Picture: Bungie
Bungie workers knew the Future 2 studio was struggling, however won’t have anticipated a current mass layoff of roughly 100 employees. That’s in line with a new report by Bloomberg which particulars a gathering earlier this month during which studio management blamed poor participant retention following 2023’s disappointing Lightfall growth for income going off a cliff.
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The cash Bungie was bringing in was reportedly working 45 % under projections for the yr. Regardless of an preliminary spike in concurrent gamers on Steam, Future 2 has struggled within the weeks and months following the discharge of its cyberpunk-infused Lightfall growth. Bloomberg experiences that The Ultimate Form, which Bungie has been hyping up because the climactic conclusion for Future 2’s present storyline, was getting good however not nice suggestions internally. In consequence, the choice was made to delay it from February 2024 to June with a purpose to attempt to win again gamers. (Extraction shooter Marathon was delayed as nicely, to 2025.)
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Within the meantime, Bungie in the end determined to put off roughly 100 workers, or about eight % of its 1,200 headcount, Bloomberg experiences. As first shared by Forbes author Paul Tassi earlier at this time, workers are receiving three months of severance and medical health insurance, whereas different advantages run out on November 1. And whereas bonuses can be prorated for the yr, these with shares from the 2022 Sony acquisition that haven’t but vested will lose them. Sony, for its half, additionally seems to be reducing prices throughout its studios.
“Right now is a tragic day at Bungie as we are saying goodbye to colleagues who’ve all made a major influence on our studio,” Bungie CEO Pete Parsons wrote on Twitter on October 30 after the information broke. “What these distinctive people have contributed to our video games and Bungie tradition has been monumental and can proceed to be part of Bungie lengthy into the long run.”
The tweet has since been ratioed, with some commenters calling the remarks “tone deaf” and asking the manager whether or not he had taken a pay reduce earlier than deciding who to put off. Bungie has to date declined to touch upon the state of affairs.
