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Destiny
Destiny 2's live service has ended, the majority of its development team has been laid off, and the game is in a maintenance phase with servers still running. The franchise's future is uncertain.
Synthesized from 4
Yomimono stories · updated
Jun 26
Destiny 2 received its final content update, Monument of Triumph, on June 9, 2026, drawing a surge of 167,867 concurrent players on Steam, the highest since the June 2024 expansion The Final Shape. Bungie had announced in May that it would end new content updates, making this the last major update. Servers continue operating, and the game remains playable.
On June 25, 2026, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Bungie announced layoffs affecting the majority of the Destiny development team, part of the Marathon team, and some SIE staff. Bungie stated that Destiny 2 has not met expectations in recent years and that the current development structure cannot sustain future plans. The studio has delivered the final live service content update and is transitioning to a new phase. This is Bungie's third round of major layoffs in five years.
Former Bungie staff revealed that a dating sim for Destiny 2, styled after Dream Daddy, was prototyped during internal game jams but rejected by management each year. The disclosure came as the game's live service concluded after a decade. Marathon will remain a key pillar of the SIE portfolio, with full team support continuing, while incubation for future projects is underway.
Key facts
- Final content update
- Destiny 2 received its final live service content update, Monument of Triumph, on June 9, 2026. ↗
- Player count surge
- Concurrent players on Steam peaked at 167,867 after the final update, the highest since The Final Shape expansion in June 2024. ↗
- Layoffs
- On June 25, 2026, Bungie laid off the majority of the Destiny development team, part of the Marathon team, and some SIE staff. ↗
- Bungie statement on Destiny 2
- Bungie said Destiny 2 has not met expectations in recent years and the current development structure cannot sustain future plans. ↗
- Third round of layoffs
- This is Bungie's third round of major layoffs in five years. ↗
- Dating sim prototype
- A dating sim for Destiny 2, styled after Dream Daddy, was prototyped during internal game jams but rejected by management each year. ↗
- Game launch and saga conclusion
- Destiny 2 launched in 2017 and concluded its Light and Darkness saga with The Final Shape expansion in 2024. ↗
- Server status
- Servers will continue operating for the foreseeable future, and the game remains playable. ↗
Timeline
Synthesized by Yomimono from the cited Yomimono stories below, each itself
sourced, then editorially reviewed. Every
fact links the story it came from.
All coverage
3d ago
Destiny Unchain Online, the light novel and manga series by author resn and artist Yachimoto, is getting a television anime adaptation. The announcement came on Friday, August 6, 2026, alongside the launch of the anime's official X/Twitter account and a commemorative illustration drawn by Yachimoto. The story follows Kou Mitsuki, a middle school gamer known online as Crim the Headhunter, who tests a full-dive VR game developed by his father. A series of bugs traps him inside the game for three months and transforms him into a vampire girl, stranded in a remote forest at the start of the game. The series began as a web novel on Shōsetsuka ni Narō in May 2020, was later removed, and resumed serialization on Kadokawa's Kakuyomu in June 2021. Kodansha released the first print volume in November 2022, and the third volume shipped on May 29. Yachimoto launched the manga adaptation in Kodansha's Magazine Pocket app in July 2022, and the manga's 13th compiled volume released on Friday. The English version is published by Kodansha's K MANGA service.
6d ago
Bandai Spirits has opened reservations for a new S.H.Figuarts action figure of Kira Yamato in his Orb Union Chief State Pilot Suit, based on his appearance in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny. The figure uses a new sculpt and improves the range of motion compared to the earlier Compass Pilot Suit Ver., allowing for a wider variety of poses. It includes interchangeable face parts and accessories to reproduce the Durandal battle scene from the final episode of Gundam SEED Destiny, a feature not present in previous releases. The set contents include the main body, three types of interchangeable wrist parts for each hand, three interchangeable facial expression parts, a facial expression part for the helmet, the helmet itself, a neck part for the helmet, and a handgun. Reservations began on August 3 at general retail stores. The figure is priced at 9,900 yen including tax, with a scheduled release in January 2026. The product page is available on the Tamashii Web site for further details.
