Bungie wants their mysterious new Destiny 2 follow-up to be ‘esports-ready’

Bungie has plans to make their mysterious new franchise, which they have suggested will live “alongside Destiny 2,” ready for competitive esports right out the gate in a bid to challenge top titles like Valorant, CSGO, and Call of Duty.

Esports forefathers Bungie may be staging a comeback.

A new job listing from Destiny 2 developers Bungie has hinted their “new franchise” ⁠— which is still shrouded in mystery ⁠— will feature competitive PvP playlists.

The new dev position, first spotted by DestinyNews on Twitter, suggests Bungie is in the market for a multiplayer systems designer for their new IP. The designer, the listing explains, will focus on building “competitive multiplayer game mechanics which provide strategic depth and opportunities for counterplay” in the title.

Bungie is looking for someone who is familiar with global gaming markets, as well as wired-in to a variety of “competitive esports and gaming landscapes.”

The role also requires a “strong understanding of map design.”

Now, there’s relatively few details on Bungie’s new IP, but fans who have stuck with the Washington studio since the early days are certainly getting excited.

These days, Bungie has a relatively minor presence in global esports, but across the mid and late 2000s, their titles ruled the competitive scene. Halo 2, 3, and Reach were all popular games that naturally spawned monstrous esports communities, and their year-end championships often boasted hefty $300k wallets.

In fact, CDL stars like Matt ‘FormaL’ Piper, Anthony ‘Shotzzy’ Cuevas-Castro, and James ‘Clayster’ Eubanks first cut their teeth in Bungie’s juggernaut franchise.

Halo esports has returned recently, but not under Bungie.

Bungie’s interest in esports seemingly waned with the dawn of Destiny in late 2014. The title relied just as heavily on its PvE elements as it did competitive gameplay and the series’ esports scene never found its feet.

• Read More: Destiny 2 finally finds groove in Season of the Chosen

Recently, the Destiny 2 devs even all but abandoned their competitive mode, Trials of Osiris, entirely. They only re-instated the playlist last month.

The possibility that the former Halo masterminds could actually be stepping back into the ring is certainly an exciting thought, though there may be a bit of a wait on our hands — the new IP won’t land until 2025 at the earliest.

For now, Bungie looks to be doubling down on Destiny with releases like “The Witch Queen” and “Lightfall,” as well as a secret expansion coming in 2024.

• Read More: “No plans” to ditch Destiny 2 after Lightfall, says Bungie

Expect more details on the new Bungie franchise in mid-2022, when they begin work on the title. For now, keep your eyes peeled on @TheDestinyBlog; we’ll keep you updated on all the insider info on Destiny 2 and plenty more.