Sony Plans To “Optimize Overall Studio Structure” At Bungie Following Destiny Layoffs
Destiny 2 fans are still reeling from the news that developer Bungie laid off around 220 people in July, or roughly 17% of its workforce. Speaking on an earnings call, Sony president Hiroki Totoki discussed the Destiny studio’s restructure in greater detail, stating that it came from a desire to “optimize overall studio structure.”
Per a report of the call posted to social media, Totoki said that the back-office functions of Bungie will be integrated into other Sony studios, and that the studio’s resources will be focused on Destiny 2 and the Marathon reboot. His comments would seem to indicate that Sony is taking a more-active role in the studio’s direction, making it a more-integrated part of the existing constellation of SIE studios.
This isn’t the first time that Totoki has expressed a desire to see improvement from Bungie. Back in February, he said during a financial-results call (via VGC) that while he was impressed with Bungie’s creativity and knowledge of live service, he felt that the company needed to improve some areas of its business, including “use of business expenses” and “accountability for development timelines.”