This headcount reduction applies only to the main office.
Bungie recently carried out its largest wave of layoffs in years. Official documents confirm that 292 employees at the studio’s Bellevue, Washington headquarters lost their jobs effective July 9. This figure excludes staff members based outside of the state.
Sony previously announced significant job cuts without disclosing exact numbers. Hermen Hulst, head of the Studio Business Group at Sony Interactive Entertainment, described the decision as difficult. He stated the move aligns Bungie resources with current priorities and long-term strategy. The layoffs impacted a large portion of the Destiny team and some Marathon developers.
This marks the third round of layoffs at Bungie in three years. The studio employed approximately 1,000 people in 2023, but staff numbers have since dropped. About 320 employees left the company between October 2023 and July 2024. American media outlets have described the current wave as a bloodbath.
The documents show cuts across nearly every department. Artists, technical animators, sound designers, engineers, producers, and systems designers lost their positions. Sony employees who managed the internal infrastructure for Bungie were also affected.
Many former staff members confirmed their departures on social media. Among those laid off were veterans who had worked at the studio for over a decade. Management changes accompanied these departures. Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier stated that Bungie executive Justin Truman stepped down. According to Forbes, former vice president of operations Poria Torkan has taken over leadership of the studio on an interim basis.
The mention of a Chief Vision Officer in the documents drew scrutiny. Some suggest this role refers to Bungie co-founder and creator of Halo and Destiny, Jason Jones. His departure remains unconfirmed, but his exit would signal the end of a significant chapter in the history of the studio.
Bungie has struggled with financial difficulties for years. Media reports indicate the company neared closure before Sony purchased it for $3.6 billion in 2022. Sony recently reported a $765 million loss attributed to the poor financial performance of the studio.
The decline began following weak performance from recent Destiny 2 expansions. The company explored a massive relaunch called Destiny Infinity and a potential Destiny 3, but canceled both projects due to high costs and risks. Developers shifted significant resources to the shooter Marathon. That project cost over $250 million, yet it failed to meet sales and player engagement expectations.
Source: iXBT.games