As Bungie announced that Destiny 2‘s 9-year run is ending, long-time players have spent the last few weeks directing their frustration toward Sony. Fans suggested that Destiny 2‘s last update could have been a turning point if Sony had allowed the studio to continue supporting the game. In response, however, a former Bungie staff member argued that the studio’s troubles have been ongoing ‘pre-Sony.’
“Bungie was below the red line before the Sony acquisition. If it wasn’t acquired right then, the studio was very close to shutting its doors at the very least on Destiny,” wrote Bungie’s former community manager and accessibility co-lead Liana Ruppert on X. “It was an emergency acquisition.”
Sony spent $3.6 billion acquiring Bungie back in 2022, and was often seen as a knee-jerk response to Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard buyout. But rather than inheriting a thriving live-service powerhouse to compete, Sony may have acquired a studio that was already sinking.
The company’s May 2026 financial report also suggests Bungie has struggled to live up to expectations since the acquisition. Sony revealed it had to cut the studio’s value by 120.1 billion yen (around $765 million) following Destiny 2‘s disappointing performance. By that point, Sony had wiped away more than 20% of the $3.6 billion it paid to acquire Bungie.
Considering that, not everyone is convinced by Rupert’s statement. Some fans questioned the PlayStation maker’s decision to purchase a struggling studio at such a massive price tag. “I’m pretty sure if it was an emergency acquisition they would have gotten a better price…” wrote @Seanlafs. @JustPlainSi added, “why on earth did they pay 3.6 Billion?” @CacheIsTrash also asked, “Why would Sony pay that much for a company ‘below the red line’?”
If Ruppert’s claim is accurate, then Destiny‘s fate may have been sealed long before players ever knew there was a problem. Sony’s buyout might not have saved the series for much longer, but it may have bought it a few more years to give players a proper sendoff.
