The recent wave of layoffs at Bungie, the studio behind popular games like Halo and Destiny, has left fans shocked and disgusted. However, newly reported information has only intensified their outrage.
According to game writer Paul Tassi, who has extensively covered Destiny and other titles, the layoffs have revealed even more disturbing details. Tassi reports that several employee benefits, excluding health insurance, will only last until the end of the month when the employees were let go. Since the layoffs occurred on October 30th, this means that the affected employees will have just one day of coverage after termination.
Additionally, Tassi reveals that many of these employees had unvested shares in Sony. Unvested shares are shares in the company that are set aside for employees until they meet certain conditions, such as a specific duration of employment. However, Tassi states that these shares “revert” back to Bungie when an employee leaves, even if they were fired.
The actions of Bungie have appalled some of Destiny’s most dedicated players and supporters. Twitch streamer ProfessorBroman describes Bungie’s actions as “pretty gross,” while Kinda Funny Games host Parris Lilly simply exclaims, “a big ole WTF!”
Even Twitter accounts solely dedicated to covering Destiny 2 are turning against the once-beloved developer. Destiny Bulletin tweets, “Bungie was the real Destiny killer all along,” while another account on Destiny Tracker expresses anger, questions, and concerns, criticizing Bungie for their lack of an official press release and a seemingly out-of-touch tweet from an executive.
In a follow-up report, Tassi speculates that the Bungie layoffs may be part of wider cost-cutting measures at Sony. However, he emphasizes that Bungie ultimately decides who gets let go and how it is done.
Bungie has not yet responded to requests for comment.
| Time | Score |
|---|---|
| October 31, 2023 | N/A |
| October 30, 2023 | N/A |
Source: DOTESPORTS
