The looter-shooter is not dead after all. Following an official announcement that Bungie would resume work on ‘Destiny 2’, the developer just released a brand-new update. Previously, Bungie announced the game’s death on May 21 of this year. The studio subsequently released the “Monument of Triumph” update on June 9. That release marked the end of live service, leaving the game online but abandoned. However, fans fought back, and Destiny 2 now has a second life.
Yesterday, out of nowhere, Bungie dropped Update 9.7.0.5. While primarily a back-end patch, it marks the first sign of life since the game went radio silent.
Destiny 2 Update Patch 9.7.0.5 Tackles Exploiters
According to the official patch notes from the Destiny 2 Dev Team, Update 9.7.0.5 specifically targets cheaters. Recently, exploiters found ways to spam other players with unearned rewards and massive XP gains.
Bungie updated the back-end code to fix this issue immediately. Furthermore, the studio is actively banning accounts that leveraged these cheats maliciously. Innocent players who indirectly received these benefits will not face punishment. Additionally, Bungie urges players to report any suspected cheating through their official support channels.
Fan Protests Save the Game
This sudden revival directly stems from intense community pushback. When Sony and Bungie seemingly set the game’s fate in stone, fans rallied aggressively. Disgruntled players recently took over a Sony State of Play event with ‘Destiny 3’ demands and disc boycotts. Furthermore, fans organized two massive “server slam” events to artificially inflate player numbers in protest. Finally, an official Destiny 3 petition amassed over 410,000 unique signatures.
The protests worked. Staff dismissed wild rumors regarding a studio shutdown or a ‘Marathon’ merger. Instead, Bungie Studio Head Poria Torkan and Marathon General Manager Josh Deane published a post titled “The Next Chapter for Bungie”.
The Next Chapter for Bungie
In that pivotal post, leadership confirmed a massive shift. Bungie will unvault all previously removed content and add it back to Destiny 2 entirely for free. The executives promised this move marks the start of a new era, committing the studio to making more Destiny.
The studio is already making structural changes to support this transition. On October 19, the official Bungie Store will shut down. Bungie plans to create a brand-new home for both studio and Destiny 2 merchandise. For now, Update 9.7.0.5 is a small step, but it signals a massive victory for a dedicated fanbase.
