‘Bungie Would Have Shut Down Without Sony Acquisition,’ Says Former Employee Amid Destiny 2’s Rocky Finale

Former Bungie community manager Liana Ruppert has revealed that Bungie was “very close” to shutting down before its 2022 acquisition by Sony, stating, “It was an emergency acquisition” as Destiny 2 faced financial peril before Sony stepped in with its $3.6 billion deal.

The demise of Destiny 2 has sparked debate about Sony’s role in the sci-fi shooter’s end, but direct comments from former Bungie insiders show the studio’s challenges predated the buyout. As Destiny 2 winds down following its final update and noticeably increased player numbers, fans have criticised Sony for refusing further investment in the game. However, according to Liana Ruppert, Bungie’s former community manager, “Bungie was below the red line before the Sony acquisition,” and only a timely sale kept the studio afloat.

Bungie’s Financial Crisis and the Sony Deal

Ruppert addressed blame towards Sony in a public statement on X, replying to claims the company was entirely responsible for Destiny 2’s closure: “Wasn’t Sony though, this fight was pre-Sony,” she posted. She expanded, stating: “Bungie was below the red line before the Sony acquisition. If it wasn’t acquired right then, the studio was very close to shutting its doors at the very least on Destiny. It was an emergency acquisition.”

Sony’s $3.6 billion purchase of Bungie in July 2022 was initially seen as a lifeline for Destiny 2, aiming to support and expand Bungie’s roster of live service titles. The deal arrived after persistent internal struggles at Bungie, which included multiple staff layoffs, aggressive shifts in monetisation strategy, and adjustments to its content release schedule, all pointing to larger issues with the studio’s business model.

Layoffs, Impairments, and Destiny 2’s Last Stand

Ongoing financial instability at Bungie became public in early 2026, when Sony disclosed a $765 million impairment loss tied to Bungie, citing disappointing performance from both Destiny 2 and the in-development extraction shooter Marathon. These losses prompted multiple rounds of layoffs at Bungie, reflecting deeper structural problems facing its flagship live service project. Despite this, Bungie shifted resources to Marathon, a move that frustrated Destiny 2 players at a time when player numbers reached a multi-year peak following the release of the Monument of Triumph update.

Sony and Bungie have repeatedly stated a commitment to Marathon, but for Destiny 2’s community, that shift represents a painful end to a live service title that, even in its twilight, drew players back in record numbers. Despite speculation over who pulled the plug, the “emergency” acquisition narrative outlined by former management clarifies that Bungie’s struggles were systemic long before Sony’s influence.

With no detailed financial data made public beyond the impairment write-down, the full picture remains elusive. Only Bungie and Sony hold the definitive reasons for ending support for Destiny 2 at its apparent high point, though the public record now reflects that without Sony’s intervention, Bungie may have faced closure as early as 2022.

The question of responsibility for Destiny 2’s fate now sits between the facts of Bungie’s dire pre-acquisition finances and strategic choices shaped by live service risks. As the studio doubles down on Marathon, the unprecedented transparency from Ruppert confirms a reality many suspected: Destiny 2 was already close to game-over before Sony stepped in.