According to KitGuru.net, Destiny 2 director Tyson Green admitted in an IGN interview that the Edge of Fate expansion failed to meet both internal and player expectations. The expansion launched after The Final Shape’s story conclusion and was intended to kick off a new saga focused on The Nine. However, Green acknowledged the transition to this new era was “not gracefully managed” and led to a “big” drop in player population immediately after The Final Shape. Interestingly, he revealed this player exodus “wasn’t the plan from the business perspective” despite The Final Shape providing a satisfying story conclusion. Bungie still wants to keep making Destiny and has “many stories to tell” in the universe. The company now faces the challenge of rebuilding player trust and engagement.
The Post-Final Shape Struggle
Here’s the thing about live service games – they’re built on momentum. The Final Shape basically served as Destiny‘s version of Avengers: Endgame, wrapping up a decade-long storyline. Players got closure, celebrated, and then… left. And who can blame them? When you finish a massive story, the natural instinct is to take a break.
But Bungie’s business model doesn’t really allow for breaks. They need consistent engagement to keep the lights on. So when players treated The Final Shape like an actual conclusion rather than just another chapter, it created this fundamental mismatch between player expectations and business needs. The Edge of Fate was supposed to be the exciting new beginning, but it landed with a thud.
Hard Lessons About Listening
What’s actually encouraging here is Green’s candor. He didn’t try to spin this as “players just don’t get it” or blame external factors. Instead, he acknowledged they’ve been taught “a bunch of hard lessons about what our players want.” His distinction between live games that listen to players and those that don’t is telling – and honestly, refreshing.
Destiny’s been through this cycle before. Remember the content droughts of Year 1? The communication breakdowns around sunsetting? The game survives these rough patches when Bungie actually listens and adapts. The question is whether they can apply those lessons fast enough.
Renegades: Desperation or Innovation?
Now we’re getting Star Wars in Destiny next week with the Renegades expansion. Guardians with lightsabers? It sounds like fan fiction, but honestly, after Edge of Fate’s failure, maybe this kind of bold swing is exactly what Destiny needs. Using The Nine as the narrative glue for this crossover actually makes sense within Destiny’s lore.
But here’s my concern: does this feel like a creative masterstroke or a desperate attempt to recapture attention? Crossovers can work brilliantly when they feel organic, but they can also come across as gimmicky. The success will depend entirely on execution. If Bungie’s writers have truly woven these universes together seamlessly, it could be the shot in the arm Destiny needs. If not… well, let’s just say the stakes are incredibly high.
What’s Next for Destiny?
Green’s admission feels like a turning point. The “we know we messed up” phase often precedes meaningful change in live games. But acknowledging problems is the easy part – fixing them is where the real work begins.
The Destiny community has shown incredible resilience over the years, weathering content droughts, controversial systems, and narrative missteps. But patience isn’t infinite. Renegades needs to demonstrate that Bungie has truly learned from Edge of Fate’s failures. It needs to feel fresh while still honoring what makes Destiny special.
Basically, the next few weeks will determine whether Destiny can bounce back or if we’re watching the beginning of the end for a gaming institution. For players who want to support quality gaming content, platforms like Patreon offer direct ways to back creators who cover these industry shifts with depth and insight.
