Even the whisper of a new game from a big studio is going to get fans riled up, and it’s inevitable that there will be a deluge of theorizing to accompany any rumors or leaks, however unsubstantiated. Players will try and guess what the new game could be, from its style to its scope but usually, there isn’t much behind this type of guesswork. Although sometimes new information can come from some fairly trustworthy sources or be patched together by eagle-eyed gamers, and it can help to shine a light on games like Matter before a studio makes its own official announcements.
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Bungie’s Departure From Destiny
Bungie has been around for several decades, creating games like the FPS Marathon and the RTS Myth: The Fallen Lords in the late nineties before moving on to the beloved Halo franchise. But its main moneymaker in recent years has undoubtedly been Destiny, the FPS multiplayer that helped Bungie carve a sizable space for itself in the online gaming marketplace. However, since the release of Destiny 2 in 2017, it seems like Bungie has been looking for other avenues to explore, and it announced in 2018 that it would be partnering with NetEase to create a brand-new intellectual property.
Players were instantly speculating about what this new IP could be, and a few months later they were potentially able to put a name to it when Bungie filed a trademark for “Matter”. With Bungie’s stated intention to continue work on the world of Destiny, but to also expand “new worlds to come”, fans were left with plenty of questions about what this could mean. Destiny has been incredibly successful for Bungie, but moving away from that formula in some ways could be beneficial for the developer, and a chance to bring a brand-new experience to gamers as well.
While Matter still hasn’t completely revealed itself yet, even the first look at its logo got fans talking. The explosion of color behind the text was seen by some as an indication that Bungie was taking its next game in a more light-hearted, whimsical direction. While Destiny does have some humor, it still embraces its gritty sci-fi roots in many respects, but Matter could be a signal that Bungie is ready to move away from that aesthetic for its next title.
Matter’s RPG Focus
Players haven’t had too much official information to go on, but early job listings that they managed to find for Matter suggested that the game was set to be another multiplayer action game. This was good news for Destiny fans, as it seemed like Bungie was taking what it learned from the release of that series and crafting something new and perhaps a little different with the solid foundation of the sci-fi franchise. Matter would apparently have more of a character focus, and with Bungie looking to initially hire developers with a background in live-service, F2P games, and MMOs, players were able to get a sense of what the title could be and what kind of post-launch support it might enjoy.
Job listings in 2020 were again another indication of what fans could hope to expect from Matter. With interesting words like “lighthearted” and “comedic”, it seemed like Matter had a very specific point of view that would further distinguish it from games like Destiny. The wording of one job description led some players to believe Matter might even have a fantasy RPG focus thanks to words like “sword” and “dungeon”. It also appeared to hint at a looting dynamic similar to titles like Borderlands, which presents plenty of interesting opportunities and could make Matter a fun online experience.
With the recent spike in popularity over the past few years in hero shooters like Overwatch and Apex Legends, others speculated that Matter could follow suit – a rumor strengthened by Bungie’s apparent intention to launch itself further into the Esports arena. While this might jar slightly with the assumption that Matter would be more of a character-focused fantasy RPG, it’s still early days in the game’s development, and it’s possible that things are continuing to shift and change shape as the title progresses.
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A Look At Matter’s Concept Art
In a recruitment video released earlier this year, two pieces of concept art for an unannounced game were seen briefly as Bungie’s Engineering Director Luke Timmins spoke about the mechanics of creating new worlds. It may not have been confirmed that these were glimpses of Matter, but it seems like a safe bet to assume this could be an early look at the game. With a combination of fantastical elements like floating islands and steampunk designs like airships, this appears to fit in with the vibe that initial speculation around Matter hinted toward.
With rumors that Matter was going to be the third-person action game that it was confirmed Bungie was working on, other speculation started to surface that it could include a map creator mode similar to Halo’s Forge. Patents filed by Bungie referenced user-generated maps and other elements, suggesting that Matter could include tools that would allow players to help shape the game themselves and influence the lay of the land. This could be an intriguing addition and would help to further distance Matter from many of Bungie’s previous titles, offering players something completely fresh and new.
Although Matter is reportedly still in early development, Bungie is looking at 2025 as a possible release window for one of its new IPs, which many think could be Matter. Though this could seem far away to some, as 2022 comes to an end it might not be quite as distant as they think. With an exciting release schedule already in place for 2023 with titles like the Dead Space remake, Hogwarts Legacy, Dead Island 2, and Forspoken, alongside others with dates yet to be announced, gamers will have lots to keep them occupied in the meantime as they wait for more details on Matter.
Matter is rumored to be in development.
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