Bungie known as this week “probably the most tough” in its historical past in its first deal with to Future 2 gamers since information broke of mass layoffs and delays on the studio. The assertion went on to double-down on Bungie’s dedication to the upcoming The Remaining Form enlargement, however left many extra questions unanswered.
As many as 100 workers had been laid off from the 1,200 individual studio this week after it missed income projections by 45 %, Bloomberg reported. The Remaining Form and not too long ago introduced extraction shooter Marathon had been additionally each reportedly delayed, stoking issues in regards to the high quality of the Future 2 enlargement following a disappointing reception to 2023’s Lightfall in February.
As an alternative of its regular This Week at Bungie weblog submit, the studio launched a quick assertion that started by acknowledging the layoffs and “buddies and colleagues” supporting each other, however rapidly pivoted to reassuring followers about the way forward for Future 2. “We wish to acknowledge the suggestions and issues you will have about Lightfall and up to date Seasons, in addition to your responses to the reveal of The Remaining Form,” the studio wrote. “We all know we’ve misplaced quite a lot of your belief. Future must shock and delight. We haven’t finished this sufficient and that’s going to vary.”
Learn Extra: Future 2 Followers Fear About The Future After Cuts And Delays
Bungie stated it’s working to “exceed expectations” with the upcoming enlargement that’s set to conclude 10 years of storytelling within the Future universe. The studio pointed to previous expansions like Forsaken (thought-about by many the high-water mark for the sci-fi shooter MMO) because the aim, and touted a improvement workforce of 650 individuals engaged on the content material that was reportedly delayed from February 2024 to June. The submit didn’t deal with the delay.
Whereas Bungie promised to share extra about the place Future 2 is headed within the months forward, the weblog submit did little to deal with issues in regards to the well being and administration of the studio, or frustration with the latest layoffs which included star veterans like Future lead composer Michael Salvatori. Bloomberg reported that laid off workers would lose out on unvested shares from Sony’s $3.6 billion acquisition of Bungie in 2022.
IGN reported that builders had been “begging” for crucial modifications to Future 2 to win gamers again previous to the cuts and had been annoyed that “selections resulting in the corporate’s obvious cash struggles had been out of their fingers, and that those that had been laid off had been being punished for an issue they largely didn’t trigger.”
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OUR PATH FORWARD
This has been probably the most tough weeks in our studio’s historical past, as we’ve parted methods with individuals we respect and admire. We’ve spent this week supporting each other, together with those that are on the studio, in addition to buddies and colleagues who now not are.
We wish to acknowledge the suggestions and issues you will have about Lightfall and up to date Seasons, in addition to your responses to the reveal of The Remaining Form. We all know we’ve misplaced quite a lot of your belief. Future must shock and delight. We haven’t finished this sufficient and that’s going to vary.
To us the trail ahead is obvious: We have to make The Remaining Form an unforgettable Future expertise. We wish to construct one thing that might be regarded alongside the very best video games we’ve ever made – a becoming fruits that honors the journey we’ve been on collectively for the previous ten years. Forsaken, The Witch Queen, and The Taken King – these are the usual bearers we goal to reside as much as.
We’re intensely targeted on exceeding your expectations for The Remaining Form. Future 2 has greater than 650 devoted teammates pouring all their vitality and experience into delivering this epic second and its subsequent Episodes.
Within the weeks forward, you’ll be listening to extra from us about what’s subsequent on the short-term horizon, starting with our subsequent Season in late November. Afterwards, we’ll start to unpack our workforce’s greater, bolder, and brighter imaginative and prescient for The Remaining Form, in addition to the bridge we plan to construct to take us all out of this Darkness and into the Gentle.
See you starside,
The Future 2 Dev Staff
