Bungie hit with ‘significant’ layoffs after ending Destiny 2

Now that Bungie has moved on from Destiny 2, the game studio is being hit with its latest round of layoffs. In a statement posted on X, the studio said that “we are announcing a reduction in force as we reorganize Bungie.” No specific numbers were revealed. But in a separate statement, Hermen Hulst, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Studio Business Group, said that the layoffs would include “a significant number of employees, including most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members.”

“We recognize Destiny 2 fell short of expectations these past several years,” Bungie’s statement continued. “Following our final content update to Destiny 2, and with our future projects still in early incubation, we unfortunately could not continue operating at our previous size.” Destiny 2 received its last update earlier this month on June 9th.

Hulst added that “We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals.”

Layoffs have been a constant at the studio since it was acquired by Sony as part of a big push into live-service games, including staff cuts in both 2023 and 2024. This came amidst a larger reckoning as companies over-invested in live-service games, leading to high-profile failures like Concord and Highguard, as well as downturns for major releases like Fortnite.

Bungie released the extraction shooter Marathon in March, but the game has struggled amidst the general turmoil of the live-service space. Hulst said that Marathon “remains an important part of our portfolio.”

In its statement today, Bungie said that it would be sharing more on its future projects at some point, but “today is not that day.”