Destiny 3 is supposedly in development. But can the loot shooter become a success? MeinMMO editor Dariusz Müller has taken a closer look at this.
Leakers report that Destiny 3 is in an early phase of development. However, the situation for its predecessor is dire, including constantly falling player numbers and a multitude of self-created problems. Many fans wonder whether Destiny 3 can actually become a success under these circumstances or if it is doomed to fail.
I have therefore asked myself three questions:
- What will it be in the best case?
- What will it be in the worst case?
- What is the realistic case?
One of these three scenarios will probably await us at the release of Destiny 3. Let’s take a look at how the state of the game could look in each case.
The best case – Learning from mistakes
Bungie has already proven in the past that they can make games that are well received. We can probably agree that one can really have fun with Destiny and Destiny 2 – or could. If long-time players are upset about the current state and are dissatisfied, it’s mainly because they once had a lot of fun with the game and want to get that old feeling back. The feeling that existed before Bungie worked against the will of the community with specific decisions.
An example would be the introduction of the portal system as a hub for starting activities. What initially sounded cool did not go over well in final implementation. Worse, however, was that it was not an additional alternative to the old system but completely replaced it. Many players complained that with Paragon the perfect system for farming was simply removed.
And Marathon also has gameplay aspects that are not bad – even if the game has been less my thing so far and there is still much room for improvement. But during the alpha test in 2025, the gunplay was good, the movement okay, and there was an interesting system that brings additional tactical depth to the gameplay.
Destiny 3 is Chance for Bungie to learn from the mistakes of Destiny 2 and regain players’ trust with a fresh start. However, Bungie must closely evaluate what the community likes and what it does not, and ideally take community feedback into account during development.
Battlefield 6 as a possible model
EA has provided the perfect template with Battlefield 6 and the Battlefield Labs. The labs are a testing environment created and provided before the release of the shooter, allowing longtime players to test the game before launch and provide feedback.
As a result, Battlefield 6 avoided many mistakes that were made with Battlefield 2042. It is not a perfect game, and longtime fans have especially criticized it (for example, concerning the maps), but at launch, there was a mostly positive atmosphere and high player numbers. Most players had and have a lot of fun with the shooter. The Battlefield Labs were a success.
Bungie MUST take this as a model and involve veteran Guardians early in feedback loops. If they manage to implement the feedback properly, Destiny 3 can become really good – and a lifeline for the ailing franchise.
The worst case – A game that fans do not want to play
For the worst-case scenario, there are various scenarios. Sony could, for example, prematurely cancel the development of Destiny 3 and take drastic action against Bungie if the upcoming expansions for Destiny 2 do not resonate and Marathon actually becomes the expected flop.
Somewhat less severe, but still very serious: Destiny 3 will be a game that has not learned from past mistakes.
When Destiny 3 arrives, most of the game needs to be good, as fans have been EXTREMELY critical for years. They also find small “mistakes” and point them out clearly. The worst that can happen to Destiny 3, aside from an early cancellation of development, is the repetition of old mistakes:
- Content vault and recycled content: Old DLC content from Destiny 2, for which players paid, has ended up in the content vault and was never playable again – unless recycled as “new” content. Destiny 3 must offer real innovations. If recycled content from Destiny 1 or 2 becomes the foundation of Destiny 3, players will rain down criticism.
- Monetization: The monetization of Destiny 2 has long been a point of criticism. There are expensive skins, various currencies, and paid DLCs. If the quality of the content doesn’t matter, players feel “ripped off” and even small inconsistencies then greatly affect players’ willingness to buy.
Big mistakes must absolutely be avoided. Renewed plagiarism errors or game content that was developed completely outside of the community’s interest can be the nail in the coffin for Destiny and Bungie.
The realistic case – Neither perfect nor a total failure
We have looked at the best and worst cases. But what is realistic? Probably something in between.
Destiny 3 has good prospects of not being a fundamentally bad game. But measured against the recent developments of Destiny 2, Destiny 3 might, for example, forgo a feature or mechanic that many players like from Destiny 2. Instead, a system that is broken or poorly received might be implemented – let’s remember the chopping of Paragon and the introduction of the portal. Or the drastic lowering of the power level.
The community will seize upon these seemingly minor errors in hundreds of social media posts, creating a negative atmosphere around a fundamentally solid game. The result:
A loot shooter that can be especially fun for new players, but is not perfect.
Yes, there will be problems. Yes, you longtime players won’t like everything, and some may finally turn away from the franchise. But if Destiny 3 manages to attract many players – whether new or old – and provide them with a nice time for a few weeks, then the game has a foundation that Bungie can work with in the following months and years.
Among you MeinMMO readers, some still have hope in the brand and believe that Destiny 3 can become a good game and can achieve a lot in the MMO market with Sony’s resources. But you all agree that one must first wait for the release of Marathon and Sony’s subsequent reaction. The extraction shooter could change everything for Bungie.
I closely examined the situation of Bungie and Marathon in May 2025 and asked myself how much patience Sony still has with Bungie. If you want to read more about the topic, you can find the analysis here on MeinMMO: The latest game from Bungie has no chance of success; now the question is: How much patience does Sony still have with the developer of Destiny?
