Bungie Layoffs Included Two of Destiny’s Biggest Names

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Bungie Layoffs Included Two of Destiny's Biggest Names

Highlights

  • Bungie execs Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy leave after the latest round of layoffs, though the reason for their departure isn’t clear.
  • Bungie restructuring has led to roles moving to Sony, causing uncertainty for Destiny’s future and the development team.

As a dedicated Destiny player with countless hours spent battling through the cosmos, I can’t help but feel a pang of nostalgia and concern upon hearing about the departures of Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy from Bungie. Their work on the Destiny franchise spans over a decade, and their contributions to the Halo series are legendary.

Two long-time Bungie employees and veterans of the Destiny franchise, Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy, have reportedly parted ways with the studio following the announcement that the company’s CEO would be implementing job cuts affecting about 17% of the studio’s staff. Over the past decade, this duo has been instrumental in the development of the Destiny series, as well as Bungie’s final Halo game, Halo: Reach.

Towards the end of July, CEO Pete Parsons disclosed that Bungie was facing another round of layoffs, affecting 220 positions within the company. Parsons explained that this move was necessitated by increasing production costs and changes in the gaming industry, as well as challenging economic circumstances. In addition to these significant job cuts, Parsons also mentioned that Bungie would be strengthening its ties with its parent company, Sony Interactive Entertainment. This strategic adjustment will involve transferring 155 roles from Bungie to Sony over the upcoming quarters.

According to gaming insider Jeff Grubb, it is reported that Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy have departed from Bungie, although neither has confirmed this themselves. During a recent episode of Game Mess Decides, Grubb stated, “Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy are no longer associated with Bungie.” In a subsequent tweet, Grubb clarified that they were not dismissed but instead chose to leave as part of the studio’s restructuring. While Bungie has announced layoffs affecting all levels of the company, including many executive and senior leadership roles, it remains unclear which individuals have left or been let go specifically.

Bungie Loses Two Important Executives

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel a pang as I witness Bungie, the studio behind my beloved ‘Destiny’, facing another wave of layoffs, barely a year since their last round of cutbacks. This time, however, the situation seems more critical, with the studio undergoing such extensive restructuring that it appears to be moving towards a tighter integration with Sony Interactive Entertainment – a development yet to be officially confirmed by either Sony or Bungie. As per the reports of Jason Schreier (Grubb), the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, Herman Hulst, is rumored to be taking charge of Bungie, but this remains unverified as of now.

The departure of Smith and Noseworthy from the studio will likely cause significant difficulties, given that they were reportedly spearheading the development of a new project called “Payback,” which was anticipated to be a major successor to “Destiny.” However, contrary to some speculation, this wasn’t supposed to be “Destiny 3,” as it was never in production. Another journalist, Jason Schreier, clarified on Twitter that “Destiny 3” had not been canceled because it had never been in development. Instead, Bungie did preliminary work on a spinoff titled “Payback,” but this project was apparently abandoned some time ago. It is believed that the cancellation of Payback and the lack of immediate assignments for Smith and Noseworthy might have led to their decision to leave, according to GameSpot’s report.

Fans of Destiny are set for a significant jolt following Bungie’s recent round of layoffs, an event that, while unexpectedly sad, isn’t entirely unforeseen. The video game industry has been grappling with widespread layoffs and studio closures as cost-cutting measures continue to dominate the scene, leaving few studios seemingly immune. Even esteemed studios like Ubisoft Toronto have felt the impact of layoffs this year. Notably, they had previously worked on Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell: Blacklist and were preparing to collaborate with Ubisoft Montreal on the highly anticipated remake of Prince of Persia: Sands of Time.

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2024-08-02 12:43