Bungie has initiated a restructuring. However, several employees are being laid off, including those who have worked on teams for Destiny or Marathon.
What exactly has Bungie reported? In the afternoon of June 25, the official X account of Bungie posted a message in which the developer speaks of a restructuring following the end of Destiny 2:
It is with great sadness that we announce we are reducing positions as part of a restructuring at Bungie.
As leaders of Bungie, both past and present, we acknowledge that Destiny 2 has fallen short of expectations over the past several years. Following our last content update for Destiny 2 and since our future projects are still in the early stages of development, we unfortunately cannot continue operating at our current size.
We know that this decision has profound impacts on the individuals affected, their families, friends, and colleagues. While these changes are necessary to best position the studio now and in the future, it does not lessen the severity of this moment or the impact on those affected. […]
Bungie further states that they plan to release more information regarding the restructuring at a later date, but today is not that day. Bungie also expresses gratitude and compassion towards those affected and remaining employees.
Majority of the team behind Destiny has been laid off
What other information is available? After the announcement from Bungie, Sony provided further insights. An internal email from CEO Hermen Hulst was shared on their website sonyinteractive.com.
It states that the laid-off employees represent a large portion of the Destiny team and part of the team behind the recently released extraction shooter Marathon. Additionally, various Sony employees supporting Bungie were also among those affected.
Hulst mentions the following reason: We explored several alternatives before concluding that a reduction is necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals.
What will happen with Marathon? Besides general information about the layoffs, the future of Marathon was briefly addressed. The email states:
Marathon remains a crucial part of our portfolio, and we will continue to support the team as it builds upon the strong foundation established in Seasons 1 and 2 while it works on early concepts for future projects. While it is still too early to discuss this, we are confident in the creativity and opportunities that lie ahead.
Email from Hermen Hulst (sonyinteractive.com)
Bungie is not the only studio currently affected by employee layoffs. EA is also laying off some of its staff. Additionally, there is speculation about whether EA should be sold for around 48 billion euros to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake Partners, and Affinity Partners: Just before the deadline for their 48 billion deal, EA lays off long-term employees.
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