Is Destiny 3 next after The Final Shape? Reports paint bleak picture

Is Destiny 3 actually in the works or has the sequel been canceled? Various leaks and subtle developer comments paint a murky picture, but here’s the full rundown on everything we know.

When Destiny first hit store shelves a full decade ago, few could have expected Bungie’s first IP since Halo would still be supported 10 years on. Not only is that the case, but Destiny 2 is coming out of another hot phase thanks to the success of its climactic Final Shape expansion.

We finally did battle with The Witness as the Light and Darkness saga concluded in 2024, but what comes next remains a mystery. While one story has reached its end, and Episodes are now carrying out new, bite-sized stories, what does the future of Destiny look like as a whole? Can fans expect a full-fledged sequel?

Here’s what we know about the possibility of a Destiny 3 thanks to various insider leaks and sneaky dev comments along the way.

Is Destiny 3 in the works?

Currently, there’s no telling for certain if Destiny 3 is in the works, or ever has been in the works previously, but the Destiny franchise as we know it is absolutely continuing beyond The Final Shape.

Clarified once and for all during a Final Shape reveal stream on April 9, 2024, Bungie’s Luke Smith confirmed “facing The Witness is not the end.” However, the way in which he worded this comment led to plenty of speculation.

“Facing The Witness is not the end of Destiny 2,” he said. “And it’s definitely not the end of Destiny. After you face The Witness, we’re gonna tell you what’s coming next to Destiny 2 and beyond.”

New reports have since suggested Smith was one of a few developers leading a Destiny spinoff project at the time of this message, a project codenamed ‘Payback.’ This spinoff was set to take place in the Destiny universe and rumors suggest it was meant to be a third-person shooter.

Payback was reportedly scrapped at some stage in 2024 ahead of an enormous round of layoffs in August, 2024. Smith was reportedly among those impacted by the layoffs.

As for a full-fledged sequel, there have been conflicting messages. Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier looked to clear up the confusion on August 2, claiming “Destiny 3 was never in development.”

Just to clear up some rumors floating around, Destiny 3 was not canceled because it was never in development, per people familiar. Bungie did some very early work on a spinoff project called Payback, but they canceled that a while ago. I'll have a story tomorrow with more info

— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) August 1, 2024

Will we ever get a Destiny 3?

Moving forward, Bungie’s efforts are focused on smaller “content packs” for Destiny 2. Rather than regular expansions, these smaller offerings can lighten the workload for the dev team that’s been drastically reduced of late.

With extraction shooter Marathon also coming into focus, fewer employees are available to even work on the long-term future of the Destiny franchise. As a result, Guardians would be wise not to hold their breath in waiting for a third mainline entry.