Yesterday, Bungie became the latest PlayStation studio to suffer a downsizing. While it was not reported how many employees Sony laid off, the news quickly generated a stir. Likewise, it came to light that two of the company’s most important projects, Marathon and the next DLC of Destiny 2, they would be delayed.
Layoffs at Bungie are a fact. Pete Parsons, CEO of the studio, lamented the decision through a publication on X (Twitter). However, the apparent postponement of the aforementioned projects has not yet been made official.
“Today is a sad day at Bungie, as we say goodbye to colleagues who have had a significant impact on our studio. What these exceptional people have contributed to our games and Bungie culture has been enormous and will continue to be a part of us in the future. future,” said the manager.
As published by Jason Schreier, of Bloombergthe expansion The Final Shapewhich would reach Destiny 2 in February 2024, would be delayed until June. While Marathonthe company’s next big bet after dedicating the last decade to Destiny, would have been rescheduled for 2025.
Bungie apparently reported its decision to postpone both projects internally in recent days, just before the staff cuts were implemented. The reasons behind the layoffs have not been publicly explained, at least until now. However, Schreier mentions that the restructuring of the teams that make up PlayStation Studios would be related precisely to the delays recorded in different proposals.
Let us remember that Naughty Dog has suffered a similar situation that has put the launch of the multiplayer of The Last of Us. While Half Moleculethe creators of LittleBigPlanethave also been in the recent news for the dismissal of around twenty workers.
Layoffs at Bungie and their impact on Destiny 2 and Marathon
Since the number of Bungie employees laid off is not reported, it is impossible to know how many of them were linked to Marathon and the new DLC Destiny 2. However, the fact that both projects are postponed would reveal the existence of a direct impact about them.
Let’s keep in mind that The Final Shape would close the first arc of Destiny 2. In fact, the developers planned to change the release schedule after this DLC, in order to focus on three annual episodes and not four seasons. For now, it is unknown if the almost 4-month delay in its launch will modify that strategy.
As to Marathon, the panorama is even more intriguing. The new game was one of the big surprises at last May’s PlayStation Showcase, but Bungie didn’t provide too many details beyond an initial trailer. Thus, It is still unknown how advanced its development is.. In any case, if the game is really delayed until 2025 it is because there is probably still a lot of work to be done.
Beyond its quality as a developer, Bungie is part of a more important strategy for Sony. The company is taking advantage of the studio’s experience in the field of games as a service to advise and, in a sense, audit the work of their PlayStation Studios peers. Therefore, it is even more surprising that, just a year after completing their acquisition, the Japanese are turning the scissors and getting rid of part of their staff.