Bungie News, Tips, Tricks & Ideas

Video game engine creator Unity is laying off 1800 employees, or 25% of its workforce, according to a report from Yahoo! Finance. The company announced these layoffs in an internal memo sent out on Monday, January 8. These job cuts follow a turbulent 2023 for the company after it attempted to introduce per-install fees to developers using its game engine before later walking it back. 

Bungie is making changes to Destiny 2's PvP modifier Checkmate and confirms more Crucible tweaks will follow. 

It feels like Destiny 2 and Bungie are going through a never-ending torrent of struggles as of late, ranging in severity from downright catastrophic to mildly annoying. Somewhere closer to the annoying side of the scales falls the recent Checkmate PvP mode issues, which Bungie is now trying to alleviate.

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Xur is back in Bungie’s Destiny 2 with the usual weekly dose of Exotics, Legendaries and disappointment. He’s in the European Dead Zone on Earth until the next reset and carrying the Exotic auto rifle Monte Carlo.

The latest Dawning event in Destiny 2 was meant to be a fun and enticing seasonal celebration but instead has caused outrage within the games’ community. 

Destiny 2 and developer Bungie don’t have the best reputation with the MMO’s community right now, and that sentiment continues to pop up even in smaller ways. That rings true for this year’s Dawning event, too, as it seems Destiny’s snowball feature remains broken.

By Tom Warren, a senior editor covering Microsoft, PC gaming, console, and tech. He founded WinRumors, a site dedicated to Microsoft news, before joining The Verge in 2012.

Xur has returned for the last time this year in Bungie’s Destiny 2 but has some rather underwhelming Exotics. He’s in the Arcadian Valley on Nessus until the next weekly reset and carries Skyburner’s Oath, a Year 1 Energy scout rifle.

Xur is available in Bungie’s Destiny 2, but unfortunately isn’t selling Gjallarhorn or any other crazy Exotic. He’s in the European Dead Zone on Earth and carries Coldheart, an Exotic Arc trace rifle for 29 Legendary Shards.

Like Dungeons and Raids, Destiny 2’s Starcrossed Exotic mission features secret chests. These chests in Destiny 2 are released weekly, can only be opened once a week for Undying weapon rewards, and are difficult to find.

A new Exotic mission, “Starcrossed”, is available in Bungie’s Destiny 2 as part of Season of the Wish. It sees players returning to the Black Garden and earning a new Exotic bow, the Wish-Keeper. First, you must advance the seasonal story, which involves playing The Coil and Riven’s Lair.

Bungie still has some presents left as they close out the year in Destiny 2. Currently, in the Season of the Wish, the new Starcrossed Exotic mission is live. Explore and uncover Ahamkara remains in the mysterious Black Garden and get your hands on some new rewards, including the Wish-Keeper Exotic Strand Bow.

Following the devastating cyber security attack that targeted Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 developer Insomniac Games, leaked slides have revealed Sony’s internal concern at competitor Microsoft’s emerging strategy following its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard.

Everyone’s beloved (or hated) Agent of the Nine, Xur, is back in Bungie’s Destiny 2. You can find him in the Tower Hangar, where he’ll remain until the next reset. This week’s Exotic weapon is Black Talon, a Heavy Void sword for 29 Legendary Shards.

It's been a rough year for the games industry. An estimated 9,000 people have been laid off in the industry this year, affecting employees at companies like Embracer Group, Epic Games, Amazon Games, Ubisoft, Activision, Bungie, Frontier, Codemasters, BioWare, Paradox, and many more. We've also seen the shuttering of numerous studios, including Volition, Free Radical, and Shadow Gambit creators Mimimi Games. Layoffs have also affected companies adjacent to video games, like Hasbro, which laid of 1,100 people two weeks before Christmas.

An insider has broken down some details on why Naughty Dog cancelled The Last of Us Online.

Naughty Dog has today shared the news its The Last of Us Multiplayer project has been officially cancelled. A post on the developer's official website states: «We’ve made the incredibly difficult decision to stop development on that game.»

Guardians are used to getting lumps of coal instead of presents from Xur, but it appears the Agent of the Nine is in good spirits. Xur is selling the coveted Calus Mini Tool this week in Destiny 2. If you don’t know why that’s a good thing, let me explain why.

Naughty Dog has cancelled The Last Of Us Online.

