Bungie rejects subscription in Destiny 2 and faces new internal crisis

Tensions within Bungie continue to escalate amid the development of Marathon, the studio's new project scheduled for September 23, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC. The latest revelation, made by journalist Destin Legarie, suggests that company executives had proposed turning Destiny 2 into a game with a monthly subscription model, a proposal that was "vehemently rejected" by part of the team.

The attempt at recurring monetization comes in a delicate context. Since its acquisition by Sony in 2022, Bungie has faced multiple episodes of public and internal turmoil. The most recent crisis involves accusations of plagiarism made by Scottish artist Fern '4nt1r34l' Hook, who identified the unauthorized use of her art in the alpha version of Marathon. Bungie itself acknowledged the incident, blaming a former employee and promising a complete review of the game's art direction.

In addition to the plagiarism case, allegations of a toxic work environment have also been brought to light. One of the most controversial points was the alleged plan by canceling free cosmetic rewards in Destiny 2, fearing that this would impact the performance of microtransactions — currently one of the game's biggest revenue sources.

"Everything that is happening with Bungie is due to greed," said a former employee to the journalist. 
Another former collaborator stated: "The only way out is to be fully incorporated into PlayStation. It's the way to go."

The proposal of a recurring subscription for Destiny 2, if implemented, would have drastically altered the game's structure, which already adopts a model of paid seasonal content, annual expansions, and the sale of premium cosmetics. The game, originally released in 2017, has undergone several overhauls — including the transition to free-to-play in 2019, when it was relaunched as Destiny 2: New Light.

For now, Bungie states that Marathon will be a "premium product", without detailing the final cost or monetization plans. The community's expectation is that the company will be more transparent in its next official presentation, which may take place during the summer events of Sony Interactive Entertainment.

With unpopular corporate decisions, public allegations, and uncertainties regarding its upcoming releases, Bungie faces a moment that could define the course of its creative — and financial — future in the current generation.