After weeks of reports and rumors suggesting another round of layoffs was coming to Destiny 2 developer Bungie, the studio officially announced it was laying off employees, and PlayStation has issued an official comment on the situation as well. PlayStation boss Hermen Hulst confirmed that the cuts included most of the Destiny 2 team, some developers working on Marathon, and PlayStation Studios devs assigned to support Bungie’s operations. Reports indicate 292 employees were laid off from the Bungie offices in Bellevue, Washington.
Bungie’s statement on the matter clearly laid blame on Destiny 2, stating that its performance has fallen short of expectations “these past several years.” The changes were reportedly made to support the studio’s current and future operations, but it’s worth highlighting that not only is this the third round of layoffs at Bungie since the PlayStation acquisition in 2022, but Destiny 3/new games for the IP have reportedly been greenlit.
Bungie Studio Head Stepping Down After Recent Layoffs
Reports indicate that Bungie’s studio head, Justin Truman, is stepping down in the wake of the recent mass layoffs at the studio.
PlayStation Boss Gives New Official Statement on Bungie Layoffs
Following this, PlayStation issued its own statement on the matter, a la Hermen Hulst. Hulst called the decision “painful” and said it came only after “extensive discussion and careful consideration.” He explained that PlayStation and Bungie leadership spent months reviewing the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and place within PlayStation’s broader portfolio before deciding that reducing the workforce was necessary. According to Hulst, PlayStation explored multiple alternatives before reaching that conclusion. He also stated the final Destiny 2 update and ongoing support to expand Marathon are key parts of Bungie’s future, while PlayStation would support “transition support” to impacted employees.
The announcement also comes just weeks after Bungie confirmed Destiny 2 had reached the end of its live-service journey, and the rallying cries of fans for PlayStation and Bungie to pursue Destiny 3 have not been acknowledged. At the recent showcases for Summer Game Fest and the PlayStation State of Play, fans flooded the comments asking for Destiny 3. There’s even a petition for Bungie to develop Destiny 3, which, as of this writing, is almost at 400,000 signatures. Even then, apparently Bungie’s future projects are in “early incubation” and are still too early to discuss publicly.
Destiny 2 has defined its unique looter shoot space over the last decade, which Hulst acknowledged as “truly remarkable” and said everyone who helped build the series should be proud of its legacy. It’s hard to understand exactly what that legacy is right now, as it would imply a future, and the fate of the Destiny IP, new Destiny games, and Bungie itself seems to hang on a thread.
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It’s worth noting that PlayStation recently shut down Bluepoint Games—which made the Shadow of the Colossus and Demon’s Souls remakes—and was a critical darling in the industry. Bungie’s pedigree hasn’t stopped layoffs, and in the long term, it may not be enough to prevent a closure either.
Source: PlayStation Studios
- Released
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August 28, 2017
- ESRB
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T For TEEN for Blood, Language, and Violence
