With its ongoing trial against the US Federal Trade Commission, all kinds of details are cropping up about Microsoft. It includes previously confidential documents from years ago, where the company viewed companies like Sega, FromSoftware, CD Projekt RED and more as potential acquisitions.
Of course, Bungie was also on the list. One document (as per IGN) saw Microsoft evaluating the company, noting, “As of 2021, [Bungie] has more than doubled its headquarters space and plans to open a new studio in Amsterdam by 2022 for ongoing support on Destiny 2 and development of a new IP, currently expected to release in 2025.”
It then noted that Matter was trademarked in 2018, leading one to believe it’s the new IP that Microsoft is referring to. After all, Marathon was announced only recently, and despite being an extraction shooter for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC, it’s part of a long-running franchise for Bungie instead of a new IP.
Of course, Bungie is no longer on the table – Sony acquired it last year for $3.6 billion. Nevertheless, the companies Microsoft wanted to purchase are intriguing, and even included Square Enix as part of the internally named “Project Phoenix.”