Bungie has announced a cut of 220 jobs from its workforce, approximately 17%, to focus on Destiny and Marathon. Layoffs come at a time when the company is overwhelmed by increasing development costs and changes in the gaming industry.
Bungie plans to integrate some staff into Sony Interactive Entertainment to streamline operations.
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Bungie Job Cuts Target Future Goals
Bungie, one of the world's most famous game developers, announced a reduction of 220 jobs to slim down and focus on two major projects: Destiny and Marathon. This is part of a larger strategy to refocus and adapt to the increasing cost of game development and shifting industry trends.
The layoffs cut 17% of Bungie's workforce and spanned all levels within the company, including senior positions.
Bungie is taking such action, according to its chief executive, Pete Parsons, to put the company in a position to set more realistic financial goals and support the core development of the company.
Wanting to refocus resources and not be as sprawled out when managing financial pressures, the company felt compelled to cut back on its workforce following the successful launch of Destiny 2's latest expansion titled 'The Final Shape.'
Bungie's restructuring plan will see 155 of its workers integrate into Sony Interactive Entertainment. This is part of a deeper collaboration with Sony, which acquired Bungie in 2022.
The move will be to save as much talent as possible that would have otherwise been lost if this were done as part of layoffs.
Fresh Start for Bungie Project
In addition to the job cuts and staff integration, Bungie is planning to spin off one of its smaller projects into a new studio under the PlayStation Studios banner.
This action game project, set in a science-fantasy universe, is committed to continuing its development with a fresh team.
According to Video Gamer, the need to open up a new studio serves as proof of how much Bungie is committed to continuing new creative ways while consolidating its core business around Destiny and Marathon.
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