Following the information that Bungie laid off 220 individuals, particulars have reportedly been revealed in regards to the firm’s future, together with that it’s not at present engaged on Future 3, that it’ll shift its focus from bigger expansions to smaller updates for Future 2 that could be free, and {that a} Future spin-off was canceled.
Bloomberg spoke to 10 present and former Bungie staff who requested to not be recognized, they usually “described an organization that grew too quick and tried to develop too many initiatives without delay, spreading sources too skinny relatively than prioritizing its chief moneymaker, Future 2.”
As an alternative of Future 3, Bungie Positioned a Large Wager on Payback
Whereas there could also be many who believed Bungie was arduous at work on Future 3, particularly contemplating Future 2 was launched in 2017, the studio determined to shift its focus to one thing utterly new referred to as Payback.
Payback, which was described as taking parts from such video games as Warframe and Genshin Affect, was set within the Future universe however was meant to “shake up the method in main methods.” As an alternative of being a first-person shooter, Payback was being developed as a third-person title that may see gamers utilizing the franchise’s characters to discover a big world and work collectively to “battle monsters and resolve puzzles.”
This was not being billed as a sequel to Future 2, however extra of a spin-off. Sadly, Payback was canceled simply two months in the past so Bungie may prioritize its extra imminent video games. As an alternative, it moved a lot of the payback staff to work on Marathon, its PvP-focused extraction shooter live-service recreation which is about to be launched in 2025.
With no Payback and no Future 3 within the close to future, Bungie is planning to proceed supporting Future 2, albeit another way. Regardless of Future 2’s The Ultimate Form growth reviewing very effectively – we gave it a 9/10 – the studio appears to be like to “not pursue paid expansions because it did previously.” Based on one of many sources, gross sales for every growth have declined 12 months after 12 months.
As an alternative of this annual launch mannequin for large expansions, Bungie appears to be like to “retain and appeal to gamers with smaller-scale drops modeled after Into the Mild.” For these unfamiliar, Into the Mild was launched forward of The Ultimate Form and added the Onslaught exercise, the Corridor of Champions social house, Parade Armor 2.0, the return of 12 iconic weapons with the BRAVE Arsenal, and rather more.
Moreover, Bungie is aiming to launch these updates at no cost alongside overhauling actions it hopes will maintain its hardcord participant happy. There are additionally “different imprecise plans” that embody a storyline that “will function characters and worlds that Future has not but explored.”
So, as an alternative of massive new Future 2 expansions, Bungie will put sources into these updates, a smoother onboarding course of, and extra. In a single vibrant spot, a number of the sources stated they’re “optimistic in regards to the imaginative and prescient for Future 2 underneath new director Tyson Inexperienced.”
Bother on the High
The layoffs have hit the staff arduous, and most people Bloomberg spoke to have been crucial of Bungie CEO Pete Parsons, saying he “did not take accountability for his personal dangerous bets” and that he was “overly optimistic in his communication with the employees.”
There may be additionally fear as a result of longtime veterans Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy left Bungie this week, and that has led to a whole lot of “lingering questions on the way forward for decision-making at Bungie.” Now, with out a few of its leaders, a giant hit to audio, narrative, and participant assist groups, and rather more, Bungie employees are actually creating world-class experiences with a “smaller employees, tighter schedules, and an organization that appears considerably completely different than it did three days in the past.”
Along with the layoffs, Bungie is hoping to maneuver 155 of its staff to Sony Interactive Leisure, and a seperate group shall be a part of a staff engaged on an incubation venture code-named Gummybears.
Ever since Sony’s $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie, issues haven’t gotten higher. Bungie took that money and “employed lots of of recent employees members and pursued myriad incubation initiatives, together with cell variations of Future, remakes of previous video games and new franchises.” Now, it is most essential former and present staff are struggling after a few of these plans by no means noticed the sunshine of day or turned out as these in cost hoped. One of many sources even famous that Parsons advised employees in a gathering in later 2023 that Bungie had missed its income targets by 45% and was shedding cash.
For extra, try how one other former Bungie worker claimed the studio confronted insolvency with out Sony’s acquistion and the video games trade’s criticism of Bungie mangagement and Parsons in wake of those layoffs.
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Adam Bankhurst is a author for IGN. You’ll be able to comply with him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
