‘We intend to earn back your trust’: Bungie announces plans to bring back Destiny 2 and improve Marathon

Bungie has stated that it plans to return to Destiny 2 and improve Marathon in an attempt to win back players’ trust.

Destiny 2’s final major content update, Monument of Triumph, was released on June 9, bringing an end to the game’s nine-year run of content.

This was followed weeks later by Sony confirming “significant” cuts at the studio – later reported to be 292 workers – which it said would affect “most” of the Destiny team and “some” Marathon team members.

Despite this, however, the studio now says it has plans to return to Destiny 2 in an attempt to win players over again.

In a co-written statement posted on the Bungie website, new studio head Poria Torkan and new Marathon general manager Josh Deane told players the pair “want to talk candidly about where Bungie is, where Destiny and Marathon need to go, and how we intend to earn back your trust”.

“Bungie has been creating games for over 30 years and we have welcomed the communities that have formed around them,” the statement read. “Over the last few years, we lost sight of that, and there have been real consequences. We lost trust, we lost incredible colleagues, and we lost sight of what we should be prioritizing most, our players.

“As a new leadership team, we must own that. We aren’t just listening to feedback, we understand your disappointment. We are not asking you to trust what we say today. We know that trust must be earned through the quality of our games, the decisions we make, and how consistently we show up for our players.”

“We are not done with Destiny”, Bungie says

Addressing Destiny 2 first, Bungie said “we are not done with Destiny” and acknowledged that when Moment of Triumph was released players “responded in force”.

“Your voices mattered, and the way you showed up made a real impact. You reminded everyone how much this world, its history, and its future still mean to you,” it said.

The statement added that the first step in this recovery process is bringing back previous campaigns and locations that were put in the Destiny Content Vault.

“We want to return Destiny to its original promise, to recapture the qualities that have always made it special,” it says. “The awe-inspiring mystery, meaningful discovery, and a community of Guardians coming together against impossible odds.

“That begins with restoring important parts of Destiny 2’s history that players can no longer experience today. We understand that removing these experiences had a lasting impact on player trust and enjoyment of Destiny.

“Destiny 2 is more than just the content itself. It is a place where players have built memories together, formed lasting friendships, and shared experiences that have stayed with them for years. We cannot change the decision we made, but we can acknowledge its impact and do the work to make it right by restoring these important parts of Destiny’s history.”

Bungie said it was now “beginning the work of bringing vaulted Destiny 2 campaigns, destinations, and raids back into the game, where they will be available to all Destiny 2 players”, but warned it was “not as simple as restoring old files”.

“Changes made to Destiny 2 since Beyond Light require us to update lighting, encounters, combatants, and other underlying systems,” it explained. “That work will take time, but it is necessary to ensure returning content meets the stability and gameplay standards of Destiny 2 today.”

It does still appear to be more than was deemed possible a year ago, however, when writer Matthew Kelsey Martineau sued Bungie for copyright infringement, alleging that Destiny 2’s Red Legion was taken directly from his writings on WordPress four years before the game was released.

Bungie attempted to have the copyright lawsuit thrown out by claiming that the content had been placed in the Destiny Content Vault, stating that “the Red War and Curse of Osiris legacy builds can no longer run because their outdated code is incompatible with Destiny 2’s underlying operational framework, which has evolved considerably since the Red War and Curse of Osiris campaigns were retired”.

While it now appears to have figured out how to accomplish this, it may be unlikely that this specific content will be returning, given Martineau’s claims.

Bungie says Marathon “did not reach as many players as we had hoped”

As well as its plans for Destiny 2, Bungie said it also planned to improve Marathon, which it says “was never intended to replace Destiny”.

“The game launched to strong critical reception, and the players who embraced Marathon connected deeply with what makes it distinct,” it said. “At the same time, it did not reach as many players as we had hoped, and we also know and understand that the game needs to evolve.”

The studio said it will “anchor on what makes Marathon special but evolve it beyond the genre constraints we placed on it”, by expanding the game to “a deeper survival experience”.

“Through the remainder of Marathon’s first year, we will continue strengthening its combat, world, and competitive tension while giving players more agency in how they engage with the game,” it said.

“That means creating meaningful experiences whether you prefer cooperative PvE, competitive PvP, or the unpredictable tension of Marathon PvPvE. It’s important to us that no matter your playstyle, or your skill level, we find better ways to hear from you as we get back to where we need to be – making games you want to play.”

The studio’s statement concluded by acknowledging that “this is an important time for Bungie”, adding: “Our future depends on making clear choices about where we focus, delivering what we say we will, and being honest about our successes and failure.”

“How we bring this new Bungie to life has to be through the spirit of putting players at the forefront of what we do,” it explained. “We have to find a way back to making games that we want to play, but with you at the center.

“Trust won’t be rebuilt through a single blog, video, or release. We also understand that trust extends beyond gameplay. It includes how we value your time, how we communicate, and how we action your feedback. Listening without action means nothing.”