Hot take: Destiny 2 proves that Destiny 3 is NOT the answer.

The classic Destiny formula is starting to dull, because the core gameplay loop has barely changed since 2014: Run activity > get loot > optimize build > repeat the same activities a little faster.

Bungie has already implemented a ton of “D3-level” changes inside Destiny 2 itself. Since subclass 3.0 we’ve gotten:
- buildcrafting overhauls
- weapon crafting
- armor and mod reworks
- weapon sandbox overhauls
- in-game loadouts
- in-game LFG
- Strand
- Prismatic

At this point we’ve already ticked off most of the old D3 wishlist items, and our modern Destiny is far more advanced than early Destiny ever was.

And yet, despite all of that, D2 still struggles to retain the audience it once had. The problem is deeper than outdated systems, because the whole franchise has been running into existential issues:
- content cadence fatigue
- seasonal fatigue
- loot fatigue
- familiarity fatigue
- even universe fatigue

At this point, in order to be a true success, a Destiny 3 would need to evolve so far beyond the current formula that it would barely resemble a traditional Destiny sequel anymore. If D3 is just “D2 but reset again,” even if it had some new stuff like more MMO elements, people are gonna burn out even faster.

Personally, I think the only way Bungie could get away with the same core loop again is through a “Destiny Classic” approach. But a true Destiny sequel would need to fundamentally reinvent the structure of the game itself, not just modernize systems again. New setting. New story. New class structure. New art direction. New gameplay loops.

And at that point, is it even Destiny anymore?

Ironically, Marathon probably could have been the project that solved a lot of those problems by giving Bungie a fresh structure entirely. But its probably far too late for that, because the scope was too damn narrow, regardless of how well made it was.