Bungie Staff Concerned About Future Amid Potential Sony Takeover

End of October, Bungie announced a series of layoffs, letting go of a good part of its staff. Now, developers at Halo and Destiny studios are worried about the future, especially if Sony initiates a complete takeover of the company.

A hundred employees missing

According to a report from IGN, a few Bungie employees – current and former – have expressed concern about the future of the studio and their jobs. One staff member said the atmosphere had been “heartbreaking” in recent weeks. There would also be a “massive decline in morale within the company,” according to those who spoke to IGN.

It has also been suggested that recent staff cuts could be part of a “wider shift towards outsourcing”. Many staff members said they had heard about outsourcing before and after the layoffs.

Between 2007 and 2022, Bungie operated as an independent studio, having been part of Microsoft since 2000, notably during the development of the Halo series. However, in January 2022, Sony decided to acquire the company for $3.6 billion.

The October layoffs are part of a widespread wave of layoffs within the video game industry. This year alone, there have been staff reductions at major developers, publishers and parent companies including Team17, Ubisoft, CD Projekt Red, Embracer Group – which has affected many of the studios it owns – and many others Again.

Even companies such as Unity and streaming platform Twitch have been affected. It seems that many people working in the industry – whether in development or not – are unsafe.

At the time of writing, Sony has yet to comment on its concerns. Bungie that the staff has about the future or about the planned acquisition.