If you haven't heard the news yet, you may not be on the internet much, but live service support too Destiny 2 effectively ends after a final update, Monument of Triumph, on June 9, 2026. To be clear, no one really saw this coming. Those of us who played the game knew about its problems, and even many of those who had never played it and only heard about it were more than aware of it. But something inside us fans always believed that Bungie would pull through and that Destiny 2 would not only survive but actually eventually reach a point where it was consistently excellent rather than just occasionally good.
Of course, this eulogy I deliver for Destiny 2 doesn't seem to make sense to some, as I keep seeing this idea floating around that the game isn't actually shutting down, that it isn't actually dead. Basically, the idea is that since Bungie is keeping it in maintenance mode, and it's still playable, there's no need to mourn it. However, there is a small problem with that line of thinking, as the type of game that Destiny 2 is designed to be and what kind of game it will be after the last update are basically at odds with each other.
Why Destiny 3 isn't a given for Bungie's next game
Destiny 3 may still be possible, but Bungie's next chapter may depend on Marathon finding its footing after Destiny 2's final update arrives soon.
For Live-Service games, playable and live are two very different things
To get to the heart of this debate and settle it once and for all, Destiny 2 must be recognized for what it is: a live service game. For a traditional single player or boxed multiplayer game, being playable can be enough to say it's still alive. Even when those kinds of games stop getting regular updates from developers or a significant portion of their player base moves on, they're still technically alive, fully playable in every way, and even worth revisiting after a while. Ultimately, this comes down to how they are designed, delivered and the experiences they are intended to be.
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Non-live service games are built to be finished products at launch, regardless of whether they launch in a technically unfinished state. At their core, they're designed to offer players a full experience that doesn't rely on ongoing support or an active online community to keep their content in a constant state of relevance, but live service games don't get that luxury. In fact, they live and die under their “live-service” moniker, with the service element as their lifeblood. In other words, when the service ends, they die.
Live service games are designed to constantly give players a reason to come back, so even if everything in the past and present is a closed door, the future is still intentionally open. Sure, a successful single-player game might have expansions or DLC planned for post-launch content in a similar way, but those are made with a clear stopping point in mind – live service games are not.
Metaphorically speaking, a non-live service game is like a cookbook, while a live service game is like a restaurant. A cookbook can sit on a shelf for years and still be exactly what it was designed to be, because its value comes from whatever the user can cook based on the recipes still in it. A restaurant is different. Its value comes from the doors being open, the kitchen running, the staff showing up and people having a reason to come back. Once the kitchen closes, the building may still be there, and people may still have memories attached to it, but it's no longer alive in the way a restaurant should be alive.
Live service games are designed to constantly give players a reason to come back, so even if everything in the past and present is a closed door, the future is still intentionally open.
This is exactly where it is Destiny 2 the debate is starting to fall apart. If Bungie keeps the servers on, players may still be able to walk in the door, but if the service side of the game is over, the kitchen is closed. You could say the metaphorical restaurant, then Destiny 2 will file for bankruptcy on June 9, though its owners are still alive and well. They might just be serving another restaurant at this point or tossing around ideas about opening a new one.
Destiny 2's End of Live-Service Support effectively kills it
Destiny 2 may technically still be playable after the Monument of Triumph update is released, but the definition of “playable” is what's important here. Since the live service game was originally designed to keep players coming back, what happens when they no longer do? What happens to Destiny 2's Crucible and Gambit when matchmaking slows down significantly due to the increasingly shallow pool of players, and those left can't wait? What happens to destinations when they are empty of all but NPCs and enemies? What about strikes, raids and dungeons – all meant to be completed by multiple players?
I will say that I believe Destiny 2 will have a strong player count for quite some time after its last update is released, but it's still not a true sign of life for the game. More than anything, it's a sign that people aren't ready to let it go. But the thing is, they will eventually. As painful as it is for me to admit, it's true. At some point, the new content that Monument of Triumph adds Destiny 2 will become old content, and then, with no new content in front of them to look forward to, players will begin to leave, one by one. They may come back to it again later, driven by the power of nostalgia, but it won't be enough to keep them around for long.
If I could give an exact number for the original Fates currently active players, I would, because I think that would give the best example of what I mean when I say that Destiny 2 will die on June 9. More than likely the number of players is insignificant, and any player jumping back into it with the intention of sticking around for a long time is doing so questionably. That's the unfortunate side of nostalgia. It promises memories that you can never actually get back. The same thing will eventually happen to Destiny 2.
Since the live service game was originally designed to keep players coming back, what happens when they no longer do?
I don't mean to sound heartless when I say that, because I'm a huge fan of Destiny 2a game that has meant so much to me over the years, letting it go is one of the hardest things I've ever had to do in gaming. I'll be sure to be one of those logging in on June 9th for one last hurray, and I might even play it for a few weeks after that. But I have no faith that it will hold my interests much longer than that. It's already hard enough to no longer have many friends to enjoy it with, and for the world of it Destiny 2 about to get even lonelier, I'm sure I'll log out with everyone else.
So, call Destiny 2 “death” isn't quite as dramatic as some make it out to be. It is simply an acknowledgment of what Destiny 2 has always been. This was a game built around the promise of what comes next, and when that promise is gone, the experience fundamentally changes. Bungie can keep the doors unlocked, and players can keep going through them for years, but the service that did it Destiny 2 feeling alive will have ended. For a game like this, it's the end.
- Released
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August 28, 2017
- ESRB
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T For TEEN for blood, language and violence
