Bungie may still have big plans in place for Destiny, but the studio is hoping to spread its wings with new gaming franchises in the years to come. It's no secret that Bungie has had its hands full with several major moves in recent months. The biggest changeup was the split from Activision earlier this year in order to pursue self-publishing initiatives. Fortunately for Bungie, the developer retained the Destiny property in that divorce.
In the months since, it was confirmed that Destiny 2 will be part of Google Stadia Pro–Google's mothly game streaming subcription service. Support for Destiny 2 is ongoing as well, with the latest expansion, Shadowkeep, dropping on October 1st. Many thought that, eventually, Bungie would continue the series with a Destiny 3, but it looks as if bigger plans may be in place for additional the developer.
During a recent discussion between IGN and Bungie CEO Pete Parson, the former confirmed that Bungie would like to "have other franchises within the marketplace." Parsons admitted that “We need to build our publishing group, but part of our vision is also to become a multi-franchise entertainment company.” Those are some grandiose plans for a studio-turning-publisher, but if anyone can do it then it's Bungie.
So, the attention now shifts to what else Bungie could have up its sleeve for the coming years. One of the more obvious choices would be Matter, a game that Bungie filed a trademark for in Europe last year. That doesn't really shed any light on what the game could be, given that it's just a trademark for a name. Still, it's a sign that Bungie has been thinking outside of Destiny even prior to the split with Activision. It'll be interesting to see where Matter leads, if it goes anywhere at all.
Those that are concerned about the future of Destiny shouldn't be either. In the same discussion where Parsons revealed that the company plans on expanding its library of franchises, he also stated that Bungie is on "a pretty specific path to make sure we transform Destiny." There are plenty of improvements and additions that can be made to help keep things fresh within the universe. It's safe to say that Bungie will do right by fans whatever happens.
It'll be really interesting to see how Destiny evolves in the years to come. More importantly, it's going to be great to see what Bungie can do when it has the freedom to innovate as a publisher.
Source: IGN - YouTube