Explore the Research

The Cost of Leaving the Tower: Bungie, Destiny 2, and the Strategic Miscalculation of Social Capital

This episode features an AI-assisted audio discussion of Dr. Eric Hannel's white paper, The Cost of Leaving the Tower. Using synthetic voices, the conversation explores the paper's major themes, arguments, and cultural implications in an accessible podcast format.

The underlying research examines how online communities generate social capital, creator ecosystems, and long-term franchise value. Using the reaction to Destiny 2's sunset as a case study, the paper explores broader lessons for the gaming industry, digital culture, and the challenges organizations face in managing communities that have become part of a product's value.

The podcast is intended as a companion to the written paper, not a substitute for Dr. Hannel's original analysis.

Choose the format that works best for you:

📄 Read the Full White Paper

🎥 Watch the Video Presentation

The Policy Compilation for May 16–26, 2026, reviews key federal developments affecting Tribal sovereignty, Veterans, education, and environmental stewardship. This report tracks recent legislation, court decisions, new legal challenges, agency rules, and federal policy actions, with attention to how decisions made in Congress, the courts, and federal agencies affect communities on the ground.

The compilation covers major Tribal sovereignty issues, including Native voting rights, Tribal child welfare, Tribal identification, gaming jurisdiction, Native Hawaiian health programs, and the Dakota Access Pipeline. It also reviews Veterans legislation and litigation involving disability compensation, due process, VA labor rights, reproductive health access, and prescription-drug monitoring. In education, the report examines federal action on parental-rights legislation, student-loan restrictions, civil-rights enforcement, faculty speech, and Tribal education funding.

Together, these updates show how policy decisions move beyond paperwork and into the lives of Tribal Nations, Veterans, students, families, and the land itself.

Native and Veteran Policy Insights.