Amid growing tensions surrounding Destiny 2, a recent report from IGN provides a disturbing insight into the current situation at Bungie. If the upcoming DLC “The Final Shape” fails, employees fear there could be further layoffs and that Sony will seize the opportunity to end Bungie’s independence.
This is what the report uncovered: Rebekah Valentine from IGN spoke with some current employees at Bungie and revealed concerning conditions. Last month, the atmosphere at the Destiny developer was described as “soul-crushing” and marked by a gloomy mood.
- The situation after the layoffs and reports of declining player numbers and revenue in Destiny 2 is said to be worse than generally known.
- Moral in the studio has also significantly declined in light of what employee sources describe as “management’s indifference”.
- Hiring freezes and massive cuts to travel budgets, the elimination of vacation and studio performance bonuses, or the cancellation of other employee programs and benefits have been implemented as Bungie has undertaken extensive cost-cutting measures.
Particularly concerning is the fear that a failure of the DLC “The Final Shape” could soon give Sony the opportunity to end Bungie’s independence.
This DLC of Destiny 2 will decide not only the fate of the Guardians:
“The Final Shape” decides Bungie’s future
Not a good year for Bungie: In recent years, many players have loved Destiny 2, Bungie’s FPS loot shooter. However, since the beginning of 2023, there have been indications of a decline in the previous hype.
- Since the DLC “Lightfall”, much has not been working. Players are increasingly dissatisfied. On one hand, due to the unfinished and poorly told story of Lightfall, and on the other hand, because of the current state of the game.
- In November 2023, executives informed employees at a meeting that the revenue for the current year was 45% below expected results.
- As a result, 8% of employees were laid off “due to a significant drop in popularity” and the release of the upcoming DLC “The Final Shape” was postponed from February to June 2024 to have more time to work on it.
- After the layoffs at Bungie and the postponement of the DLC, the Guardians have also angrily canceled their pre-orders, putting the studio in an even more difficult situation.
There is no room for further mistakes.
According to employees, this shouldn’t have happened
According to insider information from Peter Schreier of Bloomberg and Paul Tassi of Forbes, management has been repeatedly warned by employees that player satisfaction is at a historic low. There have been many requests for changes to win players back. However, many suggestions have been rejected.
Two sources expressed to IGN:
I am angry. I am upset. This is not what I came here for. It feels like many supervisors are not listening to the data and saying, ‘We just need to win our fans back, they still like us.’ No. They don’t… We have lost some of our most knowledgeable, beloved people who have been here for over 20 years. Every day I walk into the office with the fear that I or my friends will be next. Nobody is safe.
We know that The Final Shape must be successful. And the mood in the studio is that if that doesn’t happen, we can definitely expect further layoffs.
Bungie is “falling apart”
According to IGN sources, there has been a massive decline in morale within the studio following the layoffs. PCGamer noted that given Bungie’s long-standing popularity with players, it is surprising that the studio’s fortunes have declined so quickly and sharply.
- The dissatisfaction and sadness of employees have also encountered unexpectedly much indifference or even hostility from management in the days and weeks following the layoffs.
- Last month, the mood in the studio was even described as “soul-crushing”.
Here, sources also mentioned that prior to the layoffs, more than 10% of Bungie’s internal quality assurance department (QA) were laid off or left the company between early October and early November. This includes officially reported layoffs and associated departures.
There are also reports from former and current members of Bungie’s QA department that the team has experienced a higher workload and responsibility last year and that increasingly actions have been taken against them for supposedly minor violations.
Many Bungie employees with whom IGN spoke were also shocked by the Sony acquisition in 2022. It did not fit with the studio’s independent trend. And now there is the impression that Bungie is falling apart.
The developer is already a wholly owned Sony studio. However, if the situation does not improve, Bungie’s financial failure could lead to Sony taking full control.
What impression do you have of the current situation at Bungie and the reports from employees? Would you approve of Sony taking full control of Bungie? Feel free to share your opinions on this topic in the comments.
Currently, things are not going well in PvP either, leading players to raise alarms: Destiny 2 has been overrun by cheaters since the layoffs, making PvP “borderline unplayable”
According to IGN, it also does not appear that Bungie management is currently making significant efforts to improve the work environment.
How long can Bungie remain independent?
The current status is uncertain. During the acquisition by Sony in July 2022, it was important for Bungie to retain its freedom. At that time, it remained a completely independent subsidiary of Sony. However, Sony took seats on the company’s board, although Pete Parsons continued to serve as the ultimate decision-maker.
- The current board of Bungie includes not only Bungie co-founder Jason Jones, Bungie CTO Luis Villegas, and Bungie CEO Pete Parson, but also PlayStation Studio head Hermen Hulst and Sony Senior VP Eric Lempel.
- Overall, the board is divided between representatives of Sony and Bungie.
- Management continues to insist that fans still love the company, even though employee morale has clearly declined.
Current and former employees of Bungie reported anonymously to IGN about a departmental meeting that took place shortly after the layoffs. There, executives made it clear that the shared power might not last.
- Several sources seem to have confirmed to Rebekah Valentine that Sony actually has the right to dissolve the current board and take full control if Bungie fails to meet its financial goals.
The developer is already a wholly owned Sony studio. However, if the situation does not improve, Bungie’s financial failure could lead to Sony taking full control.
What impression do you have of the current situation at Bungie and the reports from employees? Would you approve of Sony taking full control of Bungie? Feel free to share your opinions on this topic in the comments.
Currently, things are not going well in PvP either, leading players to raise alarms: Destiny 2 has been overrun by cheaters since the layoffs, making PvP “borderline unplayable”
