After Massive Staff Cuts, Bungie Studio Mulls Future Of Hit Games ‘Marathon’ & ‘Destiny’
by Julian Torres
'Destiny 2' (Image: Bungie)
Last month, Sony Interactive Entertainment let go of 292 employees at subsidiary studio Bungie, of Destiny fame.
Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Studio Business Group CEO Herman Hulst shared this decision via internal email.
“We have made the decision to reduce Bungie’s workforce, affecting a significant number of employees, including most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members. There are also reductions across SIE teams that support Bungie’s operations. Those impacted at Bungie and within SIE are being informed today.”
“This is painful news,” Hulst elaborated, “especially for talented colleagues whose roles have been eliminated. This decision was made only after extensive discussion and careful consideration, and I want to provide some context on how we arrived here. Over the past several months, together with Bungie leadership, we reviewed the studio’s long-term direction, development priorities, resource needs, and role within our broader portfolio strategy. 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.”
The specific 292 number comes from a WARN filing with Washington State’s Employment Security Department.
Hulst still hails Destiny as “truly remarkable,” and he boasts that “everyone who contributed to its success should be proud of what they helped create.”
The email also reaffirmed that “Marathon remains an important part of our portfolio, and we will continue to support the team as they build on the strong foundation established in Seasons 1 and 2, and as they work on incubation efforts for future projects. While it’s too early to discuss, we are encouraged by the creativity and opportunities that lie ahead.”
The message continued to promise to support those employees affected by the cuts and even offers other opportunities across SIE and its network.
Hulst concluded by thanking every affected employee for “their hard work, creativity, and contributions to Bungie, SIE, and the broader gaming community,” and he thanked everyone for their “resilience and continued support during this difficult time.”
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