Destiny developers reflect on the end of an era: ‘We all worked so hard to maintain the quality bar under unrealistic constraints’

Yesterday, Bungie announced that Destiny 2 is officially over, with its final live service update arriving on June 9. After 10 expansions, 30 seasons, three episodes, and spanning almost a decade, it’s not an understatement to say that it’s the end of an era. The salt in the wound is a report that Bungie isn’t immediately making Destiny 3 and is eyeing potential layoffs.

In light of the Traveler-sized bomb Bungie just dropped, former developers and voice actors alike have shared their experiences working behind the scenes on one of gaming’s biggest franchises.

Joe Blackburn, game director from 2020 until 2024, leaving just before The Final Shape, reflected on his storied history with the series, which started as a player before joining Bungie. “Getting a chance to work in that world is an honor I’ll never fully be able to repay,” Blackburn wrote on X. “Both in and out of game, Destiny 2 forged the core memories that made me who I am today,” closing with a thank you to all of us who “brought the Tower to life every day.”

Similarly, former production director (2022-2024), Catarina Macedo, had this to say: “I’m so proud of being part of its community, and it remains the biggest honor of my career that I got to play a tiny part in building it.”

Joseph Cross, who served as lead concept artist on Destiny before pioneering Marathon’s art direction, shared Pike concept art that’ll have any life-long players in a fugue state of pre-Destiny 1 launch hype. It was “one of the first I did that had a real impact on the project,” he explained, “and it felt amazing to be a part of it all.” I’m a sucker for all this old concept art.

Former senior narrative designer, Robert Brookes, who’s now working on Cyberpunk 2, shared perhaps the most emblematic moment for the community, when Zavala voice actor and player Lance Reddick passed away in 2023.

“I remember when Lance passed away, I logged in to the Tower and found a horde of guardians kneeling by Zavala, others saluting. It was like that from server to server. What a fucking marvelous community. I hope in the game’s final days, fans who still have the spirit show up to say farewell one last time.”

In one of Bungie’s most baffling moves, it laid off a number of Destiny’s beloved composers back in 2023, including Michael Salvatori and Michael Sechrist. While they haven’t shared anything (yet, at least), audio designer Nadia VanDriest recalls how they “learned so much from Skye Lewin, Michael Sechrist, Michael Salvatori, Kory Kruckenberg, Josh Mosser…I was very lucky to work with these legends, and will always be thankful. Bungie changed my life.”

In a follow-up post, they explain that “We all worked so hard to maintain the quality bar under unrealistic constraints. Even though my time at Bungie did not end the way I thought it should’ve, I know we did our best. I’m glad I worked on Destiny 2.”

Todd Haberkorn, one of Destiny’s most passionate voice actors, the one and only Drifter, has cheered all Gambit fiends on (I’m sure you’ve played it at least once): “For every mote you’ve banked and every drop of Vex Milk you’ve poured into your mugs…here’s to you, brothas and sistas.”

“To be a part of such an effort in the video game space is rarified air, indeed. And I’m thankful for not only every production minute but the amazing tales and happy memories fans have shared with me about the game from all over the world.”

And last but not least, Brian Villalobos, who put in an incredible performance as Lodi in the ill-fated Edge of Fate update, shared a nearly eight-minute video dedicated to his role. “Thank you. Destiny was here long, long, long before I got to it. Two years ago, I saw the email, August 6th 2024, and it said ‘here’s the offer’… and I was so excited.

“And as excited as I was, and as much as I knew that I was at the beginning of the journey, I did not and could not have possibly fully imagined the kindness, the warmth, and the incredible welcome. I don’t know if there will ever be another character who means more to me than Lodi has…I love that guy. I love the story that we started.”

Destiny 2 is soon to be over. The future of the franchise—and the legendary studio behind it—looks bleak right now. But it’s hard to reconcile the gratefulness, sadness, and frustration with Destiny’s downfall no matter which side of the curtain you’re on.