If you’ve been following the gaming news cycle this week, you’ve probably heard a lot about Destiny 2. The sci-fi MMO shooter from Bungie has had some major stories break in just the last few days, from staff layoffs to cancellations, but there’s been some inconsistent reporting in the ever-evolving situation. To make it easier to understand, we’re going to break down what’s confirmed, what’s rumoured and what’s been disproven about the ongoing struggle of Bungie and Destiny 2.
The whole story started when Bungie laid off 220 staff members earlier this week, in what was shocking news considering how their most recent expansion, The Final Shape, was received well both commercially and critically. The statement was shared by Pete Parsons, the current CEO of the company. The statement also shares that 155 roles will be moved from Bungie to Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE). Effectively, this means 375 people – 29% of Bungie’s workforce – have left or are leaving the company.
A lot of outrage has surrounded this statement, not only because of people losing their livelihoods in response to a successful game, but also as Parsons, the CEO who shared the statement, spent $2.3 million on vintage cars since 2022. The disparity between removing the careers and stability of people who were doing as they told by the leadership, and the head of the leadership spending millions on cars and facing no career repercussions whatsoever, are causing a lot of tension online between fans and employees of Bungie, and the higher ups in control. Parson’s incompetence as a leader and the way he oversold Bungie to Sony is not being punished – the employees are.
So, Bungie are losing workers both from layoffs and transferring to SIE, but what about the future of their game output? Let’s start with Destiny 2. Jeff Grubb, a reliable leaker but not an official source, has said that Bungie will no longer produce large expansions akin to The Final Shape or The Witch Queen, and instead drop smaller-scale content packs. A leaker known as ‘Liz’ who has previously been reliable with Destiny 2 content leaks has said that two content packs will drop per year, which will each coincide with a new in-game ‘Season’. They also say that there will be no more week-to-week story missions, and that the narrative overall will take a hit.
What of the future of the Destiny franchise? Grubb has also said that a Destiny-related project known as ‘Payback’ has been shelved, but this was not due to the recent layoffs. As has also been corroborated by incredibly accurate reporter Jason Schreier, this project was not Destiny 3, but was instead a spinoff of the franchise. Reports that Bungie has scrapped Destiny 3 or the ‘next Destiny‘ are incorrect. Nothing concrete is known about what’s coming in the future for Destiny, besides from the aforementioned ‘content pack’ leaks, if they are proven to be accurate.
Destiny 2 isn’t the only game Bungie is working on, as they also have the previously announced Marathon, which is a sci-fi extraction shooter reboot of the 1994 shooter game of the same name. Marathon is still actively being worked on at present, and is scheduled for a 2025 release (which Grubb is doubtful of). It appears that the Marathon project is currently completely unaffected by all layoffs and drama.
All that remains to be seen now is how fan outcry about all the events described above will affect Bungie and its leadership. Many are calling out for Parsons to step down given his failings as a leader, with him overseeing several rounds of layoffs, unrealistic expectations with both Lightfall and The Final Shape expansions, and its struggling integration into the wider Sony brand. This is a highly turbulent situation, with Sony able to step in at any moment given they now own the company.
With all this, you should be fully caught up with the ongoing Destiny 2 drama and the Bungie layoff crisis that’s making waves online. Let us know your thoughts down below, and stay tuned to GameLuster for the latest gaming news and analysis!
