A "Very Dream Daddy-Inspired" Destiny Dating Sim Was Once Considered — But Leadership Said No
If you were thinking Destiny 2's ending couldn't get any more depressing, you're wrong. Unfortunately. In a recent stream, content creator Chrizmo posed a question that has been floated before: what if Destiny 3 was a dating sim? The idea sparked a nostalgic response from ex-community manager Liana Ruppert, who confirmed that the Destiny team actually made a dating sim prototype during a creative session. However, the idea was ultimately nixed by leadership, who reportedly didn’t want to include romance or silliness into the Destiny universe.
The Lost Romance of Destiny
Ruppert described the concept as "very Dream Daddy-inspired", which immediately got fans imagining a tongue-in-cheek roster of romantic encounters with beloved characters like Crow, Mara, and Empress Caiatl. The thought of a dating sim involving Xur, Mithrax, or even the Witness is enough to make any Destiny fan chuckle. The idea was brought to life in a game jam, where developers had the freedom to pitch and create fun, experimental prototypes.
The Carnival event, which Bungie used to host, allowed devs to explore wild ideas and push creative boundaries. Robert Brookes, a former senior narrative designer at Bungie, confirmed that the dating sim was just one of many experimental projects that came out of these sessions. "It was never a full-fledged project," Brookes said, but the team lobbied to turn it into one every year.
Beyond the Dating Sim: Other Wild Ideas
Former Bungie director Christopher Barrett shared that the game jams also produced other wild concepts, including a fighting game, a Destiny-inspired heavy metal concert, and a dialogue conversation system. These ideas, while never fully realized, offer a glimpse into the creative potential that the Destiny universe could have explored.
While these ideas never made it into the main game, they highlight the experimental spirit that once defined Bungie’s development process. It's easy to imagine how a Valentine’s Day event involving a dating sim could have been a silly, non-canon but fun addition to the game. Though it's not confirmed, it's possible that iconic events like the Sparrow Racing League were born from similar experimental ideas.
Even though these wild concepts never came to fruition, it's still fascinating to hear about the behind-the-scenes creativity at Bungie. Especially considering the struggles the studio has faced between developers and leadership, as well as the financial pressures it has endured in recent years.
