“Destiny” developer Bungie is assuring fans that its new partnership with NetEase won’t be taking their attention away from developing their core franchise, although the new investment confirms it will be creating new franchises with the company. According to GamesIndustry.biz, the Chinese online gaming company invested over $100 million USD into the Washington-based studio.
The partnership is announced at a critical time for Bungie, as all eyes are on what’s coming up next in the expansion for “Destiny 2” later this year.
In a statement released Friday, Bungie assured fans that this new partnership “won’t impact the hobby [‘Destiny’ fans have] come to know.”
“’Destiny’ is an experience that will grow for many years to come,” the statement reads. “We’ll continue to work with our partners at Activision to foster this global community and turn new players from all over the world into Guardians. Our commitment to that world is not diminished by this announcement.”
In NetEase’s statement, CEO and director William Ding expressed the company’s draw to Bungie’s “passion and creativity.”
“Bungie and NetEase share the same vision and ambition to deliver incredible experiences to millions of players all around the globe,” Ding said. “We are excited to partner with Bungie as they transform from a single franchise development team into a global, multi-franchise entertainment studio.”
The statement further revealed that under the supervision of Jason Jones, chief creative officer and founder, Bungie “will begin the creation of new worlds,” which should reassure the fanbase that its current focus is on the “Destiny” franchise alone — and any new franchise development is set for the future.
Bungie will reveal new details about the next “Destiny 2” expansion in a live-stream on its official Twitch channel Tuesday at 9 a.m. PT.
