In an open letter to fans, Destiny 2 developer Bungie has acknowledged that the studio's recent slew of layoffs has greatly undermined the trust of their player base.
Players were shocked at the announcement of Bungie's downsizing earlier this week, with insider sources revealing that layoffs affected close to 8% of the personnel. Consequently, questions are being asked regarding the future of Destiny 2's anticipated expansion, The Final Shape, which has been delayed until 2024.
In a post on their website titled "Our Path Forward", Bungie addressed the backlash they had received following the layoffs, stating that "This has been one of the most difficult weeks in [their] studio’s history". Within this statement, Bungie admitted that the cutbacks and the perceived drop in the quality of recent Destiny content had significantly eroded fan confidence in the studio.
Continuing, Bungie emphasised the lengths their team is going to in order to make The Final Shape expansion the best it can be. "We want to build something that will be regarded alongside the best games we’ve ever made," Bungie's statement read.
Evidently, Bungie is hoping to recapture some of Destiny 2's earlier success, as in their statement they highlighted the reception of previous expansions, such as Forsaken, The Witch Queen, and The Taken King. With over 650 team members devoted to the development of Destiny 2's future content, Bungie is setting expectations high. Despite the layoffs, the development team doesn't show any sign of slowing down support for Destiny 2.
Bungie also hinted at upcoming communications regarding Destiny's next Season, set to begin sometime at the end of this month. Moreover, Bungie teased the "bigger, bolder, and brighter" release of the Final Shape, whilst committing to rebuilding their relationship with the Destiny 2 changes, promising to "surprise and delight" players in the future.
Behind the scenes, financial strains have been evident, with reports that Bungie's recent revenue has been significantly below projections. Bungies' CEO, Pete Parsons, attributed the developer's financial struggles in part to waning player interest in Destiny 2. Before the layoffs, Bungie employees had been forewarned of salary and hiring freezes, only to face a workforce reduction shortly after.