Bungie Announces Layoffs as It Admits 'Destiny 2 Fell Short of Expectations'

Destiny developer Bungie volition suffer a "significant fig of employees" arsenic portion of brutal-sounding layoffs that volition see "most of the Destiny squad and immoderate Marathon squad members," PlayStation CEO Hermen Hulst has confirmed.

In a nationalist blog post, Hulst described the determination arsenic "difficult" and "painful," but "necessary to align the studio’s resources with its existent priorities and semipermanent goals." The quality follows the caller ending of caller contented for Destiny 2, and amid a lackluster subordinate numbers for caller motorboat Marathon.

Hulst's connection claims that "multiple alternatives" were explored earlier the layoffs were finalized, though offers nary proposition of what these mightiness be. On Bungie's Destiny franchise, Hulst calls the bid "remarkable" but simply acknowledges that Destiny 2 is nary longer receiving caller content. There's nary proposition of thing other being planned. (One study claimed that a Destiny 2 relaunch, rebranded arsenic Destiny Infinity, was discussed but yet dismissed.)

On Marathon, Hulst describes the fledgling extraction shooter arsenic "an important portion of our portfolio," though besides suggests its squad — which sounds similar it volition beryllium the lone squad near wrong Bungie — volition besides enactment connected different projects.

"Marathon remains an important portion of our portfolio, and we volition proceed to enactment the squad arsenic they physique connected the beardown instauration established successful Season 1 and 2, and arsenic they enactment connected incubation efforts for aboriginal projects," Hulst says. "While it’s excessively aboriginal to discuss, we are encouraged by the creativity and opportunities that prevarication ahead."

PlayStation acquired Bungie backmost successful 2022 for $3.6 billion, astatine a clip that Destiny 2 was inactive going strong, and Sony was inactive looking to live-service games arsenic the aboriginal — a argumentation it has since each but reversed. While nonstop unit numbers impacted by layoffs contiguous person not been confirmed, Bungie is known to person employed 850 unit arsenic of 2024, galore of which were assigned to Destiny.

Today's layoffs volition besides interaction a smaller fig of PlayStation's ain staff, whose roles were linked to supporting Bungie's operations.

In its ain statement, published via societal media, Bungie confirmed its employees would endure layoffs arsenic the institution was reorganized.

Job losses astatine the workplace had sadly been antecedently reported arsenic apt pursuing the daze quality that Bungie was efficaciously putting the Destiny franchise connected crystal aft much than a decade, with nary further updates oregon expansions successful the pipeline, and nary imminent program to marque a afloat Destiny 3, contempt countless calls from fans.

Bungie's ain connection connected the occupation losses lies beneath successful full:

"With large sadness, we are announcing a simplification successful unit arsenic we reorganize Bungie.

"As the leaders of Bungie, past and present, we admit Destiny 2 fell abbreviated of expectations these past respective years. Following our last contented update to Destiny 2, and with our aboriginal projects inactive successful aboriginal incubation, we unluckily could not proceed operating astatine our erstwhile size.

"We cognize this determination has a profound interaction connected the radical affected, their families, friends, and teammates. While these changes are indispensable to champion presumption the workplace present and for the future, that does not lessen the trouble of this infinitesimal oregon the interaction it has connected those affected.

"Later, we volition stock much astir that aboriginal with you each but contiguous is not that day.

"Today, we privation to widen our gratitude and compassion to each subordinate of the Bungie squad who has been impacted and to those who remain.

"We anticipation you volition bash the same. - Bungie"

Earlier this month, a erstwhile Bungie unit subordinate said that the lone mode to enactment the workplace present was to enactment Marathon.

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social