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Bungie plots Destiny 2: The Final Shape overhaul in wake of mass layoffs

By Giovanni Colantonio November 2, 2023

Destiny 2 developer Bungie has broken its silence after laying off around 100 staff members earlier this week. The studio posted a blog update that acknowledged the move and teased a major change in plans for Destiny 2‘s next big DLC, The Final Shape.

On Monday, October 30, Bungie laid off a sizable chunk of its staff in departments including community, QA, audio, and more. According to a report from IGN, Bungie CEO Pete Parsons cited Destiny 2‘s declining performance in 2023 as a cause. A report from Bloomberg noted that Bungie’s upcoming projects were internally delayed as part of the move, with The Final Shape quietly moving to June 2024.

Guardians stand together in Destiny 2: The Final Shape key art. — Bungie

Bungie’s blog post didn’t outright confirm that news, but it did heavily tease it. It acknowledges fans’ disappointment with the game’s last year of content, including its Lightfall DLC, and notes that it wants to exceed expectations with The Final Shape.

“To us the path forward is clear: We need to make The Final Shape an unforgettable Destiny experience,” the post, attributed to the Destiny 2 dev team, writes. “We want to build something that will be regarded alongside the best games we’ve ever made — a fitting culmination that honors the journey we’ve been on together for the past ten years. Forsaken, The Witch Queen, and The Taken King — these are the standard bearers we aim to live up to.”

The post doesn’t exactly clarify what that grand statement means for the DLC’s release date. The post notes that it’ll detail Destiny 2‘s next season in the coming weeks and then focus on sharing Bungie’s “bigger, bolder, and brighter vision” for The Final Shape.

Bungie will have a lot of upset fans to win over when that reveal happens. Some Destiny 2 players have begun refunding their Final Shape pre-orders in response to the layoffs and controversial reports about how they were carried out.

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Giovanni Colantonio

Section Editor, Gaming

Giovanni is a writer and video producer focusing on happenings in the video game industry. He has contributed stories to…

Gaming

Destiny 2: Lightfall fails to deliver its Avengers: Infinity War moment

A titan wielding a grenade launcher in Destiny 2..

The comparison between Destiny 2: Lightfall and Avengers: Infinity War is immediate from the opening moments of Bungie's latest expansion. There is no more exposition to get through; the Witness, a mythical villain that represents the root of the Darkness that Guardians have fought against for close to a decade, is here, and the Traveler who has given our heroes the Light and their god-like abilities is under direct threat. The stakes couldn't be higher, but Lightfall doesn't live up to that moment.

I'm not drawing connections here that shouldn't be made -- the bombastic opening moments of Lightfall call back Infinity War's unrelenting momentum in its first act. The Traveler is under siege in Lightfall and Guardians are dismantled by a flick of the Witness' wrist, echoing the immediate slaughter brought by the hands of Thanos moments before he arrived on Earth. That feeling is the same; our antagonist is here, and there's nowhere else to run. In the final moments of the campaign, a member of my fireteam even exclaimed, "hey, that's a line from Infinity War."

Gaming

Destiny 2: Where is Xur for the weekend of December 30

destinys weekend vendor xur extends stay psnxbox live hacks destiny

Seasoned Destiny 2 players know they can count on the elusive merchant Xur to make an appearance with special exotic items every Friday, but what's not so clear is where you'll be able to find him. Below, you'll find a map with a marker that indicates where Xur is, as well as a list of his wares.

Who is Xur?
If you're new to Destiny 2 and need a bit more information about how this works, you should know that Xur is a special vendor who sells exotic weapons and armor. Each week, he comes to the solar system with a slate of goods, including an exotic weapon and one piece of exotic armor for each character class. As of The Witch Queen, he now stocks legendary armor and weapons and sells additional exotic weapons with random rolls every week.
Where to find Xur (December 30 to January 2)
The trouble with Xur is finding him. We always know when Xur will show up -- at the 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET reset each Friday. The question is where Xur will be. Previously in Destiny 2, Xur’s location was marked on the map. He’s now unmarked and harder to find each weekend. Here’s where to go to track down Xur, the Agent of the Nine, as well as everything you need to know about what he’s offering this week.

Gaming

Destiny 2 Halloween event: details and rewards

Three guardians wearing halloween armor.

It's that spooky time of the year, and what better way to celebrate than with some limited-time events in every Guardian's favorite game? As is the tradition at this point, Destiny 2 is embracing the holiday season with a limited-time event with exclusive themed rewards around the Halloween holiday. The entire tower will be getting a spooky makeover, but the really exciting part is, of course, the special event and rewards you can earn.

Called the Festival of the Lost, this event is technically still part of the current Season of Plunder but is available for all players for free, regardless of what expansions they have or have not purchased. While Bungie hasn't fully outlined all the specifics of how Festival of the Lost will work, there have been some details shared, plus a couple of leaks, to sink our teeth into. If you want to get your Guardian ready for some holiday fun, here's all the information out there on the Destiny 2 Halloween event.