Bungie Laying Off 17 Percent of Workforce

According to a new message from Bungie chairman and CEO Pete Parsons, Bungie will lay off 220 staff, or around 17 percent of its workforce. These layoffs will impact every level of the study, including executive and senior roles.

Laid-off staff will reportedly be given a “generous exit package, including severance, bonus, and health coverage.”

“Due to rising costs of development and industry shifts as well as enduring economic conditions, it has become clear that we need to make substantial changes to our cost structure and focus development efforts entirely on Destiny and Marathon,” Parsons said in his message.

Additionally, around 155 members of Bungie staff will be integrated into Sony Interactive Entertainment over the next few quarters.

“Today is a difficult and painful day, especially for our departing colleagues, all of which have made important and valuable contributions to Bungie. Our goal is to support them with the utmost care and respect,” Parsons continued.

“I realize all of this is hard news, especially following the success we have seen with The Final Shape. 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.”

Bungie is currently working with PlayStation on a new action game set in a science-fantasy universe.

“Bungie will continue to make great games. We still have over 850 team members building Destiny and Marathon, and we will continue to build amazing experiences that exceed our players’ expectations,” Parsons promised. “There will be a time to talk about our goals and projects, but today is not that day. Today, our focus is on supporting our people.”