Bungie's next game is an MMO

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 4 March, 2011

But it's not "WOW in space".

Bungie's hotly anticipated next game is a "massively multiplayer action game".

At a Game Developers Conference session titled, "I Shot You First: Networking the Gameplay of Halo: Reach," and attended by IGN, Bungie lead network engineer David Aldridge said the game is not "WOW in space", as was previously reported.

The Activision-published project is clouded in mystery, but Bungie has hinted at MMO-style features in the past.

Earlier this month Bungie was rumoured to be making a first-person MMO for Activision that will be called Destiny.

Codenamed Tiger, the game was said to be powered by a brand new game engine and boast matchmaking as well as a host of other online modes. It was defined as "WOW in space".

In early 2010, Bungie's Joseph Staten teased a GDC audience by asking, "Wouldn't it be great if we could make a world that was always there for you?"

In late April 2010, Bungie and Activision announced a 10-year multi-platform publishing deal. Now we know it was to make an MMO.

"I can't get into specifics," answered Bungie community director Brian Jarrard, "but we're definitely looking at building a universe that people want to spend time in."

"Much like Halo but we have much more grandiose vision here, so it's a long-term partnership for us.

"We're really embarking on something that will be a significant undertaking for the studio that will involve multiple games set inside this brand new IP and universe."

Barely a month later, in May 2010, a Bungie job vacancy advertising for someone with RPG know-how appeared.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (45) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • joe90 #1 1 year ago

    Codenamed Tiger - oh come on.. some more inventiveness please. , Codename, deathring or something..

  • Benno #2 1 year ago

    Need to hear more before I can make any judgements. As of now I am slightly interested.

  • TheNinkyNonk #3 1 year ago

    Love Bungie, hate MMOs...should be interesting!

  • Crea #4 1 year ago

    I'm normally one to reserve judgement on this sort of thing.


    But for FUCK sake, Bungie.

  • levitate #5 1 year ago

    Action MMO? Wow, that sounds really intriguing and interesting. Not to mention original. Tell me more.

  • Fab4 #6 1 year ago

    Not YET it isn't ;)

  • lambtron #7 1 year ago

    Hmm. This will either be fantastic or a terrible, terrible mistake. I don't think there is any room between the two extremes.

  • BritishBlue1 #8 1 year ago

    The problem with Massive Multiplayer Online games is this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8I9pYCl9AQ

  • coolbritannia #9 1 year ago

    Bungie got TIGERBLOOD y'all! They're clearly from the Charlie Sheen school of BI WINNING!

  • captainCandy #10 1 year ago

    Even the codename shows their total lack of creativity. Bulk it shall be, once again.

  • Gastrian #11 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 17:56:43 13-04-2012

  • nuanimal #12 1 year ago

    Hopefully they won't end up like Real Time Worlds...

  • wobbly_Bob #13 1 year ago

    i'm willing to bet it will be halo in all but name mmo. i'm not surpassed at this since before they left ms they were apparently making a halo mmo. i think this mijght be way they left so they could work on their dream of a sifi mmo.

    i do hope they have what it takes and dont have dollor signs in thier eyes because the road is littered with the burned out shells of those that did...

  • metalangel #14 1 year ago

    I wonder if it'll be a bit like Planetside?

  • Haloboy #15 1 year ago

    I wonder if it will be on PC?

  • Daeltaja #16 1 year ago

    Everyone together now "aaaaaand another one bites the dust, another one bites the dust Yeh"

    In all seriousness though, if this thing doesn't actually beat wow, Acti will most likey cut ties with Bungi, regardless if it's doing well.

    Edit: Edit.
    Edited by Daeltaja at 04/03/11 @ 12:40

  • Penguinzoot #17 1 year ago

    In all seriousness though, if this thing doesn't actually beat wow, Acti will most likey close the studio down, regardless if it's doing well.

    Activision don't own Bungie, they are simply publishing this game. Bungie remain independant and are free to concurrently develop other games for other publishers.

  • actionfitz #18 1 year ago

    No harm Bungie, but i don't think I can face another subscription game. recently kicked wow after 6 years, tried other mmos over the years - really liked DCU but cancelled just as the sub was about to kick in.

    I'm enjoying Battlefield 2,the odd blast of BLOPS (without the overpriced map pack)... replaying both mass effects and dragon age...

    I doubt i'll sub to anything else ever again. When paying a sub you feel obliged to play, leaving it for a week or two feels like a waste of money.

    with activision publishing, you can be sure that every penny that can be squeezed from players will be.

  • curtlikesmeat #19 1 year ago

    I'm not really a fan of playing FPS online, but Planetside on an grand scale would interest me.

  • richyroo #20 1 year ago

    Sorry Bungie, with Acti publishing, that means a no buy from me.

  • Naptime #21 1 year ago

    MMO :(

  • lordofthedunce #22 1 year ago

    Bungie has a large and loyal fan base when it comes to Halo but profit is probably disproportional.

    However, get them to make a multi-platform online shooter with some MMO elements thrown in and the cash will surely for the cigar smokers at Activision.

    The perfect marriage for making money.
    Edited by lordofthedunce at 04/03/11 @ 10:10

  • andywilkie35 #23 1 year ago

    This pretty much confirmed Bungie are going the way of Bizarre Creations.

    Thanks for the memories Bungie.

  • mcmonkeyplc #24 1 year ago

    SURPRISE!

