Destiny Could Have Been an Xbox Exclusive, Reveals Phil Spencer

Microsoft Gaming and Xbox President Phil Spencer recently revealed that Bungie’s pioneering online shooter Destiny could have potentially launched as an Xbox console exclusive.

During a PAX West 2024 panel, Spencer shared that Xbox had the opportunity to sign on as the game’s publisher when Bungie first pitched the idea for Destiny after its split with Microsoft. However, the company ultimately declined the offer.

“When we got the pitch for Destiny, we had to decide if we wanted to do it, and ultimately we decided not to do Destiny,” Spencer explained. This decision allowed Bungie to explore other publishing partners, leading to a major deal with Activision to bring Destiny to PlayStation and other platforms.

Spencer expressed his excitement to see how the game has grown from a business perspective for Xbox, despite not being an Xbox exclusive. “It’s been a really interesting journey from the perspective of what they’ve built,” he added.

Although Spencer didn’t provide specifics on why Microsoft turned down the chance to back Destiny, the game has become a highly successful franchise, spawning numerous expansions and sequels. It established a new vision for Bungie outside of the Halo universe and helped define a new genre of online shooters.

Destiny has continued to evolve, with Bungie releasing new content and expansions. However, the company has faced challenges, including layoffs and delays to future project releases. The release of Destiny 2 expansion The Final Shape was delayed until June 2, 2024, and the next major title, a reboot of the old sci-fi shooter series Marathon, has also been delayed to 2025.

Watch the full interview with Phil Spencer to learn more about the history of Destiny and Xbox.