Bungie announces split from Activision Eurogamer.net If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy. Bungie announces split from Activision Will assume full rights and responsibilities for Destiny franchise. News by Matt Wales Reporter Updated on 11 Jan 2019 174 comments Bungie has announced that it's parting ways with Activision, eight years after the companies began working together. The move will see Bungie assuming "full publishing rights and responsibilities for the Destiny franchise". Bungie and Activision initially joined forces in April 2010, when the two companies announced a 10-year publishing deal. That would eventually lead to the release of Destiny in 2014, and its sequel, Destiny 2, in 2017. The terms of its deal with Activision saw Bungie keeping ownership of the Destiny IP, while Activision owned full publishing rights. In a statement released today, however, Activision confirmed that, "we're announcing plans for Bungie to assume full publishing rights and responsibilities for the Destiny franchise. Going forward, Bungie will own and develop the franchise, and Activision will increase its focus on owned IP and other projects." Thank you Guardians. It's been an honor and a privilege to help bring the world of Destiny to life for you. pic.twitter.com/EB1y19OTD8- Activision (@Activision) January 10, 2019 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings In a separate statement to its community, Bungie wrote, "We have enjoyed a successful eight-year run and would like to thank Activision for their partnership on Destiny. Looking ahead, we're excited to announce plans for Activision to transfer publishing rights for Destiny to Bungie." The studio noted that the early stages of the planned transition process are "already underway", with both parties pledging to make the handover "as seamless as possible". Additionally, Blizzard says that Destiny 2 will continue to be fully supported on BattleNet, and that it does "not anticipate any disruption to our services or your gameplay experience". Destiny 2 will still receive full support on BattleNet and we do not anticipate any disruption to our services or your gameplay experience. https://t.co/FFOE1iae3R- Blizzard CS - The Americas (@BlizzardCS) January 10, 2019 To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Manage cookie settings While today's news is certainly a surprise, given Activision and Bungie's 10-year deal, there've been hints of tensions regarding Destiny in recent times. In an earnings call last year, Activision noted that Destiny 2 was "not performing as well as we'd like, and we're working to accelerate the pace of live operations innovation and improve the speed with which we release new content to keep our players engaged and to provide new opportunities for monetisation." Indeed, Bungie has been engaged in something of an aggressive release schedule while under Activision's watchful eye. The original Destiny saw two medium-sized DLCs followed by major expansions in 2015 and 2016. Destiny 2, meanwhile, has seen two DLCs and other smaller updates since launch in 2017. Concluding its statement, Bungie told fans that, "With Forsaken, we've learned, and listened, and leaned in to what we believe our players want from a great Destiny experience. Rest assured there is more of that on the way... We know self-publishing won't be easy; there's still much for us to learn as we grow as an independent, global studio, but we see unbounded opportunities and potential in Destiny. We know that new adventures await us all on new worlds filled with mystery, adventure, and hope. We hope you'll join us there." Become a Eurogamer subscriber and get your first month for £1 Get your first month for £1 (normally £3.99) when you buy a Standard Eurogamer subscription. Enjoy ad-free browsing, merch discounts, our monthly letter from the editor, and show your support with a supporter-exclusive comment flair! Support us View supporter archive More News Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Modder dives into Demon's Souls files following PS5 jailbreak, discovers fabled Ring of the Chieftain Who knows what's nexus? 4 Google announces cloud gaming Chromebooks less than a fortnight after Stadia shutdown GeForce Now preinstalled. 11 Latest Articles Digital Foundry Sennheiser's legendary HD 599 open-back headphones are just £70 at Amazon in the Prime Early Access Sale Comfortable with neutral sound and a wide sound stage. Preview Football Manager's new Console edition is the best you'll get without a PC Getting Touch-right. 1 Splatoon 3 Amiibos will be out next month Ink-coming! 3 Fans think Phil Spencer's shelf is teasing the Xbox Game Pass streaming box UPDATE: Xbox confirms old Keystone prototype. 61 Supporters Only Premium only Off Topic: Take a minute to appreciate Cookin' with Coolio's incredible scallops recipe. What a great book. Premium only Off Topic: Reading City of Glass in comic form "Where exactly am I going?" Premium only Off Topic: Il Buco is a transporting film about a really big hole Underlands. Off-Topic Netflix handled Sandman brilliantly It was Dreamy. 9 Buy things with globes on them And other lovely Eurogamer merch in our official store! Explore our store