Destiny 2 and Marathon maker Bungie has laid off 17 percent of its workforce, or 220 employees, effective immediately.
Bungie CEO Pete Parsons released a statement today on the removal of hundreds of developers, which comes around nine months after over 100 staff members were let go at the end of October 2023 after the studio missed internal financial goals.
“Today is a difficult and painful day, especially for our departing colleagues, all of which have made important and valuable contributions to Bungie,” Parsons said. ”Our goal is to support them with the utmost care and respect. For everyone affected by this job reduction, we will be offering a generous exit package, including severance, bonus and health coverage.”
Parsons called the announcement “hard news, especially following the success we have seen with The Final Shape, but as we’ve navigated the broader economic realities over the last year, and after exhausting all other mitigation options, this has become a necessary decision to refocus our studio and our business with more realistic goals and viable financials.”
Destiny 2‘s The Final Shape expansion launched in June and was a smash hit with players for its campaign, raid, and satisfying conclusion to over 10 years of Destiny’s Light and Darkness saga. It apparently was not enough to prevent more layoffs, though.
In light of the changes, Parsons said Bungie is “working with PlayStation Studios leadership to spin out one of our incubation projects – an action game set in a brand-new science-fantasy universe – to form a new studio within PlayStation Studios to continue its promising development.”
The company will also be integrating 155 of its roles into Sony Interactive Entertainment in what will “be a time of tremendous change” for Bungie.
