Bungie, the studio behind the Halo and Destiny franchises, receives an investment worth $100 million from NetEase, a Chinese video game publisher.
The partnership between Bungie and NetEase opens up the path for a new Bungie game, but it also raises questions about the future of Destiny 2.
New Bungie Game In The Works
Bungie, through an official blog post, announced that it has forged a new partnership with China-based NetEase to help it "explore new directions."
"With their industry expertise, they'll empower us to build new worlds and invite players, new and old, to join us there. They'll help us support separate teams inside Bungie to bring our newest ambitions to life," Bungie said in a statement.
The blog post does not mention the amount of the investment, but Bungie revealed to the Wall Street Journal that it received a $100 million investment from NetEase. The money will be used to build a new Bungie game, though details on the project remain hidden.
Bungie is also looking to use the money to publish its own games in the future, unlike how the developer relies on Activision Blizzard to publish Destiny 2.
NetEase operates Blizzard games, including Overwatch, StarCraft 2, and World of Warcraft, in mainland China. It should be noted, however, that NetEase is the target of a lawsuit filed by PUBG Corp.
Rules of Survival and Knives Out, games published by NetEase for iOS and Android devices, are being accused of copyright infringement for copying several elements of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. These imitated features include the 100-player Battle Royale format, games that start with players who jump out of an airplane, the shrinking playing area, and even the "Winner Winner Chicken Dinner" victory message. More examples are given in the 155-page document submitted by PUBG Corp.
The Future Of 'Destiny 2'
The announcement that Bungie is working on a new game as part of the NetEase partnership might have caught the attention of some Destiny 2 players. It is because the developer is still under pressure to bring players back to the game, which has largely failed to meet expectations.
Bungie, however, noted that it will continue its work on Destiny 2 as part of its separate partnership with Activision Blizzard.
"Our commitment to that world is not diminished by this announcement," Bungie said in the blog post, adding that it has "exciting plans" for the futuristic shooter franchise.
Whether these plans include more real-world treasure hunts, such as the one that Bungie included in the Warmind DLC, remains unclear.
