The Sony-owned game developer Bungie has been working on Destiny 2 for almost 10 years, but that"s finally coming to a close next month. As for where the studio is heading to next, it looks like Sony isn"t keen on funding whatever it has planned. A new report says the company is now facing major layoffs, with Marathon being the only supported title.
The latest report lands from Bloomberg"s Jason Schreier. Citing people familiar with internal company developments, the report says that Destiny 3 is not in the cards right now for Bungie. With no new projects planned, a significant portion of the studio is said to be let go soon, though no exact numbers have been revealed just yet.
The studio has reportedly pitched multiple projects to begin development, which include new Destiny games. However, it looks like Sony is currently uninterested in investing in the proposed projects and the studio. The location that Bungie is situated in, Bellevue, Washington, is also said to be an expensive area to operate out of.
Bungie was acquired by Sony in 2022 for $3.6 billion and was slated to lead the new PlayStation live service ventures. Recently, the PlayStation maker recorded a $765 million impairment charge against Bungie due to the underperformance of Destiny 2 and the underwhelming launch of Marathon.
The final update of Destiny 2 is slated to land on June 9, containing additions that are being described as "love letters" to fans.
"For almost twelve years, we have had the joy and honor to explore the Destiny universe with you all. Through all the ups and downs, surprises and triumphs, building Destiny alongside our players has been a monumental privilege," explained the studio. "While our love for Destiny 2 has not changed, it has become clear that after The Final Shape, we have reached the time for our shared worlds, and Destiny, to live beyond Destiny 2."
The Bloomberg report adds that despite not hitting sales expectations, some staff and resources are being transferred to Marathon development. The company is reportedly hoping that the multiplatform extraction shooter will grow its playerbase with time. Looking at Steam charts, the new game is currently averaging the player numbers of Destiny 2.