Destiny 2 developer Bungie is the latest studio to be affected by layoffs, following job cuts across parent company Sony and the wider games industry.
In addition, the studio is also said to have delayed Destiny 2: The Final Shape, the live service shooter’s upcoming expansion, as well as Marathon, its first new project in over a decade.
Bungie Layoffs
“Today is a sad day at Bungie as we say goodbye to colleagues who have all made a significant impact on our studio,” CEO Pete Parsons wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
“What these exceptional individuals have contributed to our games and Bungie culture has been enormous and will continue to be a part of Bungie long into the future.”
The layoffs have led to an undisclosed number of Bungie employees losing their jobs, including members of its community team and composer Michael Salvatori.
In addition, as per a Bloomberg article, Bungie has also reportedly delayed Destiny 2: The Final Shape until June 2024, from its current February release date, while Marathon is now expected to launch in 2025.
At the time of writing, the studio has not officially confirmed the delays.
Forbes’ Paul Tassi added more context to the layoffs, quoting an anonymous source who claimed that the decision to cut jobs came from Bungie management and not parent company Sony.
The source also noted that many employee benefits only last until the end of the month, meaning that people laid off on the 30th could only claim an additional day of coverage.
Unvested shares resulting from Sony purchasing the studio last year would also only be received after staying with the studio for a number of years, the source claims, reverting to the developer if employees leave, even by way of being laid off.
2023 has been a year marked by contrast for the games industry. On the one hand, we’ve had a large number of great titles across several genres. On the other, thousands have lost their jobs as more and more companies seek to cut costs.
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