Bungie is laying off 17% of its workforce; further integration into SIE + new studio in PlayStation Studios

Bungie seems to be taking some additional steps into fully integrating into SIE.

Highlights:

- 220 of our roles will be eliminated, representing roughly 17% of our studio’s workforce

- Working to integrate 155 of our roles, roughly 12%, into SIE over the next few quarters

- We are 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.

Source

Beat me by a minute. I'm losing my touch lol.

lol :P

It sounds like Sony's taking over now. What's odd is that they're creating a new studio while also laying off a bunch of people. Couldn't some of those just get moved over?

Soooo, sounds like perhaps they're continuing the direction of helping other teams build GaaS or perhaps just helping streamline online features but sounds like they've taken the role of a floater team to assist other studios.

Interesting because from early reports of layoffs that started last year they axed the floater teams I heard were involved with quality control and to polish games from a performance and artistic end.

Maybe not anything in that ballpark though, perhaps they're just setting aside staff to keep Marathon with a constant content stream while allowing the main Bungie team to jump onto new projects once it's done.

I blame the Microsoft acquisition. Sony was feeling like they had to make a reaction buy and they chose poorly. 🤦

That's the other 12%.

First, we are deepening our integration with Sony Interactive Entertainment, working to integrate 155 of our roles, roughly 12%, into SIE over the next few quarters. SIE has worked tirelessly with us to identify roles for as many of our people as possible, enabling us together to save a great deal of talent that would otherwise have been affected by the reduction in force.

17 percent sacrificed for something that's likely gonna underperform. Bungie has yet to prove why they're worth 3 billion dollars

Hell yea. Close that shitty microtransaction infested developer down.

yikes

Hopefully the fired employees find new opportunities soon

this is clearly due to Game Pass, the ABK deal, and poor console sales..

God Dammit Nintendo...what did you do!!! j/k

Sadly not surprising with the Job losses. Wasn't there a new article a while back where Sony were scaling back their GAAS plans a bit. Is Destiny still big or what the story there? But yeah. Kinda surprised it didn't happen sooner to be honest. Always happens with buyouts.

Taking an idea and spinning off a new internal studio to put more focus on it is also a good idea in fairness. Someone at Bungie was probably thinking "Hey...remember Oni?". It would probably be nice for the creative people at bungie to be able to work on something that's not Destiny. Hopefully it turns into something great.

Cows

17% less crap is a start.

220 is 17% of Bungie!

Holy hell, that sounds like a huge amount of employees for a studio.

I'm expecting Destiny 3 to be now part of Sony since they could use a Halo wannabe as Sony is lacking any FPS exclusives. I'll gladly come back to Destiny with open arms.

GaaS aren't a bad thing. The problem is bad GaaS. You can't just throw any trash heap (looking at you Concord) out there and expect it to succeed. You want success? It's simple... give the actual players what they want. Check your coat, woke ideologies (like SBI), and majorly copying others at thr door. Compassion in your product equals sales, continued support equals sales, fair pricing equals sales, competitiveness equals sales, a long well thought out and evolving end game equals sales... you can't release a half baked product and expect it to blow up. If you want to be the next big thing then controls have to be tight, camera angles have to be on point, player options need to be everywhere. After that? A vision and someone who is actually in touch with with industry. Stable servers, a good road map, transparency, communication, timely bug fixes, and smooth interfaces free of lag or hang and they will come. Just building it isn't enough any more... unless you want to get swallowed alive.

I was told Sony would never layoff especially after a multi-billion dollar acquisition.🙃

Poor cows...

At least we don't survice on Save Princess For 59th Time Because We Can't Make A Different Story.

Weird, I thought Destiny 2 and its last expansion were succesful.

Also what has Bungie even made for Sony so far?

I blame Gamepass and Phil Spencer.

No, but you do feed your Fat Princess lots of food and not saving her for the 59th times is the easy job you Cows have.

@kathaariancode: Phil Spencer is easily the worst CEO. He let Bungie be sold off to Sony to become absolutely sidelined.

don't forget the Series S..

Stopped feeding her generations ago. She dead.

Really sucks for those let go. Sounds like Sony is taking over Bungie now.

The struggle is real!

Lightfall and, The Final Shape.

Marathon is still cooking and, an incubation team is getting spun out into a new studio in PlayStation Studios.

Bungie is dead ☠️

~1300 people; they're enormous.

220 are being laid off.

155 are being integrated into SIE.

75 are being spun out into a new studio.

That puts them at about ~850.

Ooooh, what a shitshow. But honestly, Bungie is a shell of its former self. I wouldn't be too mad if they closed down. Really sucks for the small people affected, though. I hope they find a new job right away.

Edit: I hate capitalism sometimes.

I think the MS acquisition played a big part in this. Or maybe Bungie executives just like firing people, lol.

i was told that layoffs only happen when there is something fundamentally wrong at the company in terms of finances and/or business strategies.. basically a company is failing if there are layoffs, correct?..

So basically 29%--almost a third--of Bungie has either been let go or moved elsewhere.

Yeah that studio is in maintenance mode at this point rofl.

@kvallyx:

Bungie is far from dead. They just can't afford to work on multiple projects with just Destiny 2's revenue and profit.

Bungie's cord is getting shorter and shorter.

I find it funny how some say they are slower getting integrated into Sony like their still an independent studio🤣

lol. This might be the worst studio purchase ever made by anyone.

More layoffs at Sony what a shit show.

Seriously though it's happening all over and crap for those involved.

Current climate and all that

Poo cows, just can't catch a break these dayzz. lol :P

@Antwan3K: Well, by those rules Bungie is failing by 17% 😱

Even Sony fans knew this was a bad call by Sony itself. There was no benefit of buying out Bungie and Bungie was only known for making good Halo games. Destiny was fun, I'll give them that.

perhaps new leadership is needed at Bungie and Sony?..

i'm concerned..

Sony is doing the clean up this dev needed over 10 years ago.

There goes their independence. From the frying pan into the fire for them.

Should have happened so damn long ago. Their management is pathetic.

Amazingly vapid behavior from bungie ceo.... What a disaster.

Now we wait for that pick me up thread from Sony fannies? I wonder what it would be this time? 🤭

@Pedro:

Not to fear, Solid is hard at work searching the internet for something, anything as we speak. lolol :P