Naughty Dog’s hyped The Last of Us online multiplayer game, once said to be the most ambitious thing they’ve ever worked on, has been canceled. We’d heard for a while that the project was “on ice” following an unfavorable internal assessment by Bungie. That said, the game was never officially canceled. That’s now changed, with Naughty Dog providing a very clear reason for the change – they realized fully supporting a live service game would essentially mean becoming a live service studio, and they don’t want to do that.

Naughty Dog has officially announced that it is canceling its highly-anticipated online multiplayer game based in the universe of The Last of Us, claiming that it would need to take more attention away from its single player projects than it wants to.

The Epic Games Store Holiday Sale is now available, featuring huge discounts and plenty of freebie games, starting with Destiny 2: Legacy Collection. This version of Bungie's online first-person shooter game includes the following three expansions and is usually priced at $60:

Epic's tradition of giving away free games over the Christmas period has returned and begins today.

For some Destiny 2 players, the holidays may have just arrived early. From now until December 20, most of Destiny 2 is free to claim through the Epic Games Store,

It’s been a very tumultuous time for Bungie, the studio behind Destiny 2. Layoffs and reports have complicated the game’s future. A potential balm? The Fireteam Finder, from the looks of it.

As Destiny 2‘s Season of the Wish rages on, it’s becoming increasingly more curious how agreeable Bungie is with its community following its recent troubles. The latest example of this being the case is the new Crucible PvP update, providing an alternative to the widely disliked Checkmate Control mode.

Microsoft is bringing on 77 formerly contracted quality assurance workers as full-time employees after negotiations with Communication Workers of America, according to Bloomberg. It’s not unheard of for a major company to make a move like this — Activision Blizzard did it in 2022 — but it is uncommon as the industry deals with a layoff crisis.

Destiny 2 developer Bungie are staring down the barrel of a full Sony takeover if forthcoming expansion The Final Shape doesn’t meet sales expectations, according to several anonymous current and former employees. The same sources also claim that the studio are prepared to cut staff again to meet their financial obligations as a Sony subsidiary, having laid off a significant proportion of their workforce in November.

Around a month on from a major round of layoffs, Bungie developers have opened up to IGN about low morale within the studio, and the risks that Sony could take away the autonomy of what is currently an independent subsidiary of Sony if they cannot meet financial targets.

When PlayStation’s acquisition of Bungie was finalized last year, it happened under special circumstances for the latter in particular. Bungie has remained fully autonomous and continues to function as an independent subsidiary under Sony’s ownership, though it seems the studio might be under threat of losing that special status, as per a report published by IGN.

In October, it was reported that Bungie had joined the ever-growing list of studios that have been hit with layoffs in 2023, with around 100 jobs being affected at the Destiny developer. As per a report published by IGN, it seems things have only gotten worse at the studio since then. Owing to the possibility of Sony dissolving Bungie’s board and taking full control of the company, the developer has been making significant cutbacks in various other areas, while the relationship between leadership and employees continues to grow more adversarial, the report claims.

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A new report from IGN says the situation at Bungie following layoffs and reports of sinking Destiny 2 player numbers and revenues is even more dire than is widely known. Morale at the studio has reportedly plummeted amidst what is described by IGN's sources as management indifference, and the report says Bungie could even be subject to a full Sony takeover if the upcoming Destiny 2 expansion The Final Shape fails to meet expectations.

Destiny 2’s Season 23 started strong, featuring the new Warlord’s Ruin Dungeon and activities like The Coil. But beneath the surface, it’s possible Bungie and Destiny have received a blow that’s impossible to recover from.

We've noted previously the coolness of Destiny 2's upcoming The Witcher 3 crossover content, which features stylish cosmetic armour sets inspired by Geralt of Rivia's own. Available now, we have a trailer showing them in action and are beginning to understand why Bungie is charging such a steep premium.

Sony wants to reach beyond the traditional boundaries of its PlayStation walled garden, and is eager to ensure non-console owners have access to its content. We’ve slowly started to see this strategy in motion: the company has commissioned television and movie adaptations of its biggest franchises, has ported select software to the PC, and has even established a new mobile gaming division.

In a development Bungie could have done without, the Destiny 2 developer has already pulled a contentious $15 starter pack offered in Season of the Wish, which just went live yesterday. The pack provided a pitiful assortment of goods and was marketed towards new players, a combination of things the community vociferously and swiftly pushed back on.

