When developer Bungie announced that Destiny 2’s Witch Queen expansion would be delayed to February 2022 there was a general acceptance among the community, even if there was some frustration. Transforming Season of the Lost from its expected 3-month format to a 6-month experience was unheard of for Destiny 2, but if it meant that Witch Queen’s quality and, more importantly, the mental health of the Bungie developers didn’t suffer then it would be worth the wait.
However, the Witch Queen delay has also created a situation that could work in Bungie’s favor moving forward. Assuming that this isn't just a one-off for Destiny 2 content releases, there would presumably be a shift in the game's entire annual calendar. In essence, each major Destiny 2 expansion would now release in February, and the seasons would follow from there.
Of course, Bungie could simply shift the seasonal model around to get back on track for a fall release, but this setup actually has one major benefit. When Bungie does eventually release its next game/franchise, it will be able to release in the fall and avoid competing for attention from a major Destiny 2 content drop.
What is Bungie’s “Matter”
While fans don’t know much about Bungie’s next project, it is speculated that the codename is “Matter” and Destiny 2 director Luke Smith might be heading up the project. There is some belief that Matter will be bigger than Destiny in its scope, offering an MMO-like experience along with PvP elements for fans of Bungie’s competitive modes.
The PvP speculation is especially interesting considering Destiny 2 has not added any major Crucible content like new maps or modes in the last few years. Some believe that a lot of the key players from Bungie’s PvP development team are working on Matter, and new hires along with some mainstay devs will help expand Destiny 2’s Crucible moving forward. Whatever the case may be, the intrigue surrounding the project is high.
Why Destiny 2: Witch Queen Delay is a Good Thing
There is no question that Matter will have a lot of attention when it eventually releases, but Bungie certainly doesn’t want to compete with itself. Destiny has found a lot of success by releasing new expansions in the fall (usually September) and avoiding the gauntlet of new titles like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and the like. Matter could very conceivable slot right into a September or October release and take Destiny’s place, giving fans the opportunity to dig into all it has to offer during the holiday season.
And assuming that Matter is also a live service game, the cadence for new content releases would be set up so that it can release a new expansion every September. Then, February brings the next Destiny 2 expansion and fans can shift their focus towards that, or split time between the two if they so choose.
While the pandemic likely led to the Destiny 2: Witch Queen delay, it could very well be a blessing in disguise for Bungie. The studio would be able to give its current franchise the opportunity to continue to thrive under its usual seasonal model, only shifted slightly. And its upcoming new game would fit right into Destiny 2’s old release month and compete with the other big titles at the end of the year.