Microsoft Gaming and Xbox boss Phil Spencer disclosed that Bungie's seminal online shooter Destiny could have been an Xbox console exclusive during a panel at PAX West 2024.
Speaking during a "Story Time with Phil Spencer" session hosted by Penny Arcade, Spencer said that when Bungie first pitched the idea for Destiny after parting ways with Microsoft, Xbox had the opportunity to sign on as the game's publisher. However, the company ultimately passed on the proposal.
"Getting the pitch for Destiny, on do we want to sign this, we ended up not signing Destiny," Spencer told the crowd. This decision allowed Bungie to seek a publishing partner elsewhere, leading them to sign a major deal with Activision to bring Destiny to PlayStation and other platforms.
"I obviously went with Activision [for Destiny] and to see what it grew into like from a business kind of Xbox standpoint I can look at it and I can it's just a really interesting journey in terms of what they built."
Spencer didn't provide any specifics about why Microsoft declined the chance to back Destiny. But the game went on to become a hugely popular franchise, spawning numerous expansions and a sequel. It established Bungie's new vision outside of the Halo universe and helped define a new genre of online shooters.
In other news, an unspecified number of Bungie staff were laid off last year. This includes delaying the release of future projects. After this layoff, Bungie delayed the Destiny 2 expansion The Final Shape until June 2, 2024.
In addition, the next major title - a reboot of the older sci-fi shooter series Marathon - has also reportedly been delayed. Although the game did not have a confirmed release date, it has reportedly been pushed back to sometime in 2025.
You can watch the full interview below:
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