Developers at Destiny 2 studio Bungie are said to be fearful of a «total Sony takeover» following missed revenue targets, layoffs, and product delays, a new IGN report claims. According to sources speaking to the outlet, higher-ups within the studio have hinted the shared power it enjoys with Sony following last year's acquisition may be taken away if financial targets continue to be missed.

The tumultuous saga at Bungie continues, with a new report from IGN claiming the studio may be completely taken over by Sony depending on the performance of June 2024's Destiny 2: The Final Shape. 

Employees at Destiny 2 developer Bungie have said they feel anxious about their current status at the company, following layoffs earlier this year.

Around a month on from a major round of layoffs, Bungie developers have opened up to IGN about low morale within the studio, and the risks that Sony could take away the autonomy of what is currently an independent subsidiary of Sony if they cannot meet financial targets.

Last year, Sony acquired Halo creator and Destiny developer Bungie, but in October, it was hit with mass layoffs. Now, a report from IGN claims that developers within the company fear a Sony takeover and further outsourcing.

Destiny 2 studio Bungie could reportedly lose its independence under Sony if it fails to meet certain financial goals.

Bungie’s position as an independent subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment is reportedly under serious threat.

Bungie made some headlines not too long ago when Sony announced that it would acquire the studio. The company that previously delivered one of the key exclusive franchises for Microsoft with Halo had since transitioned to providing Destiny. However, since being acquired by Sony, Bungie’s situation seems to be dire. There is a new report from IGN that spoke with several developers within the company. Wishing to remain anonymous, we only have reports to provide, and if they are to be believed, Sony could very well take total control of Bungie in the future. 

Back in October Destiny developer Bungie shocked many industry watchers when they enacted a deep round of layoffs, although the move became more understandable when it was revealed Destiny 2 missed its 2022 revenue targets by a whopping 45 percent. Clearly, things are not going that well over at Bungie, but a new report from IGN’s Rebekah Valentine paints an even more dire picture.

One month after a major round of layoffs impacted roughly 100 Bungie employees of 1,200, those remaining at the Destiny developer say the cuts, as well as other cost-cutting measures, came alongside an apparent scramble by studio leadership to avoid a total Sony takeover.

As many Destiny 2 players are sure to be aware, Bungie used the release of Season 23 to push out a hugely important quality-of-life improvement, allowing Guardians to access their Vaults from the Orbit. This, however, was bugged, with the feature being available even after loading into an activity.

EA has laid off an unknown number of employees at UK studio Codemasters to meets its "evolving business needs and priorities."

As you work your way through the In the Shadow of the Mountain quest in Destiny 2, you’ll need to find 10 bones in Warlord’s Ruin. I’ve found all 10 myself, so I can help you get all Hefnd’s Bones in Destiny 2 Warlord’s Ruin.

Bungie’s latest Dungeon for Destiny 2, Warlord’s Ruin, is finally available. You’ll need Lightfall with the Annual Pass or this year’s Dungeon Key to access it. Check out the trailer below to see what’s in store.

Warlord’s Ruin awaits in Destiny 2 . The newest dungeon, and the second of Lightfall, arrives as part of the newSeason of the Wish update that opened up this week.

It’s been a long time coming, but Bungie is finally implementing an in-game fireteam matchmaking system. After getting some hands-on time with Fireteam Finder during its stress test, here’s everything that Bungie has cooked up so far.

Bungie is almost ready to bring Lightfall‘s long-awaited Fireteam Finder feature to Destiny 2. But players can get in on the action a little early, as stress tests have begun rolling out starting today.

Widespread derision from the Destiny 2 community over the contents of a new $15 Starter Pack has led Bungie to remove the pack from the Steam store. 

Bungie has removed new ‘Starter Pack’ DLC for Destiny 2, a day after it was introduced.

When Season of the Wish launched this week for Destiny 2, it was with the Starter Pack, a $15 bundle containing three Exotics, some upgrade materials, cosmetics and Glimmer. After negative feedback from the community, it was pulled. Bungie has issued a statement explaining the same, and it’s not quite what fans are expecting.

Destiny 2 has waved goodbye to one of its most controversial starter packs just a day after the new season begins. 

Bungie has removed their newly bundled Starter Pack for Destiny 2.

Since the release of the Forsaken Expansion, guardians have been holding onto their Thorn hand cannons, while waiting patiently for them to receive some more love from Bungie. Well, our hopes have been answered with a new Exotic Catalyst for the beloved weapon in Destiny 2: Season of the Wish.

