Bungie has announced that the PlayStation studio is undergoing another mass layoff which will affect 220 people which accounts for around 17% of the total workforce. The reasons for the mass layoff are rising developmental costs and “industry shifts” and it is being called a difficult change that had to be made. Major structural changes, including a new PlayStation studio and a new game, will follow this mass layoff.
According to the CEO of Bungie, Pete Parsons, Bungie will be working even more closely with Sony Interactive Entertainment by integrating 155 roles, which is almost 12% of the total workforce, into SIE. This change will come into effect within the next few quarters.
Parsons went on to explain that Sony has tried to identify as many roles as possible that could be retained by working with SIE as well, otherwise, these people would also have been affected by the reduction in force. The letter from Bungie also announced that the developer is working on a brand new sci-fi action game under PlayStation Studios. The game seems to be a new IP because it is being defined as “a new science-fantasy universe”. We don’t know any further details about the project at the time of writing, but considering it is Bungie, it could be an online live-service title.
Everyone who is being laid off will be given a “generous exit package” including a severance bonus and health coverage. Although a mass layoff is never a good thing, Bungie has done a much better job when it comes to making the exit easier for employees. Compared with a few other major publishers in the last few years.
Finally, the letter reassured fans that the Marathon reboot is still going according to plan and is being worked on by over 800 people. And Destiny 2 fans don’t need to worry about anything, as the game will continue as usual.
