Bungie, the developer behind the Destiny franchise, has acknowledged concerns regarding the future of the series following significant layoffs at the studio. These recent changes involved the termination of 220 employees, with an additional 155 moving to roles within parent company PlayStation. These layoffs follow a previous round of 100 job cuts less than a year ago.
The future direction of Destiny has been brought into question, particularly in the absence of key developers Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy, who were reportedly working on a now-canceled Destiny spin-off called Payback.
Despite these upheavals, Bungie has assured its community that it remains committed to the Destiny franchise. The studio has made vague references to a “multi-year journey” that presumably points to ongoing content development for Destiny 2, although specific details are scarce.
Bungie has not addressed the departures of key staff directly, but it has promised to keep the community informed with regular updates and transparent communication regarding the game’s future.
Bungie’s communication strategy with its fanbase, which typically involves weekly blog posts, was interrupted last week due to the layoffs and subsequent backlash from both current and former employees as well as the broader gaming community.
This week, the studio resumed its regular updates, reassuring players that all previously announced content plans for Destiny 2 remain on track, despite the challenges posed by the recent staff reductions.
The layoffs come at a pivotal time for Destiny 2, as the game has just concluded its main 10-year narrative arc. Bungie plans to introduce future content in the form of “Episodes,” which will feature standalone stories released three times a year. While the studio faces a challenging period ahead, it remains focused on maintaining its commitment to the Destiny series and its community.
In addition to continuing its work on Destiny 2, Bungie is also developing a reboot of its classic sci-fi shooter Marathon. This new title, a sci-fi extraction shooter, is in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S and is expected to launch next year. As Bungie navigates through these changes, it aims to deliver on its promises to both the Destiny community and players awaiting new projects like Marathon.
