At the end of October, Bungie announced a series of layoffs, letting a good chunk of its staff go. Now, developers at the Halo and Destiny studio are concerned about the future, particularly if Sony initiates a complete takeover of the company.
Around 100 employees gone
According to a report from IGN, a few employees at Bungie – both current and former – have expressed concern about the future of the studio and their jobs. One member of staff said the atmosphere has been “soul-crushing” in recent weeks. There’s also said to be a “massive decay in morale within the company,” according to those who spoke to IGN.
It’s also been suggested that the recent staff reductions may be part of a “broader move toward outsourcing.” Numerous members of staff have said they’ve heard talk about outsourcing before and after the layoffs.
Between 2007 and 2022, Bungie operated as an independent studio, having been a part of Microsoft since 2000, most notably during the development of the Halo series. However, in January 2022, Sony moved to acquire the company for $3.6 billion.
October’s firings are part of a widespread eruption of layoffs within the video game industry. This year alone has seen staff reductions across major developers, publishers, and parent companies, including Team17, Ubisoft, CD Projekt Red, Embracer Group – which has affected many of the studios it owns – and plenty more.
Even companies such as Unity and streaming platform Twitch have been affected. It seems many working in the industry – whether in a development capacity or not – are not safe.
At the time of writing, Sony has yet to comment on concerns Bungie staff have about the future or the intended acquisition.
