Bungie delays major Destiny 2 update that was set to clash with Marathon, but its three-month pushback has stunned me

Destiny 2 feels like it's in a real spot of bother - when even the burst of excitement from a Star Wars-themed expansion can't be sustained, you know there's something really wrong with the core of the game. I myself have fallen off of the Destiny wagon in recent months, and while I really want to return, I'm struggling to find the motivation to do so. Initially set to drop on March 3, the Shadow and Order update was another potential moment to win me back. However, it never felt like it had a good chance, being sandwiched between the free Server Slam test and full release of Marathon, Bungie's new extraction FPS game. Now, the studio has confirmed the inevitable - it's delaying Shadow and Order. However, it's pushing it back by more than three months, and says that "large revisions" are the reason, not Marathon.

A delay just makes sense here. Destiny 2 already has so much competition to fend off, so why would Bungie jeopardize a major update being drowned out by its own new game? However, I was expecting a month, maybe six or seven weeks, just to give it that breathing room from Marathon - a game I'm getting more excited about by the day. The length of this delay, though, is far more than anyone expected.

"Our next major update, Destiny 2: Shadow and Order, is undergoing large revisions and will be delayed," Bungie says in an announcement post on X. "This update is being changed and expanded to include sizable quality-of-life updates and, as a result, will also be renamed. This update will now launch on June 9, 2026." That's 14 weeks later than originally planned.

"We will provide exact details closer to release covering previously announced Weapon Tier Upgrading, but also additions like expanding Tiered Gear to all Raid and Dungeon activities, Pantheon 2.0, Tier 5 stats for Exotic Armors, and more," Bungie adds.

That's a long time to go without any new content, but Bungie reassures that there will be a few smaller updates and returning activities to keep you entertained in the interim. The annual Guardian Games event will return in March, "a more frequent Iron Banner cadence" will begin in April, and there will be a regular rotation of modifiers in the controversial Portal.

Shadow and Order (or whatever it'll be renamed to) definitely feels like something of a reset moment now. Or at least, that's what Bungie is trying to achieve. This delay aims to do far more than just giving Marathon some space - it's trying to improve some core systems that players groan about and refresh Pantheon, a previously popular game mode. Minus the obvious content drought players will now experience, that seems like a positive thing (should Bungie execute it well).

However, this large delay likely impacts its roadmap for next year, which was set to follow the same two-expansion structure as the current year of content. Initially, the first expansion, set to be called Shattered Cycle, was meant to drop in 'summer 2026' - almost certainly June or July, given that's when past summer expansions have dropped. The second expansion, currently known as The Alchemist, then had a 'winter 2026' window. This would presumably drop around December time, just like the Star Wars-themed Renegades. With this major update now coming in June, I do wonder what the knock-on effect will be.

There's a chance the next two expansions remain unaffected, seeing as the major update will mostly revolve around gameplay changes and improvements. Bungie may also use it as a chance to change perceptions - what better way to prove that Destiny 2 is back on track than with two big moments coming in close proximity to each other? However, I'd be surprised if Shattered Cycle (and potentially The Alchemist too) haven't been internally nudged back.

Additionally, I do find it strange that Bungie won't just straight up say it's clearing the runway for Marathon with this delay. While I sadly don't foresee it becoming as widely popular as Arc Raiders has, Bungie and its overlords at Sony no doubt have high expectations for it and need it to deliver - there's no shame, especially given where Destiny 2 is at right now, in just admitting that's the highest priority for the studio in that moment in time. Hopefully, once the new-look Shadow and Order drops, Destiny 2 will be back on the up, Marathon will have found its audience, and we'll have two thriving Bungie shooters on the go simultaneously. That may, however, be wishful thinking.