Bungie staff knew the Future 2 studio was struggling, however may not have anticipated a current mass layoff of roughly 100 workers. That’s in accordance with a new report by Bloomberg which particulars a gathering earlier this month by which studio management blamed poor participant retention following 2023’s disappointing Lightfall growth for income going off a cliff.
The cash Bungie was bringing in was reportedly operating 45 p.c under projections for the 12 months. 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 studies 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. Consequently, the choice was made to delay it from February 2024 to June with a view to attempt to win again gamers. (Extraction shooter Marathon was delayed as effectively, to 2025.)
Within the meantime, Bungie in the end determined to put off roughly 100 staff, or about 8 p.c of its 1,200 headcount, Bloomberg reports. As first shared by Forbes author Paul Tassi earlier in the present day, staff are receiving three months of severance and medical insurance, whereas different advantages run out on November 1. And whereas bonuses will probably be prorated for the 12 months, these with shares from the 2022 Sony acquisition that haven’t but vested will lose them. Sony, for its half, additionally seems to be slicing prices throughout its studios.
“At present is a tragic day at Bungie as we are saying goodbye to colleagues who’ve all made a big 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 huge and can proceed to be part of Bungie lengthy into the longer term.”
The tweet has since been ratioed, with some commenters calling the remarks “tone deaf” and asking the chief whether or not he had taken a pay reduce earlier than deciding who to put off. Bungie has up to now declined to touch upon the scenario.
