Bungie Hiring An Art Director For A New Game, And It's Not Destiny 3

Bungie is currently advertising for a new position is an "Incubation Art Director," one who would oversee art direction on a new IP. The job description outlines a game that sounds very different from previous Bungie titles, like Destiny 2 and Halo.

"Are you on a mission to create games that bond players together into deeply invested communities?," the description opens. So far, so Destiny, but things change in the next lines. "Would you like to work on something comedic with lighthearted and whimsical characters?" Bungie's games haven't, historically, been particularly funny or whimsical.

"As the Incubation Art Director, you will define the look of a new Bungie IP and work on all aspects of art to guide a prototype on the path to production," the description continues. "Most importantly, you will work with a fun, dedicated, and passionate cross-discipline team devoted to making a new franchise at Bungie."

A year ago, Bungie split from publisher Activision, and has more control over its own future, and what it will develop, than it has since before the release of the original Halo in 2001. This job is asking for a candidate with serious credentials, too-- they must have "At least 5 years of game art production experience, including experience in an art leadership role," as well as a "Proven track record of delivering clear and consistent visual feedback that elevates other artists’ work."

It's not too much of a surprise to see Bungie expanding beyond Destiny--back in June 2018, a partnership with Chinese company NetEase saw Bungie being given $100 million to develop a non-Destiny game.

Around the time of the Activision split, analysts predicted that Destiny 3 would come in 2020. Bungie has not clarified whether they will continue to expand Destiny 2 or if they're working on a third game in the series yet, but its plan for Destiny 2 suggests Destiny 3's release isn't coming anytime soon.