Bungie Faces Layoffs as Destiny 3 Development Remains Uncertain

According to reports, Bungie is going through yet another rough patch, with significant layoffs reportedly on the horizon and no official word yet on Destiny 3. This comes as the studio is winding down its live-service support for Destiny 2, with its final content update, Monument of Triumph, set to arrive on June 9, 2026. The update will be free to all players when it drops and is intended to make Destiny 2 more welcoming for returning players ahead of the development officially shutting down. Bungie says the game will remain playable after active updates end, much like the original Destiny has remained online. The studio also said it will no longer post its weekly blog posts following the update, but will stay in communication via social media.
 

Bungie Faces Layoffs as Destiny 3 Development Remains Uncertain
By Ethan Wilson   |   May 21, 2026

Bungie Moving On From Destiny, But Destiny 3 Isn't Next
Destiny 2 is done, but Destiny 3 is not actively being worked on at this time. Bungie has said it still intends to pitch and prototype ideas set in the Destiny universe, but none of those projects have been given the go-ahead for full production. The studio doesn't seem ready to jump right into a sequel, but rather to be in an exploratory phase. Bungie has described Monument of Triumph as a sendoff for Destiny 2 and a jumping-off point for whatever the studio makes next.

They've called it a time of incubating new games. But that next step remains undefined for now, leaving longtime fans of the franchise lacking certainty about what the future holds for the Destiny series.


Financial Pressure Makes Marathon Bungie's Top Priority
Bungie's main focus right now is its extraction shooter and the first major non-Destiny release in years, Marathon. Having previously investigated methods to bring in new players to Destiny 2, the studio moved more developers and resources toward Marathon. Marathon Season 2 will launch on June 2, introducing new PvE content, improved onboarding, and tweaks to make the game more accessible to new players.

The move to Marathon comes at a difficult time, money-wise, for the studio. Sony bought Bungie for $3.6 billion in 2022 as part of its push into live-service gaming, but the investment has not yet paid off as planned. Sony recently announced a $765 million impairment charge on Bungie, mostly due to the underwhelming success of Destiny 2 and Marathon. This isn't Bungie's first round of workforce reductions, either.

In 2024, the studio cut 220 employees, or about 17% of its total workforce; 155 others were reassigned to roles at Sony Interactive Entertainment. Key reasons cited by leadership at the time were rising costs of development, economic pressure, and overextension. Bungie is in one of the most uncertain stretches in its history, with no Destiny 3 in sight, major new layoffs reportedly on the horizon, and Marathon still trying to find its footing.
 

1XBET