Sony Triggers Layoffs at Bungie, and Even Marathon Isn't Safe

Bungie has just announced major layoffs of an undisclosed number of employees, as they restructure the company and attempt to correct the studio's long-term direction.

In a heartfelt email to the employees of Sony Interactive Entertainment, the CEO of Studio Business Group, Herman Hulst, reveals these layoffs include the majority of the Destiny team, some of the Marathon team, as well as SIE employees.

Bungie Announces Significant Layoffs as Part of Restructuring

Bungie

While we don't have a clear picture of how many people will be affected by these layoffs, the email from Herman Hulst says it's a significant number, and SIE will now focus on providing transition support for those affected. "This is painful news, especially for talented colleagues whose roles have been eliminated. This decision was made only after extensive discussion and careful consideration, and i want to provide some context on how we arrived here."

Hulst goes on to explain that over the past few months, Studio Business Group and Bungie leadership have been reviewing the studio's resource needs, development priorities, and their overall role within Sony's broader portfolio strategy, and after exploring several alternative solutions, it was decided that a workforce reduction was necessary for long-term success.

Bungie publicly announced the layoffs today via Bluesky, stating, "As the leaders of Bungie, past and present, we recognize Destiny 2 fell short of expectations these past several years. Following our final content update to Destiny 2, and with our future projects still in early incubation, we unfortunately could not continue operating at our previous size."

The final update for Destiny 2 was released on June 9th, 2026, marking the end of an era, and leaving Destiny fans wondering what's next, as Bungie stated they will be turning their focus towards developing their next games, with no word on what those games will be.

Destiny's die-hard fans even started a petition in an attempt to get Bungie to develop Destiny 3, but we'll have to wait until the dust settles to see what Bungie has in store for the years to come.

The internal email to SIE employees does reveal some details about Bungie's roadmap, though, as Hulst states, "Marathon remains an important part of our portfolio, and we will continue to support the team as they build on the strong foundation established in Season 1 and 2, and as they work on incubation efforts for future projects. While it's too early to discuss, we are encouraged by the creativity and opportunities that lie ahead."

It appears Marathon will continue to be Bungie's breadwinner for the foreseeable future, as the studio works in secrecy on what sounds like not one, but multiple, new games. Could this be the beginning of a fresh start for Bungie? Will Destiny 3 be one of their next games? Or will they reinvent themselves once more with a brand-new series for fans to fall in love with?

The fall is ripe with big-name game releases, so it's possible we won't have any substantial news about Bungie's next games until 2027.

Marathon Carries the Torch

In the meantime, Marathon has been evolving at a rapid rate, as Bungie has been experimenting with new game modes, including Night Marsh, which features new enemies and cranks the horror-factor up several notches.

The marathon team has also stated they will be continuing to experiment with more PvE-focused modes, such as the Vault Breaker mode, which launches on July 21st and will allow runners to explore the Cryo Archive and experience a unique progression system where runners must power up before entering the final vault.

So, while Marathon is continuously improving and looks like it may still have its best days ahead of it, and we know there are likely multiple new games on the horizon, the more important story remains that many developers and employees will be losing their jobs and starting a new chapter. It's important to acknowledge the passion and hard work that these employees have given as they enter a transitional period in their careers, and part ways with colleagues and friends.

Released March 5, 2026

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