Bungie delays Destiny 3, moves staff to Marathon, plans layoffs

Bungie will not immediately enter production on a third Destiny title. The studio is reallocating members of its Destiny 2 development team to Marathon and is planning a significant round of layoffs as Destiny 2 content support winds down in June.

Reporting based on people familiar with the situation indicates the studio does not have a single successor project ready for the entire Destiny 2 team. ‘Bungie doesn’t plan to immediately enter production on a Destiny 3,’ the reporting cited sources as saying.

Some Destiny 2 developers have already transferred to Marathon, and additional team members are expected to follow over time. Other employees are preparing pitches for new projects, with some proposals set in the Destiny universe.

Bungie has not disclosed the number of planned job cuts. People familiar with the matter characterized the planned reductions as significant. The studio has reduced headcount multiple times in recent years while adjusting its live-service development strategy.

Bungie was acquired by Sony for $3.6 billion two years ago. The company is shifting development resources to a smaller set of projects, including Marathon, as it moves past long-running live-service support for Destiny 2.

The studio’s near-term schedule centers on reassigning staff, reviewing new project proposals and consolidating its slate before starting new productions.