Destiny 2 developer Bungie latest PlayStation studio to be hit by layoffs

UPDATE 8.51pm UK: Veteran Destiny composer Michael Salvatori appears to have suggested he is included in yesterday's layoffs at Bungie.

The acclaimed composer has now updated his website to remove mention of his time with the company - which stretches back to 1997's Myth: The Fallen Lords - as well as his ongoing work on the Destiny franchise, including next year's climactic expansion The Final Shape.

Instead, the website now simply states: "Gone fishin' :)"

Salvatori had worked on Destiny's musical score since the series' origins, though stepped up into a more prominent role with the departure of fellow Bungie veteran Marty O'Donnell. It's unclear to what extent work on next year's now-delayed expansion had already been completed.

Eurogamer has contacted Sony for comment.

UPDATE 8.51pm UK: Following news of layoffs at Bungie, studio CEO Pete Parsons has publicly commented on the job cuts, calling it "a sad day" for the Destiny 2 developer.

"Today is a sad day at Bungie as we say goodbye to colleagues who have all made a significant impact on our studio," Parsons wrote on social media. "What these exceptional individuals have contributed to our games and Bungie culture has been enormous and will continue to be a part of Bungie long into the future. These are truly talented people. If you have openings, I would highly recommend each and every one of them."

It's still unclear how many Bungie employees have been affected by today's job cuts, and Sony is yet to respond to requests for comment.

News of layoffs at the studio have coincided with reports that Bungie has internally announced a delay for next year's Destiny 2's expansion, The Final Shape, as well as its PvP reimagining of classic 90s first-person shooter series Marathon.

ORIGINAL STORY 6.37pm UK: Destiny 2 developer Bungie has begun laying off employees, following job cuts at other PlayStation studios in recent weeks.

News of layoffs at Bungie was shared by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, who wrote on social media that studio CEO Pete Parsons had "emailed the company this morning to say they'll be having a team meeting today to talk about 'some news today coming out of Bungie'".

While the scope of today's layoffs is not yet known, Bungie employees affected by the job cuts have already begun sharing the news on social media.

"Well... my heart is breaking for all affected," Bungie community manager and co-lead of accessibility Liana Ruppert wrote. "I am now looking for opportunities. I have 21 years of games industry experience in media, production, and community management. I'm processing, I'm so heartbroken. I don't know what to do from here... this was my home. I feel so lost."

Bungie social media lead Griffin Bennett, associate franchise editor Jason Guisao, and publishing producer and event manager Matthew Bianchi have also confirmed they've lost their jobs on social media. Eurogamer has contacted Sony for comment on today's news.

Layoffs at Bungie - which was formally acquired by Sony in July 2022 - follow job cuts across other PlayStation Studios in recent weeks. LittleBigPlanet developer Media Molecule and PlayStation's Visual Arts Service Group have both laid off staff, while The Last of Us studio Naughty Dog is said to have cut around 25 contract developers early.

The games industry has been significantly impacted by layoffs throughout 2023. Fortnite maker Epic Games recently cut 830 jobs, with staff at Fall Guys developer Mediatonic said to be heavily impacted, and layoffs are expected at Creative Assembly after Sega abruptly announced it was cancelling Hyenas. Team17, Microsoft, Take-Two, Riot Games, EA, Twitch, Meta, Unity, Ubisoft, CD Projekt, Roblox, Embracer, and Amazon have all announced job cuts this year.