Bungie attempts to pacify the Destiny 2 community following huge wave of layoffs

Bungie has released an official blog post acknowledging the substantial layoffs put upon staff who’ve been working on Destiny 2, as well as assuring fans that the upcoming expansion for the MMOFPS would be “an unforgettable Destiny experience”. This comes as fans mourn the departure of various key figures in the game’s development.

“This has been one of the most difficult weeks in our studio’s history, as we’ve parted ways with people we respect and admire,” is the first line of the post, penned by ‘the Destiny 2 dev team’. “We’ve spent this week supporting one another, including those who are at the studio, as well as friends and colleagues who no longer are.”

According to reports from various journalists and outlets, the treatment of the roughly 100 “colleagues who no longer are” has been anything by supportive. Jason Schrier at Bloomberg reported that employees woke up on Monday October 30 to sudden meetings where they would be fired. They would receive severance and health benefits for at least three months, but other benefits ended the same day resulting in a rush to file expenses. Staff on a vesting schedule since the Sony Acquisition (basically stock options linked with time employed) lost any shares that were not vested at the time of their firing.

Forbes Journalist Paul Tassi would report information from his own sources, stating that those who were told in meetings were instructed not to spread the news to others at Bungie, which stopped staff from exchanging contacts and saying their goodbyes. He also reported that: “Many team managers were not told at all about who on the team was being laid off, and only found out as it happened.”

Back to the blog post. Following the opening emotional sentiment, it emphasises the company’s intent to win back the community’s trust. “We want to acknowledge the feedback and concerns you have about Lightfall and recent Seasons, as well as your responses to the reveal of The Final Shape. We know we have lost a lot of your trust. Destiny needs to surprise and delight. We haven’t done this enough and that’s going to change.”

“To us the path forward is clear: We need to make The Final Shape an unforgettable Destiny experience. We want to build something that will be regarded alongside the best games we’ve ever made – a fitting culmination that honors the journey we’ve been on together for the past ten years. Forsaken, The Witch Queen, and The Taken King – these are the standard bearers we aim to live up to.”

What’s interesting is what’s not written there. Back to daddy Schrier, his report also reveals that revenue was 45% below the predicted figure for Destiny 2. CEO Pete Parsons blamed this on poor player retention since the Lightfall expansion, according to Schrier. The article would also include info from sources who claimed that plans were in place to delay the upcoming Final Shape expansion to June 2024.

It is not secret that Destiny 2 has been in a rough shape for some time now. The game has gotten more expensive over time, then you’ve got content vaulting, narrative failings and various other issues that have rubbed the shine off the illustrious shooter.

The blog post concludes by assuring that consistent updates will be coming in the coming weeks, but you’ve got to wonder how much this community-facing article can actually win over fans who have seen numerous devs suddenly departing the studio. IGN has reported the CEO Pete Parsons informed the remaining staff they had kept “the right people” for its goal of building Destiny 2 back up to expectations. The proof will ultimately be in the pudding as to whether this was a cynical method of cutting costs during a timultuous year for the video game industry.

Sony – Bungie’s new owner – saw its stock price rise 6.41% since the layoffs.