The video game developer Bungie announced yesterday, on July 31, that it would lay off 220 employees and transfer 230 to a new studio and to Sony. Instead of 1,300 employees, only 850 will work on Destiny 2 and Marathon in the future. Some employees who were laid off in November 2023, and content creators see problems at the top management of Bungie and demand that CEO Pete Parsons step down.
This was the announcement: In a statement from July 31, Bungie’s CEO, Pete Parsons, announced (via Bungie):
- 450 employees will be lost and all projects will be halted except for Destiny and Marathon.
- It is said that five years ago they started working on many new projects, resulting in thinning out the existing teams and growing so much that they incurred losses.
- Due to poor economic development, a crisis in the video game industry, and the weak Destiny 2: Lightfall, hard decisions are now necessary. They will continue to develop great games with the existing 850 employees.
The current wave of layoffs is viewed critically also because Bungie already fired 8% of its employees in November 2023. At that time, it was due to a “strong decline in popularity” of Destiny 2, following the weak Lightfall:
CEO writes “Be Brave” – protects himself from criticism on Twitter
This aggravated the problem: If anyone wanted to direct their initial anger about these layoffs at the face of the crisis, Pete Parsons, they found his Twitter account in protected mode. Parsons apparently put his account in this mode because he anticipated the wave of criticism heading his way.
This was criticized as “cowardly” by former Community Manager Sam Bartley.
It was also criticized because his Twitter bio ironically states “Be Brave.” Parsons unlocked his account after the complaints, but has not yet commented on the criticism.
Developers demand the head of Pete Parsons
These are the reactions of the laid-off employees:
Liana Ruppert (cover image) was a Community Manager at Bungie from 2021 to 2023. She demands: “Step down, Pete.” He is a liar and much more, which cannot be said publicly. He should resign without a huge “golden parachute” from Sony (via x). Because it is not Sony’s fault, but the fault of management.
The Social Media Lead Griffin Bennett, who was also fired last year, writes: “Pete is a joke.” He demands that management takes responsibility and believes: “Weak leadership has destroyed one of the greatest developers of all time. Retire, Pete.”
The former Community Manager Sam Bartley writes about Parsons: “You did this. You chose this. I am already on the “Do not work with this person” list – I don’t care anymore. You lied to my face. Right to my face. You invited me to admire your new cars, TWO DAYS before you fired me. Two. F***ing. Days. Go away. Now.”
Experts on Destiny see the problem at the management level
Journalists and content creators who have been following Destiny for years also express their criticism:
Paul Tassi from Forbes writes: “If the leadership team has to lay off 350 people in a year, maybe the leadership team is the problem, not the employees.”
My name is Byf writes: “The leadership must be replaced. Their decisions have repeatedly led to disaster for the employees who are actually working on the game we play. They are recklessly handling the studio, the employees, and the franchises. The problem is clear: The leadership needs to be replaced.”
Are there other voices? Yes, there are many developers who do not directly go after Parsons but write:
- That they have achieved a lot and that “The Final Shape” has been so successful – but that they were still fired. They are frustrated that the layoffs have nothing to do with personal performance.
- Some share their personal stories: A woman was laid off 3 days before going on maternity leave. Another one was promoted just a month before. A third one was laid off while he was on vacation.
- Many seem to be frustrated that they now have to suddenly look for a new job – They are proud of their team and their work at Bungie, which is now coming to such a sudden and unexpected end.
Unusually harsh and sharp response from employees
What’s behind it: It is unusual for employees in the gaming industry to behave so offensively – and so many of them. Normally this doesn’t happen because laid-off employees are looking for new jobs and do not want to appear negatively to potential employers. Usually, developers keep a low profile after layoffs and mainly focus on highlighting their own strengths and recommending themselves for new jobs.
The criticism apparently comes strongly from the community management sector and from those who were laid off last year and who have already managed in a life without Bungie.
Parsons’s statement indicates that wrong decisions were made at the highest level and that Bungie has overextended itself with the plan to develop too many new games at once. The consequences of these wrong decisions must be borne by employees who had nothing to do with it.
Employees are angry that Parsons does not take any personal responsibility for the situation.
In March, a rumor circulated in the Destiny scene, which is now becoming relevant again. At that time, it was said that a content creator had come across an internal email from Sony, where frank discussions about Bungie took place and how the new owners of Sony view their purchase: Sony allegedly considers the purchase of Bungie a failure and is angry about “greedy bosses”
