Xbox executive Phil Spencer says Destiny could have been an Xbox exclusive

"When we got a pitch for Destiny, we wanted to sign the game, but in the end we didn't sign Destiny," Spencer said. "This decision allowed Bungie to find a publishing partner elsewhere, resulting in an important deal with Activision to bring Destiny to PlayStation and other platforms."

"Obviously I've worked with Activision on Destiny and seen it grow from an Xbox business perspective, and it's been a really interesting journey in terms of how they build it."

Mr. Spencer did not specify why Microsoft declined to support Destiny, but the game became a huge hit, spawning numerous expansions and sequels. It established Bungie's new vision beyond the Halo universe and helped define a new genre of online shooters.

It was also reported that Bungie cut an unknown number of jobs last year. This included postponing the release of future projects. Following this layoff, Bungie delayed Destiny 2's expansion, Shadow Fortress, until June 2, 2024.

In addition, the next blockbuster, the reboot of the veteran sci-fi shooter Marathon series, has also been reportedly delayed. Although the game has not yet set a release date, it is said to have been delayed until sometime in 2025.