Bungie owner Sony responds to the Destiny 2 studio’s massive layoffs in the most corporate owner way possible: “We have to enhance the efficiency of the business”

“The purpose is cost, the structure, and portfolio optimization”

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A week on from the mass layoffs atDestiny 2developerBungie,Sony Interactive Entertainment’s chairman has pointed to “efficiency” and “portfolio optimization” as the reasoning behind 17% of the studio’s staff being laid off.

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons announced in a blog post last week that220 of the studio’s staff were being laid off, and that an extra 155 roles are being integrated into Sony Interactive Entertainment “over the next few quarters.” Development of an upcoming new science-fantasy action game is also going to shift to a new studio created within PlayStation Studios. All in all, it’s an enormous shakeup for the developer with hundreds affected, but this latest response from the studio’s owner, Sony, is very corporate.

The topic was raised during Sony Group Corporation’s Q1 FY2024 consolidated financial results briefing, which took place earlier today. Sony Group’s president, chief financial officer and chief operating officer, Hiroki Totoki, who’s also the chairman of Bungie owner Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE),says: “For this restructuring the purpose is cost, the structure, and portfolio optimization. Those are the purposes. And simultaneously, we have to enhance the efficiency of the business.”

Totoki mentions the transfer of some development to PlayStation Studios, saying that “there will be some reallocation of the resources.” He continues: “So in any case, the organization of the structure will be changed, and so we’d like to optimize our overall studio structure.”

Based on the reactions of some of the Destiny devs affected by the layoffs last week,it sounds like some were unaware of the changes until they were publicly announced, with sound designer Tzvi Sherman saying: “This is how I’ve found out I’m laid off.” The layoffs came after what’s no doubt been a successful launch for Destiny 2: The Final Shape, which has received very positive reviews from fans and critics alike.

As catastrophic layoffs rattle the games industry, FPS legend John Romero says “I’ve never seen anything like we’re seeing now.”

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I’m one of GamesRadar+’s news writers, who works alongside the rest of the news team to deliver cool gaming stories that we love. After spending more hours than I can count filling The University of Sheffield’s student newspaper with Pokemon and indie game content, and picking up a degree in Journalism Studies, I started my career at GAMINGbible where I worked as a journalist for over a year and a half. I then became TechRadar Gaming’s news writer, where I sourced stories and wrote about all sorts of intriguing topics. In my spare time, you’re sure to find me on my Nintendo Switch or PS5 playing through story-driven RPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles and Persona 5 Royal, nuzlocking old Pokemon games, or going for a Victory Royale in Fortnite.

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