Sony plans to buy Bungie for $3.6 billion, but Destiny and future Bungie games will not be PlayStation exclusive.
Soon Bungie will be owned by Sony. Unlike Microsoft's Activision-Blizzard and ZeniMax buyouts, the Sony x Bungie acquisition wasn't about securing exclusives.
This deal is similar to how Tencent operates studios with a hands-off approach; Sony is transitioning from a platform holder to a service holder. Live services thrive on access and exclusivity only restricts engagement.
In a recent Bungie.net FAQ post, the developers confirm that Destiny 2 and its upcoming content will not be PlayStation exclusive. Future projects will also be released "anywhere people play games."
Here's what Bungie said:
- Our commitment to Destiny 2 as a multi-platform game with full Cross Play remains unchanged.
- We want to maintain the same great experience you already have on your platform of choice.
- Our plans for the Light and Dark Saga are unchanged, all the way through The Final Shape in 2024.
- Bungie's commitment to cross-platform play and social features remains unchanged. We believe games are best shared with friends, wherever they choose to play, and will continue to invest in new features and platforms.
- We want the worlds we are creating to extend to anywhere people play games. We will continue to be self-published, creatively independent, and we will continue to drive one, unified Bungie community.
"They will remain independent and multi-platform, will enjoy creative freedom, and their track record in developing massively successful franchises in the sci-fi shooter genre will be highly complementary to SIE's own IP portfolio," SIE president Jim Ryan said.