  • geeza2020 #25 1 year ago

    I wouldnt expect Bungie to make that good an MMO to be honest. When Blizzard took the step into MMO's they already had experience with rpg mechanics through Diablo and in part the warcraft/starcraft rts games (they did have rpg elements), but bungie have made precisely zero memorable games outside of the Halo world, which is all FPS (expect Halo wars which, wasnt that good tbh) so I'm concerned that this will be a bit of a bland, less colourful, less complex Planetside. Less tactics and skills required, just Epic battles and twitch shooting on a massive scale. That might be to somebodies taste, but I hate getting pwned by american teenagers when I'm playing for free (ish) online with my xbox, let alone when I'm having to pay a freakin subscription.

    But then again this all just hypothetical, Bungie could still come out with the next "Big Thing" for all I know.

  • coolbritannia #26 1 year ago

    Comments threads are particularly dumb today. Activision have a deal with Bungie to publish this ip for 10 years. Bungie can make any other games they like for anyone else they like. Activision could no more shut Bungie down as I could shut down Eurogamer...

  • GamesConnoisseur #27 1 year ago

    Farewell Bungie, it was good knowing you, as I m totally apathy with all thing MMO despite trying a good few times, and also developing MMO famously takes a long time and lotta resources, and so would not expect to see you back on retail shelves for a good while!

    Wishing you all the best but I m sticking here on the familar grounds thank you even if your MMO projects takes off, who knows I may be persuaded to change my evil ways?!

  • jag10 #28 1 year ago

    MAG is kind of doing this already, i think Bungie are onto something good here. Only downside i can see is it will probably be subscription based. If the price is right though i would probably go for it.

  • patchbox360 #29 1 year ago

    A pay monthly Halo is genius alongside an inevitable pay monthly COD, if people pay for it then its worth charging for.

  • coolbritannia #30 1 year ago

    Isn't this what Huxley was aiming for? WTF happened to that game?

  • Gastrian #31 1 year ago

    Post deleted at 17:56:43 13-04-2012

  • FarticusMaximus #32 1 year ago

    Surely Borderlands is the ideal template for an MMOFPS?

  • RealityCheque #33 1 year ago

    @actionfitz - you need to get yourself on the Guild Wars II train when it arrives - I didn't play #1 for probably 3 years, logged back in on a whim and my character was just as I left it :)

  • apoc_reg #34 1 year ago

    2x this comment "Love Bungie, hate MMOs...should be interesting"

  • SomaticSense #35 1 year ago

    Suddenly feeling a lot better about my Acti boycott versus love of Bungie conundrum.

  • lordofthedunce #36 1 year ago

    Surely Borderlands is the ideal template for an MMOFPS?

    Agree. BL is great, I've put in many, many hours, but there's tons of room for improvement.

  • ThePissartist #37 1 year ago

    At least it didn't have the RPG part of MMO. I'm clinging onto the hope that this won't be subscription based, won't be an RPG, and won't include grind based leveling.

    It it's has RPG elements, with unfair grinding * - it is a no-buy from me.

    *i.e., someone who plays for 30 hours a week is better than someone that plays for 5 purely because they spend more time on it, and nothing to do with SKILL

  • Lukree #38 1 year ago

    They just have to combine Halo universe with Halo Wars and make Forge customization and world building a big part of the mmo -> Instawin!

  • Xensor #39 1 year ago

    I hate to say it (mostly because i dislike how Acti does business) but this will probably be massive for them. As some said, COD has shown that Acti can have a very large and currently very loyal consumer base. Bungie is a very well regarded developer (in console circles at least) so the fact they've detached themselves from MS and can now go cross-platform is a big win for Acti. DC Universe demonstrates that MMO's can work on consoles and Acti has vast sums of money to throw at it to make it a success.

    However there are a couple of potentially huge issues in the pipline - Acti hates the fact the 360 owners have to pay MS to play online games. In Actiworld everyone connects directly to their servers, no third parties allowed. The 360 currently does not have any MMO's on it afaik and the chances are 360 owners would be less inclined to pay Act every monthi on top of the gold subs. I seriously doubt Acti can convince MS to allow any kind of bypass (for simple security reasons as much as cold hard cash) so there is a poosilibty 360 owners could be left out in the cold. The second huge issue is the likely cannibalisation of COD devotees to the Bungee MMO. Too much could turn the cash cow into a money pit, too little could cause the Bungee MMO to lack the numbers Acti would need. I personally don't think Kotick has the nous to get all his ducks to line up so something will have to give.

  • mrboshingles #40 1 year ago

    Future headline....

    Bungie to close after citing 'disappointing' subscriptions to it's MMO RPG Shooter Call of Halo world craft

  • ExplodingClown #41 1 year ago

    @geeza2020: Myth: The Fallen Lords was fugging great. Hell, Oni had good fighting, even if it was a Ghost In The Shell knock-off with some of the most eye-wateringly boring level design in gaming history.

    Wish they'd just remake Marathon.

  • tenebrae #42 1 year ago

    So it is a "multplayer action game" with "matchmaking" feature? Certainly sounds like a FPS, so it probably is more like Planetside than WoW. We know what happened to the previous attempt, so let's hope Bungie is taking notes from Garriot.

  • TwitchyMcTwitch #43 1 year ago

    Alright! World of Halo in space!

  • Marquisdesade #44 1 year ago

    xensor, FFXI is/was playable on the 360 and doesn't require a Gold Live subscription to play.

  • matseffect #45 1 year ago

    Turns out it was a joke gone bad.