Want Our Latest Print Issue?
Bungie has announced layoffs affecting 220 employees. In a blog post, Bungie CEO Pete Parsons cites “rising costs of development and industry shifts as well as enduring economic conditions” as the primary factor while revealing some dramatic changes for the company going forward.
These layoffs represent 17 percent of the studio’s workforce and affect every department of the company, with executive and senior leadership roles impacted most. Parsons states that departing employees will receive a “generous” exit package that includes severance, bonus, and health coverage. Bungie also plans to hold employee town halls, along with team and private individual meetings over the coming weeks, to help sort out the next steps. 850 employees remain following the layoffs.
“I realize all of this is hard news, especially following the success we have seen with The Final Shape,” Parsons writes. “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.”
Second, Bungie is working with PlayStation Studios to form a new, separate in-house studio that will continue developing one of its incubation projects. Bungie describes this title as “an action game set in a brand-new science-fantasy universe.”
“After this new trajectory became clear, we knew we had to change our course and speed, and we did everything we could to avoid today’s outcome. Even with exhaustive efforts undertaken across our leadership and product teams to resolve our financial challenges, these steps were simply not enough,”
Here on the website, we offer much of our content for free, including game reviews, daily news, videos, event coverage, and more – all with minimal ads.
We do so with a small editorial team, alongside contributing paid writers from around the world – over 65 individuals from 9 countries around the world, just in the last couple of years.
It’s not possible without support.
In a time when game makers and games coverage have faced hard struggles and layoffs, the future of this 30+ year magazine and community is at risk. Our new standalone magazine subscription is the number one way you can keep us alive – and we believe you’ll get a pretty fantastic gaming magazine in your mailbox every few weeks for your trouble.
Thank you.
Want Our Latest Print Issue?