Back in June, we learned that Bungie would begin working on brand new IP outside of Destiny thanks to support from Chinese publisher, NetEase. The publisher invested $100 million in Bungie, giving the studio resources to manage multiple projects at once. Now, we have our first hint at what Bungie's next non-Destiny release will be.
Over the weekend, Bungie filed a trademark for ‘Matter' under the computer game software and entertainment services categories. The filing even comes complete with a logo:
We don't know anything more about this project at the moment. However, we do know that this does not mean that Bungie is moving on from Destiny. The studio still seems committed to its ten-year plan with Activision, so expect plenty more of that over the next several years.
Unless Bungie has a third team working on original IP, it seems likely that Matter will be tied to the studio's deal with NetEase. It could be a PC/console game but it could also end up being an Asia-focussed mobile title. Given that a trademark has now been filed, we may hear more on what this is soon.
KitGuru Says: I've enjoyed most of Bungie's games over the years, even Destiny. However I do think that microtransactions have gone a bit too far in Destiny 2. Given that this is billed as a ‘service' style game in the trademark, I imagine we'll be seeing Bungie push the boat out further in this area, particularly with NetEase presumably involved.