The PlayStation Studios Bungie update is a reduction in force, and it lands after Bungie said it could no longer operate at its previous size. Hermen Hulst said the cuts include a significant number of employees, with most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members affected.
Hermen Hulst and Bungie
Hulst, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment’s Studio Business Group, said, "a significant number of employees, including most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members." He added, "We explored multiple alternatives before concluding that a reduction was necessary to align the studio’s resources with its current priorities and long-term goals."
Bungie’s own statement was just as direct: "we are announcing a reduction in force as we reorganize Bungie." The studio also said, "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."
Destiny 2 on June 9th
June 9th was the line in the sand, when Destiny 2 received its last update. Bungie also said, "We recognize Destiny 2 fell short of expectations these past several years," a rare admission that ties the cuts to performance, not just restructuring.
That makes the scale harder to dismiss as routine trimming. Bungie has already had staff cuts in 2023 and 2024, so this is another reset for a studio Sony bought as part of a push into live-service games.
Marathon in March
Marathon, which Bungie released in March, now sits in a more awkward place: Hulst said it "remains an important part of our portfolio" even as some Marathon team members are among those losing jobs. Bungie said it would share more on its future projects at some point, but "today is not that day."
The immediate read is blunt. Bungie is shrinking around Destiny and still trying to keep Marathon in view, which suggests the studio’s next phase will be narrower, more selective, and tied to the resources it can actually sustain.
