Sony pulled the plug on Destiny, the longest running live service shooter on the market because they deemed it "fiscally irresponsible." Today's guests have watched The Division survive its own near-death and come back stronger, and they know exactly what that took.Today, @RogueGold and Orion join me to break down the end of Destiny and what The Division's recovery from rock bottom can teach Destiny players about what comes next.In this episode, we cover:- The end of Destiny's 12-year live service run- Sony's $500 million verdict that may have killed the game- Why Massive's Star Wars and Avatar side-projects didn't sink The Division- The vitriolic Bungie-Marathon relationship- Ubisoft vs. Sony: how publisher control shaped each studio's fate- Parasocial relationships between fans and developers- The ETF (Elite Task Force) explained- The emotional toll of watching Bungie's talent get laid off- The Division's 2026 roadmap and the new Central Park DLC- Ranking The Division's best campaigns: Warlords, Brooklyn, and Division 1- Why strong villains like Savathûn worked and others didn't- How far The Division can push against its Tom Clancy roots- Whether players actually willed The Division's comeback into existence- What Destiny fans can take away from The Division's revivalIf you've been raiding since Vault of Glass or you're just looking for a new looter shooter to call home, this conversation shows what it takes for a live service game to claw its way back from the brink, and what it takes to lose one for good.Subscribe for more long-form conversations with Destiny and Division creators every week.▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬0:00 - Intro2:52 - The Death of Destiny6:20 - Revisiting the Division/Destiny Parallels7:30 - How The Division Mirrored Destiny's Struggles10:13 - Community Sentiment on Massive's Star Wars & Avatar Projects12:54 - The Vitriolic Bungie-Marathon Relationship17:25 - Sony Deems Destiny "A Bad Investment"18:08 - Ubisoft vs. Sony20:38 - Marathon Isn't a Destiny Replacement22:32 - How Much Control Does the Publisher Really Have?24:11 - Live Service vs. Single-Player: Why Marathon Struggled26:10 - Parasocial Relationships with Developers27:54 - Division's Evolving Community Access (State of the Game Era)32:23 - What Is the ETF (Elite Task Force)?36:02 - How Layoffs Hit Harder When You Know the Devs39:19 - Membership Plug39:53 - State of The Division in 2026 & the New DLC44:03 - Sax's Hands-On Experience with Division & Realism Mode46:00 - Feeling the Age of the Game: Systems, Loot & Cross-Play48:40 - Content Sunsetting: Destiny's Mistake vs. Division's Approach53:38 - Horizontal Progression & Loot Bloat56:04 - Story Time: Vault of Glass & Power Deltas59:53 - Ranking the Best Division Campaigns1:03:16 - Why Strong Villains Matter (Savathûn vs. Keener)1:05:10 - How Bound Is Division to the Tom Clancy IP?1:08:04 - Central Park DLC & Returning Characters1:10:09 - The Division's Rock Bottom vs. Now1:12:00 - Subscriber Growth & Player Metrics1:15:05 - Destiny's Rare "Forever Game" Position1:17:08 - Did Players Will The Division's Comeback into Existence?1:23:13 - The Loss of Institutional Knowledge at Bungie1:26:34 - Closing Thoughts: Hope for Destiny Fans1:30:38 - Outro▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬Join my Discord! - https://discord.gg/saxplaysgames Follow my Twitch! - https://twitch.tv/saxplaysgamesFollow my TikTok! - https://tiktok.com/@saxplaysgamesFollow my Twitter! - https://x.com/saxplaysgamesEdited by: https://x.com/Im_Crumpet
