Bungie didn't make the new Destiny mobile game

The Destiny mobile game is real, but Bungie didn't actually develop it.

2

Back in 2018, Chinese mobile gaming juggernaut NetEase injected $100 million into Bungie to fund the studio's "bold vision." Now we know what the investment was for--NetEase was licensing the Destiny franchise for a mobile game.

Today, NetEase announced Destiny: Rising, a new mobile shooter RPG set in Bungie's landmark sci-fi universe. Rising doesn't take place in any known timeline, though, and will have its own characters, timeline and story. Pre-registrations are now open.

"Developed and published by NetEase Games, and officially licensed by Bungie, creators of the Destiny franchise, Destiny: Rising delivers a brand-new adventure set in an alternate Destiny timeline, exploring a narrative in the post-Dark Age era. Featuring a diverse roster of characters, each with unique abilities and stories, Destiny: Rising offers players dynamic and challenging single, co-op, and competitive multiplayer gameplay, including beloved game modes familiar to Destiny players, and all-new modes that introduce new ways to play Destiny."

Destiny: Rising's new announcement trailer also reiterates that the game wasn't made by Bungie:

"Destiny Rising is being developed and published by NetEase Games. The game, and its characters, items, and events are under license of Bungie, Inc."

Given NetEase's pedigree and understanding of the mobile games market, it's possible that Destiny: Rising could be a major boon for everyone involved, including Bungie and its own owner, Sony Interactive Entertainment.

NetEase's involvement with Diablo Immortal helped the game deliver incredible microtransaction revenues for Blizzard, which in turn was a major driver for Activision's overall mobile success. In 2022, the same year that Diablo Immortal had released, Activision earned more money from mobile than PC and console combined.