For These Games, a Release Date Is Just the Beginning

The release last week of The Final Shape, a long-awaited expansion to the multiplayer shooter Destiny 2, was billed as the epic conclusion to the “Light and Darkness” saga, a 10-year story arc that began with the release of the first Destiny. But the studio, Bungie, has made clear to the game’s fans that there are plenty of stand-alone stories to come.

This era of video gaming prioritizes marathon storytelling and vast, multi-chapter experiences. Games used to be released like movies, but many now roll out like TV shows, keeping an audience hooked with a steady flow of new episodes and seasons.

The live service model, in which players are offered a never-ending buffet of new maps, modes, weapons and more, has been prominent for at least a decade, allowing games like Fortnite Battle Royale and Apex Legends to become major hits. One of this year’s most popular games, the co-op sci-fi shooter Helldivers 2, engages its audience with a tantalizing drip-feed of narrative development, conveyed via game-altering quests and bitingly satirical orders.

The success of the live service model has led to a crowded marketplace, meaning that games like Helldivers 2 often rely on a unique approach to stand out. For studios invested in their titles, it’s not enough to have people playing now — the objective is to keep them playing for years to come.

Bungie and Arrowhead Game Studios, which made Helldivers 2, declined to comment about their games and the live service model. Aaron Keller, the director of Overwatch 2, the team shooter by Blizzard Entertainment, said that the demand for new content was sometimes influenced by what other games are doing.

“We also try to create new things because it serves the greatest cross-section of our players,” he said. “At the same time, because this is a business, we have competitors. You can get compared to some games that are also running a service, and they’re putting things out, and you don’t want to be perceived as a game that isn’t supporting your community as well as other ones do.”