Former Bungie Attorney Commends Sony for “Mandating” Significant Changes in Destiny 2 Development

Following the announcement regarding significant transformations in how Destiny 2 will manage future expansions and its overall approachability, a former legal expert from Bungie endorsed the changes and commended Sony’s management of the studio post-acquisition.

Don McGowan, who served as Bungie’s General Counsel for three years until his layoff in November 2023, expressed his support for Sony in a LinkedIn post that references a Kotaku article.

“As much as it pains me to admit, it seems that Sony’s imposition of some discipline on my former colleagues may have compelled them to address the issues within their game,” McGowan remarked, elaborating on the problems encountered during his tenure at Bungie.

A screenshot from the game Destiny 2 — Bungie

Destiny 2 is undergoing significant changes to its annual release calendar

“To clarify: I’m not referring to the layoffs; I’m talking about prompting them to shift focus toward essential aspects such as: developing methods for new player acquisition; less focus on fan service exclusive to the Bungie C-suite; and managing the game as an actual business,” he stated.

Bungie explicitly addressed Destiny 2’s accessibility challenges in a blog post commemorating the series’ 10th anniversary, outlining future plans for the title. In this post, director Tyson Green acknowledged that players “practically need a PhD” to navigate the plethora of activities and promised enhancements to make the game more user-friendly, commencing with a modernization of the user interface.

McGowan further criticized certain “egos” within Bungie’s leadership who sought to “pretend that ‘nothing would change’” following Sony’s acquisition of the studio for $3.6 billion in 2022.

“I distinctly recall sitting there during the negotiations and asking, ‘Do you believe Sony sees this as them spending $3.6 billion to gain zero influence over Bungie’s operations?’ That was precisely the sentiment shared by many,” he shared.

The legal expert concluded his observations by stating, “The modifications outlined in this article are essential for managing a franchise, not merely for maintaining the game you and your friends have perfected or to pursue fleeting trends.”

In addition to improving accessibility, Bungie has also announced a revamped approach to content releases for Destiny 2, following the closure of a significant chapter with The Final Shape in June 2024. Instead of one large annual expansion, players can expect two “medium-sized expansions” annually, along with four major free updates.

The new release framework for Destiny 2 will launch with the Apollo expansion in the summer of 2025.

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