Jul 19
Premium Bandai is holding a lottery sale for the HG 1/144 Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) Gunpla, which released at general retail on July 11. The application period runs until July 21, with winners announced July 23. The kit features a fully renewed HGCE mold with the SEED Action System, beam sword gimmicks, and Slayer Whip parts. Price is 2,860 yen, shipping in August 2026.
Jul 14
Bandai Spirits is offering the HG 1/144 Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny via a Premium Bandai lottery. The kit uses the SEED Action System for articulation, includes the Slayer Whip in two states, and recreates the red-hot blade with molded colors. The lottery runs until July 21, with winners announced July 23. The kit is not a Premium Bandai exclusive.
Jul 11
Bandai Spirits will release the HGCE 1/144 scale Gouf Ignited (Heine Westenfluss Custom) on July 11, 2026. The kit, from Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, reproduces the character's orange personal color with molded plastic. It includes a slayer whip in two forms, a beam sword, a shield, and a right open hand. The SEED Action System allows dynamic posing. The kit costs 2,860 yen including tax.
Jul 5
Game Spark's weekly ranking for June 26 to July 2, 2026, places news about the 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2' second teaser and character visual in the top five, alongside a Steam sale guide, a retrospective on 'Mobile Suit Gundam Side Story: The Blue Destiny', and a free game giveaway at the Epic Games Store.
Jul 2
Square Enix Manga & Books announced eight new manga licenses and two Final Fantasy books during its Anime Expo panel on Thursday. The manga slate includes titles like Not Quite Love, My Classmate James, Inuta: My Canine Classmate, Daughter of the Dragon God, and Supervillain Boy, with releases starting January 2027.
Jun 28
A Game Spark column explains why the 'Mobile Suit Gundam: The Blue Destiny' trilogy for the Sega Saturn, never released overseas, has a surprisingly large Western fanbase. The article highlights the first-person cockpit view, the early use of a standard GM instead of a Gundam, the fast-paced combat with a lock-on system, and the sequential release structure where the player upgrades machines across three short games.
Jun 26
Sony Interactive Entertainment and its subsidiary Bungie announced on June 25, 2026, that they are conducting layoffs as part of an organizational restructuring. The reductions target most of the Destiny development team, part of the Marathon team, and SIE staff who support Bungie's operations. In a statement, Bungie said that Destiny 2 has not met expectations in recent years and that the current development structure cannot sustain future plans. The announcement follows the end of Destiny 2's development, which concluded with a final update on June 9, 2026. SIE CEO of the Studio Business Group Hermen Hulst explained in an internal email that the decision came after several months of review with Bungie's management regarding long-term direction, development priorities, and the studio's role in the broader portfolio. He added that multiple alternatives were considered before concluding that reductions were necessary. Marathon, which launched in March 2026, remains an important part of the SIE portfolio and will continue to receive support. Affected employees will receive severance, career transition assistance, and where possible, opportunities within SIE's global studio network. This is the third round of layoffs at Bungie in the past five years.
Jun 24
Former Bungie staff revealed that a dating sim for Destiny 2 was prototyped during internal game jams but rejected by management each year. The sim, styled after Dream Daddy, was pitched annually by developers but never approved. The disclosure comes as the game's live service concludes after a decade.
Jun 18
Bandai will release the METAL BUILD Strike Freedom Gundam <Revival Version> on June 27, 2026, for 38,500 yen. The figure is a repackaged version of the 2015 release with added auxiliary supports, supervised by mechanical animation director Satoshi Shigeta. The eight DRAGOONs are detachable and can be displayed radially on dedicated base parts.
Jun 11
Bungie's Destiny 2 saw a surge in player numbers following the release of its final content update, Monument of Triumph, on June 9. According to SteamDB, the concurrent player count on Steam reached 167,867, the highest since the 314,000 peak for the June 2024 expansion The Final Shape. Login issues occurred shortly after the update, which Bungie attributed to an influx of players. The official Destiny X account has been reposting user screenshots. Bungie announced in May that it would end new content updates, making Monument of Triumph the last major update. Servers will continue operating for the foreseeable future, and the game remains playable. Player reactions included celebrations of the update and calls for continued development or a sequel. Destiny 2 launched in 2017 and concluded its Light and Darkness saga with The Final Shape in 2024.