WHAT JUST HAPPENED? Bungie is cutting hundreds of jobs and scaling back its Destiny 2 operation as Sony and the studio rethink their live-service tech and shift resources toward new projects like the extraction shooter Marathon. The layoffs follow Destiny 2's final content update on June 9, closing out a long run for a technically demanding live-service shooter.
For years, Bungie kept Destiny 2 online with a big technical footprint, from backend systems for progression and matchmaking to tools for live events and constant content updates. Now, with that pipeline winding down and new games still in early incubation, the studio is cutting back the team that supports those systems.
Bungie acknowledged the cuts in a statement posted on X, saying "we are announcing a reduction in force as we reorganize Bungie." The studio didn't include a number in that message, but a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification filed by Sony in Washington shows about 292 employees will be laid off from Bungie's Bellevue headquarters.
Hermen Hulst, CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment's Studio Business Group and head of PlayStation Studios, told staff the layoffs hit most of the Destiny team, some Marathon developers, and Sony Interactive Entertainment employees who support Bungie.
