It has been an incredibly turbulent period for the Destiny 2 community, yet the human cost of these changes is far more significant for the developers who spent the last decade building the franchise. Just five weeks ago, Bungie confirmed that the game’s upcoming update would serve as its swan song, effectively sunsetting the live-service shooter less than nine years after its debut. While many fans speculated that the talent behind Destiny 2 would pivot immediately to a sequel, today’s grim news confirms a far more distressing reality.
Bungie has officially announced a massive round of staff reductions. According to a statement from Hermen Hulst, CEO of Sony’s Studio Business Group, these cuts affect the core Destiny team, select developers working on Marathon, and various support roles within Sony Interactive Entertainment. Hulst noted that the studio explored numerous alternatives before deciding that a reduction was “necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals.”
Regarding the status of the studio’s other major project, Hulst offered a glimmer of hope: “Marathon remains a vital part of our portfolio. We are committed to supporting the team as they build upon the foundation established in its early seasons and work on future incubation projects.” While this suggests that Marathon is moving forward for now, the industry climate leaves no guarantee that it will match the longevity of its predecessor.
In a parallel statement, Bungie clarified the situation: “Following the final content delivery for Destiny 2 and with our future ventures still in the early incubation phase, we unfortunately could not maintain our previous scale of operations.” Despite this justification, the sheer magnitude of these layoffs suggests that the Bungie of today is a hollowed-out version of the studio it once was, especially when considering this is yet another blow following multiple workforce reductions over the last three years.
Destiny 2 received its final content drop, Monument of Triumph, on June 9. To coincide with the conclusion of the game’s lifecycle, Bungie has also launched Destiny 2: The Collection, a comprehensive bundle consolidating every expansion and content pack released throughout the game’s history.
Our thoughts are with the many talented professionals affected by these layoffs during this difficult transition. For those interested in the studio’s latest project, our review of Marathon highlights why it remains one of the most compelling titles we’ve covered this year.
