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Bungie bosses pitched Destiny 2 subscription fee as ex employees lambast leadership

Ex-Bungie employees have commented on struggles facing the company following accusations of plagiarism for Marathon and big changes behind the scenes of Destiny 2

[Destiny 2's Edge of Fate]

Destiny 2's Edge of Fate is just a couple of months away

Destiny 2 developer Bungie can't catch a break at present. Shortly after revealing a series of expansions for the game, its other project, a Marathon reboot, was hit by plagiarism accusations that have sent the historic studio scrambling to remove stolen art assets just months before launch.

While owner Sony has reportedly set a high target for Marathon, the furore surrounding the game has seen former developers speak out about Bungie leadership and decisions made in recent years.

Now, it's been suggested that Bungie leadership had pitched a subscription model for Destiny 2 which was "vehemently shot down" by the development team.

Bungie under fire from ex-employees

Shared by Destin Legarie, former employees at the studio have suggested that there is a "toxic work culture" that involves "humiliation, HR working in their own best interest, and leadership mismanagement".

With Destiny 2 having been around since 2017, with regular seasonal updates and annual expansions, leadership reportedly considered a subscription model that was shut down down "vehemently" by developers on the game.

Legarie's video paints a picture of Bungie leadership doing its best to squeeze every penny out of Destiny 2, even going so far as to complain that one in-game armour set would be "too attractive with its glow effect" and might stop players from spending real money on cosmetics.

[Destiny 2 Edge of Fate]

Expect to learn a lot about The Nine in Edge of Fate

Another employee said staff were "scolded" about monetising the game, while another said "everything happening to Bungie is because of greed".

Forbes reported over the weekend that "Morale is in 'free-fall at the studio, with staff concerned the Marathon plagiarism concerns could spell the end for Bungie's autonomy.

One former developer at the studio reportedly told Legarie that Bungie becoming a part of PlayStation would be "the path forward" for the studio previously owned by Microsoft.

Destiny 2's next expansion, Edge of Fate, is planned for July 2025, while its successor, Renegades, will bring a Star Wars inspired aesthetic in December.

Bungie has committed to two mid-sized seasonal expansions each year, with sizeable free patches in between, instead of launching a large DLC and multiple seasons.

We've reached out to Bungie for comment for this story.

For more on Destiny, check out our hands-on with the latest Sprayground backpack collab,

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