Following wide-ranging leaks, Bungie says Marathon is not ‘merging’ with Destiny
Bungie has denied recent leak claims suggesting the studio planned to merge its two major franchises, Destiny and Marathon, into a single IP. Julia Nardin, a veteran Bungie developer and creative director for Marathon, responded to the leaked reports on social media, calling the merger claim false.
Nardin explained that while both franchises share core elements of Bungie’s creative approach—what she called “Bungie DNA”—they remain separate and independent projects. “They share a lot of the same Bungie DNA, but like siblings they’re also their own independent entities,” she wrote, cautioning the community not to believe everything circulating online.
The claim was part of a broader collection of supposedly confidential documents that recently surfaced online. The merger suggestion was among the most controversial elements of the leak, with the community expressing skepticism about its feasibility. Nardin’s denial directly addresses this particular rumor, though it remains unclear which other aspects of the leaked information may be accurate.
Both titles are significant for Bungie: Destiny is an established live-service shooter with a large playerbase, while Marathon represents a new project for the studio. The clarification helps settle at least one aspect of the leaked materials.