After re-confirming Destiny 2 for 2017 in their earnings report, Activision Blizzard discussed the upcoming sequel in their earnings call yesterday.
According to COO Thomas Tippl, the Destiny sequel is “designed to thrill our existing loyal fan base and bring many new players into the fold. We plan to support the release of the sequel, with a great content plan post launch, setting the stage for growth with this year’s sequel and the content season that will follow.”
During the Q&A section, Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg said development is “going great” on Destiny 2, and it’s set for release this fall. A date for the reveal wasn’t given, but it will be big, and Hirshberg added that he’ll “let the game do most of the talking.”
He then said Destiny 2 will have a great cinematic story, relatable characters, and more:
For anyone who either hasn’t yet tried Destiny or hasn’t played it in a while, we think we’ve made a game with the sequel that’s going to have a lot for them to love, too. The cornerstone of that is a great cinematic story. That’s been a real focus with a great cast of memorable, relatable characters, coupled with some very nice ways to make the game more accessible to a casual player, without losing anything that our core players love. We’ve made it more accessible to someone who just wants to have a great more casual first-person action experience.
The first Destiny didn’t receive much attention in the earnings call, but Activision did say it “showed steady engagement in its third year,” and the large and committed audience is “eager for new content and adventures.”
According to a report from Kotaku, who heard the details from two sources familiar with what’s happening at Bungie, if Destiny 2 misses its 2017 release window, Activision will be given a “hefty chunk” of the studio’s stock. Additionally, the report says the stock vesting schedule for Bungie employees is based on game releases, so they have another reason to launch this year.
Update: In a statement to Kotaku, Bungie said, “There is no scenario where Activision, or any other partner we work with, is awarded Bungie stock.”
When the Destiny sequel is fully unveiled, we’ll let you know.
[Source: Seeking Alpha, Kotaku]
