove that static games can be left behind.

• Future plans may be uncertain.

Fate 2 It's been almost a decade, and in that time, we've seen tons of DLC and updates that consistently add content to the game every few months. This model proved to be very successful, and many others and I will see new additions as a way to rekindle the flame, at least for a while. However, as big as the franchise is, it seems the wins haven't hit the mark.

That cycle has played out for many other live-service games, from song who Marvel's AvengersStill for such an impressive title Fate 2 To join that club, I can't help but feel like it's too soon. Yes, the number of players was slowly decreasing over time, but I still think that being able to attract thousands of players every month, increasing to 100 thousand during DLC ​​drops, there was an appetite for more content. Choosing to shut things down sounds more like a knee-jerk reaction than a logical one to me.

Creates space for new names

Players have to go somewhere

• Other similar games are still thriving.

• Meditation moves with instinct.

The MMO space has never exactly been empty, but over time, many shooters have cropped up and found an audience that previously wanted a more immersive gameplay experience. Like games Warframe and Division Bungie's FPS was released and developed alongside the MMO, finding reasonable success that has allowed them to stay online with a steady stream of content and a sequel, despite intense competition.

MMO players like title-swapping a lot, because once they've grinded out all the raids or maxed out their characters, the incentive to keep playing diminishes considerably. I, too, can attest to this trend, as I always log in for a week or so during a new patch, then move on as soon as all the content is clear. Now that there's one less content train on the way, many of these other games could see a surge in their popularity, and if another dev is brave enough, I can definitely see a new IP joining the list.

The model no longer works

Direct-service hate is real

• Many people hate the current direct-service models.

• Real cases of catastrophic failure.

It's no secret that live-service games aren't exactly everyone's cup of tea. If you look at the last few years, we have seen that consent, Highguardand XDefiant come on And go on, all of those were PvP titles that didn't have enough staying power or polish to compete in an already saturated market.

I'm not the only one who dreads announcements, any time a new multiplayer game is announced, I can't help but compare it to all the other failures that have plagued the industry for so long. I hope, as a result of such a big name Fate 2 By leaving the live-service pipeline behind, many future games will take note and hopefully opt for a more sustainable model that can keep things alive for longer, and maybe even indefinitely.

The future of fortune

Will we ever get a third game?

• No word yet on Threequel.

• Active development seems unlikely.

I was there during the first trailer Fate 2 dropped, and as a huge fan of the original, I was really excited to see where the franchise was going next. Now, when it came to their monetization model, I wasn't really a big fan. The concept of having to drop $40 every few months was far from ideal, but I was still happy to get some extra content, at least until the third game started.

The gap between the first two games was only three years, and after that, the sequel received a steady stream of DLC that continued until 2025. Questions about the third game It's always been floating around, and I find it strange to myself that we never get it Fate 3But based on everything discussed Internally, I think the chances are pretty slim. With that being said, I can never say never. While the focus may be away from the next big budget release, the door for a third destiny For now the crack remains open.

issued

August 28, 2017

ESRB

T for TEEN for blood, language, and violence