Destiny 3 Petition Hits 400,000 Signatures as Bungie Ends Destiny 2: What Happens Now
By OFOKI TECH | July 25, 2026
A petition calling on Sony to greenlight Destiny 3 has surpassed 400,000 signatures. The campaign, launched on Change.org in May 2026, comes after Bungie announced the end of active development for Destiny 2 and confirmed that no Destiny 3 project is currently in production. The situation highlights the tension between one of gaming’s most dedicated fan communities and the financial reality of modern AAA development.
The Petition: Who Started It and Why
The petition was created on May 22, 2026, by a user named Harley Casto on Change.org. It calls on Sony, which acquired Bungie in 2022 for $3.6 billion, to approve development of a third mainline Destiny entry. The petition argues that the franchise has « captivated millions » and that a new installment would « expand the horizons of what is possible within this universe. »
As of July 22, 2026, the petition page on Change.org shows more than 400,000 signatures. Whether all signatures represent unique, verified individuals is unclear, as Change.org does not publicly disclose its verification methodology for every signatory. The petition’s creator explicitly asked supporters not to donate money through the platform, noting that none of those funds would be used to promote the campaign.
The petition’s language is direct. It frames Destiny 3 not as a commercial product but as a cultural necessity for a community that has invested a decade in the franchise. The 400,000-signature milestone places it among the largest gaming-related petitions on Change.org in recent years, though the platform has no mechanism to force a corporate response.
What Bungie Actually Announced
On May 21, 2026, Bungie announced that the final live-service content update for Destiny 2 would arrive on June 9, 2026. The update, titled « Monument of Triumph, » is designed to celebrate player accomplishments and leave characters in what the studio called « interesting places. »
Bungie stated that Destiny 2 will remain playable after the update, similar to how the original Destiny is still accessible today. However, the studio confirmed that active development is concluding. No new seasons, no new expansions, and no new raids will follow Monument of Triumph. The game enters a maintenance mode where servers stay online but the content pipeline stops.
In its announcement, Bungie said it would « begin work incubating our next games » but made no mention of Destiny 3. The statement focused on a « new beginning for Bungie » without specifying what projects would follow. The word « incubating » is notable: it suggests early conceptual work, not active production. Incubation in game development typically involves small teams prototyping ideas without the budget, staffing, or approval required for full-scale development.
The announcement did not address the fate of the Destiny 2 team specifically. It did not say whether artists, designers, or engineers working on Destiny 2 would be reassigned to other projects, laid off, or retained in a support capacity. That silence has fueled speculation within the community.
The Financial Picture: Sony’s Bungie Write-Down
Sony has publicly acknowledged that its Bungie acquisition has not performed as expected. During the fiscal year ending March 31, 2026, Sony reported a 120.1 billion yen impairment loss against Bungie’s assets. That is approximately $765 million written off the value of the studio.
This followed an earlier 31.5 billion yen charge tied to Destiny 2’s underperformance and an additional 88.6 billion yen charge in the fourth quarter. Combined, the financial adjustments signal that Sony’s internal valuation of Bungie has dropped significantly since the 2022 acquisition.
Marathon, Bungie’s extraction shooter released in March 2026, reportedly had a budget exceeding $250 million. Sony CFO Lin Tao said during an investor Q&A that Marathon received a Metacritic score of 82 and that over 90% of Steam player reviews were positive. Tao said Sony aims to improve Marathon’s performance through additional content and gameplay improvements, indicating the studio’s focus will remain on that title for the foreseeable future.
The financial context matters because Destiny 3, if it were to match the scale of Destiny 2, would require a budget likely exceeding $200 million and a development timeline of four to six years. At a time when Sony is cutting costs, raising console prices, and writing down hundreds of millions on the Bungie acquisition, betting on an expensive new live-service project carries substantial risk. Sony has not publicly said it will not fund Destiny 3, but it has not indicated any willingness to do so either.
Why Destiny 3 Appears Unlikely
Multiple factors suggest a Destiny 3 announcement is not imminent.