Just one day after the launch of Season of the Wish, Bungie has removed a $15 "starter pack" microtransaction for Destiny 2 that quickly became the subject of criticism and backlash over pay-to-win concerns.

Shortly after it released the Starter Pack for Destiny 2, Bungie has now pulled the pack from sale. The company made the decision to pull the Starter Pack from sale due to concerns raised by the Destiny 2 community, which accused the Starter Pack of being a pay-to-win bundle.

Destiny 2's latest microtransaction is a $15 "Starter Pack" full of junk, and players were quick to hammer it on Steam with product tags like "crime," "capitalism," "villain protagonist," and "psychological horror." Not liking the optics on that, it looks like Bungie has had those tags removed.

Destiny 2‘s Season 23 is live, inviting players to investigate Ahamkaras and the lost 15th Wish. While the season revolves around events from the Forsaken expansion’s Last Wish Raid, Destiny isn’t the only popular franchise with a famous Last Wish, as Destiny meets The Witcher series.

Half of the reason why we all play Destiny 2 is because of the fashion which is why it’s big news when new armor sets are revealed early. Not only that, but Dungeons and Raids usually have the coolest-looking armor in the game and Warlord’s Ruin, the new Dungeon, has really mid-looking armor.

Destiny 2’s Season of the Wish lacks Exotic Armor, and while Bungie has good reason to hold back on adding new sets, fans are hungry for more options.

Season of the Wish has arrived in Destiny 2, which means a new bundle is available. No, not the season’s Silver Bundle, but a brand new one – the Starter Pack. It’s aimed at Guardians starting for the first time and costs $15.

Weeks after confirming layoffs that had to be leaked before they acknowledged it, Bungie is once again making frustrating, and head scratching decisions for Destiny 2.

A month after the first rumours came out, Bungie has now confirmed that Destiny 2: The Final Shape has been delayed. The final chapter of the Destiny 2 saga will release on 4th June 2024.

Embracer Group’s restructuring efforts have hit another of the company’s studios. This time, around 50 employees have been let go from Fishlabs, a studio known for Galaxy on Fire and bringing Valheim to Xbox.

Warlord’s Ruin is the second Dungeon for Destiny 2’s Lightfall expansion, and it’s landing during Season of the Wish. While details are scarce, the Dungeon will almost certainly see players delve into a secret cache that Calus put aside.

Imagine the Destiny 2 community's relief when Bungie quietly released a new "Destiny 2 Starter Pack" that only costs $15. Finally, a straightforward and affordable way to jump into a notoriously hard-to-start MMO! Now imagine the community's disappointment upon realizing it's a bunch of junk that only makes the game's position even worse.

Three new Exotics join the Destiny 2 armory with Season of the Wish. That includes one for the season pass, one from the dungeon, and one from a new Exotic mission coming later in December. Thorn, the beloved hand cannon, also got an Exotic Catalyst this season.

The Final Shape may have been delayed once more, but Destiny 2 players still have some new content to play through. Season of the Wish launches today, opening the final season before a change in release model, with new content that will lead into that expansion. Along with the new season, expect a Witcher collaboration, holiday events, and a new dungeon.

On the surface, the adventures of a stoic monster-hunting hero exploring a grim fantasy world of dark magic and ancient lore might have little in common with a game like Destiny 2. But, when you look closer, it’s apparent that Destiny 2 and CD Projekt Red’s long-running The Witcher series have more in common than you might think.

Destiny 2: Season of the Wish is finally here to wrap up one of the game’s oldest stories, and it’s bringing some big improvements along with it.

Season of the Wish, Bungie’s final season for Destiny 2, is now available. It’s the culmination of a story begun since Lightfall, with players returning to the Dreaming City to bargain with Riven, the Ahamkara. Check out the launch trailer below.

With Season of the Wish out today for Bungie’s Destiny 2, it also marks the limited rollout of the Fireteam Finder. This LFG-style system will allow players to seek groups in-game to complete activities like Dungeons, Raids and whatnot. In a new update video, game director Joe Blackburn outlined the team’s approach to the rollout.

After Bungie confirmed that Destiny 2‘s much-anticipated 2024 DLC, The Final Shape, was getting pushed back to early June, the game’s director has decided to add a bit more context. Since Bungie’s been going through a rough patch recently, it shouldn’t be surprising that Joe Blackburn would chime in, too.