Summary

  • Bungie's recent decision to lay off staff has shocked its fanbase and has been a blow to its public image and the confidence of the Destiny 2 community.
  • The choice to terminate staff was made by Bungie management, not by its parent company, Sony, according to an anonymous internal source, which has surprised many fans.
  • The layoffs at Bungie are part of a trend of staff cuts in Sony-owned studios, including Naughty Dog, Visual Arts, and Media Molecule, which has raised concerns about the future of the Destiny franchise.

The recent news of Destiny 2 developer Bungie laying off staff has come as a massive surprise to the studio's fanbase, and new sources have revealed that the decision to terminate staff was made directly by Bungie management rather than Sony, who officially acquired the studio earlier in July 2022. The currently undisclosed number of employees laid off by Bungie include several names who have been contributing to the Washington-based studio's various hit titles for several decades now, with the sudden decision to cut back staff dealing a substantial blow to Bungie's public image as well as the confidence of the Destiny 2 community at large.

Bungie's decision to cut back staff took much of the industry by surprise following a report from Kotaku, with various big names such as art director Lorraine McLees, community manager Liana Ruppert, and even Destiny 2 composer Michael Salvatori confirmed to have been laid off from the studio per individual statements made across social media. While layoffs have unfortunately been common across countless gaming and technology companies in particular over the past few years, Bungie is now the fourth Sony subsidiary that has experienced staff cuts this month alone, with other Sony-owned studios including Naughty Dog, Visual Arts, and Media Molecule all seeing layoffs since the start of October.

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While news of the recent layoffs at Bungie has resulted in widespread speculation and confusion online, new information shared by an undisclosed internal source via Forbes' Paul Tassi on Twitter reveals that the choice to terminate staff was made by management at Bungie rather than the studio's parent company. The move to cut staff allegedly wasn't made in Sony's interests at all, information which has again come as a shock to many fans of Bungie's massively-popular online shooter title. Further, many of the employee benefits at Bungie excluding health insurance only remain in effect to the end of the month for employees following termination, meaning that terminated members of staff received only one day of coverage across these benefits due to them being effectively terminated on October 30.

Fans of Bungie and the studio's flagship MMO title Destiny 2 had previously expected this development to be a result of decisions made by Sony, particularly after learning that such massive names within the studio were let go of along with the layoffs. Unsurprisingly, the loss of such key figures within Destiny 2's development and production teams has produced serious concern among the game's fanbase, with many now fearing for the future of the franchise.

While there has not yet been any official confirmation from the studio, Bungie is reportedly expecting to delay the release of Destiny 2's upcoming expansion, The Final Shape, to June of 2024 amid the recent layoffs. Rumors also suggest that the studio's upcoming extraction shooter and reboot Marathon is also expected to be delayed until 2025.

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Destiny 2
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FPS
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Systems
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Top Critic Avg: 84 /100 Critics Rec: 88%
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Released
August 28, 2017
ESRB
T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence
Developer(s)
Bungie
Publisher(s)
Bungie
Engine
Tiger Engine
Multiplayer
Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
Cross-Platform Play
PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
PHYSICAL
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Dive into the world of Destiny 2 to explore the mysteries of the solar system and experience responsive first-person shooter combat. Unlock powerful elemental abilities and collect unique gear to customize your Guardian's look and playstyle. Enjoy Destiny 2’s cinematic story, challenging co-op missions, and a variety of PvP modes alone or with friends. Download for free today and write your legend in the stars.

An Immersive Story
You are a Guardian, defender of the Last City of humanity in a solar system under siege by infamous villains. Look to the stars and stand against the darkness. Your legend begins now.

Guardian Classes
Choose from the armored Titan, mystic Warlock, or swift Hunter.

Genre(s)
FPS