Bungie lays off 220 staff
Destiny maker Bungie is laying off 220 members of its staff.
That's according to an email from studio boss Pete Parson – shared on the company's website – in which he said that around 17 per cent of the company's employees were being laid off. Parson added that these job cuts had to be made to reduce costs and "focus development efforts" on Destiny and Marathon.
A further 155 positions are moving to paarent company Sony Interactive Entertainment, something that Bungie says will help in "deepening our integration" with the PlayStation giant. Finally, staff from Bungie are working with PlayStation Studios to form a brand new developer to work on a project the firm currently has in its incubation arm.
"This morning, I’m sharing with all of you some of the most difficult changes we’ve ever had to make as a studio," Parsons wrote.
"Due to rising costs of development and industry shifts as well as enduring economic conditions, it has become clear that we need to make substantial changes to our cost structure and focus development efforts entirely on Destiny and Marathon."
"These actions will affect every level of the company, including most of our executive and senior leader roles.
"Today is a difficult and painful day, especially for our departing colleagues, all of which have made important and valuable contributions to Bungie. Our goal is to support them with the utmost care and respect. For everyone affected by this job reduction, we will be offering a generous exit package, including severance, bonus and health coverage."
"I realise all of this is hard news, especially following the success we have seen with The Final Shape. But as we’ve navigated the broader economic realities over the last year, and after exhausting all other mitigation options, this has become a necessary decision to refocus our studio and our business with more realistic goals and viable financials."
This is the second round of layoffs at Bungie in a year following a 100-staff cull in
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