Bungie is attempting to reset its relationship with its player base, acknowledging past missteps that have eroded trust and led to significant consequences for the studio. In a recent video and blog post, newly appointed studio head Poria Torkan and head of product and Marathon GM Josh Deane detailed a commitment to accountability and a renewed focus on players.
"We lost trust, we lost incredible colleagues, and we lost sight of what we should be prioritizing most, our players," the leadership stated in a blog post. "As a new leadership team, we must own that. We aren’t just listening to feedback, we understand your disappointment. We know that trust must be earned through the quality of our games, the decisions we make, and how consistently we show up for our players."
The studio, acquired by Sony for $3.6 billion, has faced reported revenue shortfalls and multiple rounds of layoffs in recent years. These challenges have impacted both its flagship title, Destiny 2, and the recently launched Marathon.
Initial changes are focused on Destiny 2, with plans to reintroduce vaulted content to create a more complete game experience. For Marathon, Bungie aims to deliver a PvE mode by December in an effort to revitalize the live-service extraction shooter, which has struggled since its launch six months ago.
"This is an important time for Bungie," the blog post continued. "Our future depends on making clear choices about where we focus, delivering what we say we will, and being honest about our successes and failures. Stability doesn’t mean shrinking our ambition. It just means that we have to focus on the things you want to see from us, and making sure our vision matches our reality."
The studio emphasized that the path forward involves putting players at the forefront of their development process, striving to recapture the spirit of making games that they themselves want to play, with the community at the center. These efforts come after significant layoffs, which saw approximately 300 employees cut from the studio, and a decision to halt new content creation for Destiny 2. While Bungie reportedly has no new projects officially greenlit, the studio's future direction will be shaped by this new approach to development and player engagement.