Bungie Cuts 292 Staff as Studio Head Justin Truman Resigns
Bungie has laid off 292 employees, a 35% reduction of its workforce, and replaced its studio head in a major restructuring announced on June 26, 2026.
The Washington-based studio terminated 292 full-time staff on that date, according to a state WARN notice. Prior to the cuts, Bungie employed approximately 850 people, making this a reduction of roughly 35%.
The layoffs were accompanied by a significant leadership change. Studio head Justin Truman resigned from his position. He has been succeeded by Poria Torkan, an 11-year veteran of the studio who most recently served as its Vice President of Operations.
In a statement, Hermen Hulst, CEO of Sony's Studio Business Group, confirmed the layoffs impacted development teams. "Most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members" were affected, he stated. The decision followed a review of the studio's "long-term direction, development priorities, and resource needs" within Sony's portfolio.
Bungie's own statement acknowledged recent struggles, noting that "Destiny 2 fell short of expectations these past several years." The studio stated the cuts were necessary to "best position the studio now and for the future" as it moves beyond its primary live-service title.
Destiny 2 and Marathon Teams Gutted by Reductions
The layoffs have resulted in the complete elimination of entire departments and the loss of key talent from Bungie's core development teams. According to reports from affected employees and industry sources, the cuts were not a general trim but targeted specific, critical parts of the studio's operations.
The entire Destiny 2 Sandbox team, responsible for the game's fundamental weapon and ability balance—a cornerstone of its acclaimed gameplay—has been eliminated. Similarly, the studio's Cinematics organization, which produced the game's narrative cutscenes and trailers, was entirely disbanded. The devastation extended to other pillars of Destiny 2's content, with the Raids and Dungeons (RaD) and Visual Effects (VFX) teams also heavily impacted or completely let go.
The reductions also reached Bungie's upcoming project, Marathon. Sound designer Biru Jones was among those laid off, publicly listing contributions to the game's audio design, including work on dropships, doors, barriers, and environmental objects. The layoffs swept up veterans across the studio, including test lead Dawn Vu, who was reportedly nearing her 14-year anniversary working on the Destiny franchise.
The scale of talent loss prompted reactions from industry observers and Bungie alumni, who described the departures as the gutting of "generational talent." Sony's Studio Business Group CEO Hermen Hulst later confirmed in a statement that "most of the Destiny team and some Marathon team members" were part of the layoffs.
The Future of Destiny 2 and New Projects
The Future of Destiny 2 and New Projects
Bungie has confirmed that its nine-year support for Destiny 2 has officially concluded, according to a studio statement. The final content update for the live-service shooter has been released, marking an end to major new development for the title.
While active development has ceased, Bungie has stated that Destiny 2 servers will not be shut down immediately. The studio has committed to maintaining the game's live service, with comparisons drawn to other games like Anthem, whose servers remained active for years after official support ended. This ensures players can continue to access existing content.
Looking ahead, Bungie's new projects are described as being in "early incubation" stages. In its official statement, the studio said it would share more information about new titles in the future, but clarified that "today is not that day." The company stated these layoffs were necessary to "best position the studio now and for the future" as it shifts resources toward these nascent projects.
The studio's leadership acknowledged recent struggles, stating in its social media post, "we recognize Destiny 2 fell short of expectations these past several years." This admission comes as the studio pivots its remaining workforce toward future titles, which are in early development and do not include a Destiny 3, according to reports.
For players, this means the era of new Destiny 2 expansions, seasons, and content is over, but the game world will remain accessible. The studio's future now hinges on its ability to develop and launch new, unannounced projects with a significantly reduced team.
Executive Payouts and Public Relations Controversy
Executive Payouts and Public Relations Controversy
The extensive layoffs at Bungie have ignited significant controversy, fueled by reports of lucrative executive payouts and a tone-deaf social media post from the White House. According to reporting by PC Gamer, Bungie executives received substantial payments from the Sony acquisition, with CEO Pete Parsons reportedly earning tens of millions of dollars. This financial detail has fueled anger among critics who view the layoffs as a consequence of management decisions that prioritized executive compensation over workforce stability.
The controversy was amplified by a bizarre public relations blunder on the same day as the layoffs. The official White House X account posted an AI-generated meme depicting Donald Trump as a muscular "Guardian" from Destiny 2, wielding the game's iconic Gjallarhorn rocket launcher with the caption "Eyes up, Guardians." As detailed in a report, the meme also inaccurately assigned Trump an in-game power level of 4700, far exceeding the actual maximum, and featured a "$2 billion" B2 Bomber companion.
The timing was widely criticized as profoundly insensitive. Sony executive Hermen Hulst confirmed the layoffs impacting "most of the Destiny team" on June 26, 2026, the same day the meme was published. The juxtaposition led observers to suggest the post appeared to mock the hundreds of developers who had just lost their jobs. While the White House has used video game themes for promotional content before, including references to Grand Theft Auto VI and The Legend of Zelda, the immediate context of the Bungie layoffs rendered this instance a severe public relations misstep, casting a shadow over the studio's difficult day.