First, Bloomberg reported that Destiny 3 is not actively in development at Bungie. The studio is reportedly continuing to pitch ideas within the Destiny universe, but none have been approved, and there is no indication that a third numbered entry is among them. Bloomberg cited sources not authorized to speak publicly. Bungie has not confirmed or denied this report.
Second, development costs are a major obstacle. IGN noted that AAA game budgets have ballooned significantly, citing reported figures of over $200 million for titles like The Last of Us Part II and Horizon Forbidden West, and $700 million over the lifecycle of a Call of Duty entry. A Destiny 3 would need to match or exceed the production values of Destiny 2, which itself required years of post-launch support to reach its final form. The economics of live-service games have become less forgiving since Destiny 2 launched in 2017. Studios now face higher player expectations, longer development cycles, and stiffer competition from established live-service titles.
Third, Bungie itself has signaled a different direction. The studio’s statement emphasized « incubating our next games, » plural, rather than committing to a direct Destiny sequel. Sony has explicitly stated it will stick with Marathon as its priority for the Bungie portfolio. The language from both companies points toward diversification, not a return to the franchise that defined Bungie’s last decade.
Fourth, the talent question. Bungie has reportedly lost key personnel since the Sony acquisition. The studio that made Destiny 2 is not the same studio that would make Destiny 3. Rebuilding that institutional knowledge takes time, and time is expensive.
What Fans Want vs. What the Business Allows
The Destiny community is not a casual player base. It is a group that has spent thousands of hours per player, in some cases, across a decade of content. The petition is not just about wanting a new game. It is about wanting closure, continuation, and recognition that the time invested matters.
But the business reality is that player hours do not automatically translate into revenue. Destiny 2’s revenue declined over its final years, and the cost of maintaining the live-service infrastructure remained high. Sony’s write-downs reflect a calculation that the franchise, as currently structured, is not worth what the company paid for it.
The petition asks Sony to ignore that calculation. Whether 400,000 signatures can override hundreds of millions of dollars in losses is the question the community is now facing. Historically, gaming petitions at this scale have rarely resulted in greenlit projects. They have sometimes influenced localization decisions, port requests, or feature additions. A full AAA sequel is a different category of ask.
What Happens to Destiny 2 Now
Destiny 2 will remain online. Bungie has said the game will stay playable, and the Monument of Triumph update is designed to leave the game in a state where players can continue to engage with existing content. But without new seasons, the player population will likely decline over time. The question is how quickly.
Some players will migrate to Marathon, though the two games serve different audiences. Marathon is an extraction shooter. Destiny is a looter-shooter with MMO elements. The overlap is not total. Others will move to competing live-service games like Warframe, The First Descendant, or future titles from other studios.
The Destiny 2 community has already begun organizing archival efforts, preserving lore, recording raid runs, and documenting the game’s history. Whether Bungie or Sony supports those efforts is unclear.
Bottom Line
The Destiny 3 petition reflects genuine fan passion for a franchise that has defined a decade of gaming for millions of players. But passion does not fund development, and the financial and structural realities facing Bungie and Sony do not point toward a third mainline entry.
Destiny 2 will remain playable. The petition will likely continue to gather signatures. Whether either fact influences Sony’s business decisions is a separate question. For now, the Destiny era is ending not with a sequel, but with a final update and an uncertain future for the studio that built it.
Sources
- Bungie.net: Destiny 2: Every End is a New Beginning. Official announcement of final live-service update on June 9, 2026, and shift to new projects.
- IGN: Bungie Walks Away From Destiny 2, Final Content Update Coming in June. Context on Marathon budget, Sony impairment losses, Bloomberg report on lack of Destiny 3 development.
- Dexerto: Destiny 3 petition hits 400k signatures as fans demand sequel from Sony, Bungie. Petition status and creator statement.
- Change.org: Petition Sony to develop Destiny 3. Official petition page, creation date, and signature count.
- Bloomberg (via IGN and GamesRadar citations): Report on Bungie internal situation, absence of Destiny 3 in active development, and unapproved pitching.
- Sony Investor Relations: Financial results for fiscal year ending March 2026, including 120.1 billion yen impairment loss on Bungie assets.