On July 31, Bungie released an official statement saying the developer is eliminating 220 roles, effective immediately. In the hours since, ex-Bungie employees have been voicing their concerns on X, formerly Twitter, and other social media.
The announcement was made on Bungie’s website and later shared onBungie’s official X profile, where it received many negative comments from disappointed fans.
Amid the backlash, the global community lead for Destiny 2, dmg04, posted on X: “Inexcusable. Industry leading talent being lost, yet again. Accountability falling upon the workers who have pushed the needle to deliver for our community time and time again. Please maintain focus on those who’ve lost their position & income. Offer help where you can.”
While the Global Community Lead wasn’t affected by the layoffs, he says he’ll be spending time helping those impacted.
2024 has seen more than its fair share of layoffs, but it’s quite uncommon for a single studio to have two big rounds of layoffs in less than a year. The first wave of layoffs at Bungie happened last November, when it let go around eight percent of its workforce. This means that in less than a year, Bungie has let go a quarter of its staff.
In January 2022, Sony acquired Bungie for $3.6 billion, stating that it “has limitless potential to unite friends around the world.” Shortly after the takeover, the company’s financial troubles began as they failed to meet the publishing giant’s target goals.
Bungie’s popular live-service game, Destiny 2, remains one of the most-played online games on the market, especially after the success of the recent expansion, The Final Shape. Evidently, even this wasn’t enough to shave off further job cuts.
