Bungie's Future After Layoffs: Marathon Focus, Destiny 3 Rumors Debunked, and a Changing Destiny 2

The gaming world let out a collective gasp earlier this week when news broke of mass layoffs at Bungie. The studio, a titan in the industry, had to say goodbye to a staggering 17 percent of its family. Ouch. That's a wound that runs deep, and it sent shockwaves through the community, leaving everyone wondering: what happens now? The rumor mill went into overdrive, churning out whispers about canceled projects and a studio in crisis. Thankfully, a bit of clarity has arrived from Bloomberg's ever-reliable Jason Schreier, but it paints a picture of a studio at a major crossroads.

The Marathon Run Begins

So, where is Bungie putting its chips? According to Schreier's report, which gathered insights from ten current and former employees, the answer is clear: Marathon. This recently announced PvP extraction shooter is now the studio's primary focus. Imagine a team of runners, battered but determined, funneling their remaining energy into one big race. That's Bungie with Marathon, aiming for a 2025 launch. But here's the kicker—they're doing it with fewer runners, less experience in this specific genre, and the clock ticking louder than ever. It's a high-stakes gamble, putting a lot of eggs in one new, unproven basket.

The Destiny 3 Dream... Fizzles Out

For years, Guardians have whispered about a sequel, a true Destiny 3 that would wipe the slate clean. Well, you can put those rumors to bed. Schreier's sources confirm it flat out: Destiny 3 is not in development. It's not hiding in a secret vault; it's just not on the board. This news is a tough pill to swallow for fans hoping for a fresh start beyond the Solar System. But the studio's vision has shifted.

What About That 'Project Payback' Rumor?

Ah, 'Project Payback.' In the chaotic aftermath of the layoffs, this name surfaced like a ghost from the machine. Some speculated it was the internal codename for the mythical Destiny 3. Turns out, it was something else entirely. Project Payback was a Destiny-universe spinoff, one that took inspiration from live-service giants like Warframe and Genshin Impact. Think less MMO-FPS, more... well, we'll never really know. Bungie pulled the plug on this ambitious experiment about two months ago. The team working on it? Most were reassigned to fuel the Marathon engine. So, Payback wasn't the future—it was a path not taken.

Destiny 2's New, Leaner Reality

And what of the ten-year-old titan, Destiny 2? It's not going anywhere, but it's about to go on a serious diet. The days of massive, annual paid expansions like The Witch Queen or The Final Shape are reportedly over. Despite the critical success of The Final Shape, the cold, hard truth is that expansion sales have been on a downward slide. So, Bungie is pivoting, hard.

The new plan sounds like this:

• Smaller, Frequent Content Drops: Think more updates along the lines of the 'Into the Light' event—substantial, but not earth-shattering. It's about keeping the lights on and the world feeling alive without the massive development cycles.

• A Friendlier Front Door: Let's be real, Destiny 2 is a beast for a new player. The studio knows this is a huge barrier. A major initiative now is to smooth out that 'onboarding' process. They want to tear down the intimidating wall of systems and make the universe welcoming again.

It's a strategy born of necessity. The era of 'big bang' storytelling in Destiny 2 seems to be closing, making way for a more sustained, accessible hum. For veterans, it might feel like the end of an era. For Bungie, it's simply the new reality.

The Road Ahead: A Studio Transformed

So, this is the Bungie of 2026: leaner, focused, and betting big on a new IP. The layoffs weren't just a financial trim; they were a seismic shift in direction. The studio that once lived and breathed Destiny is now a studio running toward Marathon, while gently shepherding its oldest child into a quieter, more sustainable phase of life.

The human cost of this shift can't be ignored. A smaller staff with tighter deadlines is a pressure cooker. Can the creative magic survive in that environment? Only time will tell. One thing is certain: the Bungie that emerges from this trial will be fundamentally different from the one that entered it. The future isn't the one many fans dreamed of, but it's the path the studio is now walking, one cautious, determined step at a time.