New Bungie Game Delayed, Major Layoffs Hit Bungie

Bungie, the developer of the popular sci-fi shooter Destiny 2, has been hit with major layoffs. Further, Destiny 2’ final expansion update, The Final Shape, has been delayed from February to June 2024, according to a report. Moreover, a game that could have been launched earlier by Bungie has been delayed to 2025.

The report from Bloomberg says that the Final Shape expansion for Destiny 2 has been delayed to June 2024, and Marathon, the upcoming game from Bungie, will now be released in 2025. While the date for the expansion was confirmed to be February earlier, Bungie never confirmed the launch date for Marathon, which leads us to speculate that the game could have launched sometime in 2024.

Marathon was revealed at the PlayStation Showcase in May 2023, and it is described as a “sci-fi PvP extraction shooter” where players compete for resources and survival on a hostile planet. It is a game where players will embody cybernetic mercenaries known as Runners. “Exploring a lost colony on the mysterious planet of Tau Ceti IV, Runners – working solo or as part of three-person crews – will fight for survival, for riches, and for fame”, said Bungie at the time of announcing the game.

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As for Destiny 2: The Final Shape expansion, it is the conclusion to the Light & Darkness Saga that began in the first instalment of Destiny. A major reason behind the delays in the projects could be the layoffs. According to Bloomberg, Bungie has cut an unspecified number of staff members, mostly in publishing, engineering, and social media departments.

Sony has owned Bungie since last year. However, this isn’t the first Sony subsidiary to get hit with layoffs. Other companies (also owned by Sony) that were affected by layoffs include gaming studio Naughty Dog, Media Molecule and Visual Arts.