PlayStation acquired Bungie for $3.6 billion last year after rivals like Microsoft opened the floodgates for massive mergers.
The gaming giant hoped to use the studio behind Destiny to lead its charge into the live service genre after it had cultivated first-party studios around a single-player focus.
Since then, the developer has offered valuable feedback to PlayStation’s teams, reportedly instructing Naughty Dog to reassess The Last of Us Multiplayer. However, the studio appears to be facing issues of its own, with reports about layoffs at Bungie.
Why it matters: Bungie is just one of the many first-party PlayStation studios facing this situation. Teams like Naughty Dog, Media Molecule, and more laid off staff not too long ago.
https://t.co/pqvIvqmq0o pic.twitter.com/yjwvDwii9w
— Timur222 (@bogorad222) October 30, 2023
As reported by Timur222, former Bungie employees have announced their departure from the studio on LinkedIn.
According to the laid-off developer, the studio is going through a reduction in force, but the exact number of employees impacted by this decision has not been provided.
Following reports of earlier layoffs at PlayStation, many had wondered if the gaming giant was beginning to run into management issues. Recently, the company has also let go of Connie Booth, a veteran who had been with Sony for over 30 years.
However, unlike Visual Arts or Naughty Dog, Bungie still operates independently despite its status as a first-party developer. Therefore, this wave of layoffs may be completely unrelated to PlayStation.
Because PlayStation has so many ambitions for the live service market, the gaming giant will likely ensure extra care is taken for Bungie moving forward.
The industry, in general, has not been kind to developers in 2023. Major publishers like Epic Games have also faced layoffs, forcing developers to form unions at various studios.
We find it upsetting that so many developers have lost their jobs this year. While the industry has thrived from the consumer’s point of view, even the best studios have struggled to keep up with the challenging economy.
Bungie is currently working on Marathon and future support for Destiny 2. The former was announced earlier this year, and it was met with a lot of excitement. Hopefully, these layoffs will not leave a lasting impact on the studio or the developers affected.
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