Bungie CEO Pete Parsons has stepped down from his place after over twenty years on the studio.
Parsons has been much-criticised by followers and staff alike in recent times, particularly following a number of rounds of layoffs on the studio. In a public statement, Parsons stated he is “determined to go the torch” – an ironic use of phrases when Bungie has seemingly been up in flames.
Parsons will likely be succeeded as CEO by Justin Truman, who’s spent 15 years at Bungie throughout each Future video games and, extra lately, forthcoming live-service shooter Marathon.
“I’m deeply pleased with the worlds we have constructed collectively and the hundreds of thousands of gamers who name them dwelling – and most of all I’m privileged by the chance to work alongside the unimaginable minds at Bungie,” wrote Parsons in his assertion.
“Once I was requested to guide Bungie in 2015, my objective was to develop us right into a studio able to creating and sustaining iconic, generation-spanning leisure. We have been by a lot collectively: we launched a daring new chapter for Future, constructed an enviable, impartial live-ops organisation able to creating and publishing its personal video games, and joined the unimaginable household at Sony Interactive Leisure.”
Parsons additionally leaves lots of of layoffs and unfavourable participant sentiment in his wake, to not point out an notorious penchant for traditional vehicles.
Even earlier than Bungie’s acquisition by Sony, reports emerged in 2021 of workplace toxicity and “overt sexism” at the studio, for which Parsons apologised. “I’m not right here to refute or to problem the experiences we’re seeing shared immediately by individuals who have graced our studio with their time and expertise,” he stated on the time. “Our actions or, in some instances, inactions, triggered these folks ache. I apologise personally and on behalf of everybody at Bungie who I do know feels a deep sense of empathy and unhappiness studying by these accounts.”
Then in February 2022, Sony acquired Bungie for $3.6bn, ostensibly to help with its live-service ambitions. Although the acquisition was met with criticism by some – the FTC, for instance, opened an investigation – others had been extra optimistic.
In 2024, for example, Bungie’s former chief in-house lawyer Don McGowan stated Sony was “inflicting some self-discipline” on the studio to “run the sport like a enterprise”. “To be clear: I am not speaking concerning the layoffs, I am speaking about forcing them to get their heads out of their asses and concentrate on issues like: implementing a technique of latest participant acquisition; not simply doing fan service for the followers within the Bungie C-suite; and operating the sport like a enterprise,” stated McGowan.
Nonetheless, a yr after the acquisition, Bungie laid off 100 employees – roughly eight p.c of its 1200-strong workforce – after administration warned employees income for the yr was considerably under expectations. Many employees were left anxious about the future of the company, amid claims senior administration met staff’ unhappiness on the layoffs with “indifference and even outright flippancy or hostility”.
Parsons adopted the information with a statement on social media, calling it a “unhappy day at Bungie”. The assertion was closely criticised as tone deaf and a “slap within the face to anybody impacted by the layoffs”.
A yr later, Bungie laid off a further 220 staff, representing roughly 17 p.c of the studio’s workforce. Between each rounds, Bungie laid off round 1 / 4 of its workforce in 9 months, with the company reportedly overstating its financial prospects to Sony.
Current and former Bungie employees called that second round of layoffs “inexcusable”, amid requires Parsons to resign. “Pete is a joke,” stated former world social media lead Griffin Bennet (who was laid off within the earlier cuts), whereas former Destiny 2 neighborhood supervisor Liana Ruppert wrote, “Step down, Pete.”
Parsons also faced criticism from staff for spending millions of dollars on classic cars for the reason that studio was acquired by Sony, and bragging about his lavish assortment forward of job losses. The CEO’s public profile on Deliver a Trailer revealed he’d appeared to spend $2,414,550 on automobiles.
Followers shared the same sentiment towards Parsons. Famous Future content material creator MyNameIsByf (AKA Lore Daddy) posted on X: “Management must be modified. Their choices have constantly led to catastrophe for everybody who has truly been making the video games we play. They have been reckless with the studio, its staff, and its franchises. The issue is evident. Dangerous management. It wants to vary.”
Now, Parsons is out, leaving Truman in cost. “I’ve labored alongside Justin for a few years,” he wrote. “His ardour for our video games, our crew, and our gamers is unmatched.”
Truman himself added to the assertion with refreshing honesty, admitting earlier errors made throughout Future 2’s launch. “I’ve additionally been a part of these efforts at Bungie after we’ve possibly not been at our greatest,” he wrote. “Once we’ve stumbled and realised by listening to our neighborhood that we had missed the mark. I do know I’ve personally realized quite a bit over time, as have all of us right here, from these conversations.”
He continued: “I’m dedicated to supporting and dealing alongside each member of the crew right here as we proceed pouring our hearts and souls into these worlds. Worlds that we love, and that we hope have been price your time and your ardour. As a result of finally these worlds solely exist, and thrive, with you in them.”
Bungie continues to work on Future 2, whereas its subsequent launch will likely be Marathon. Whereas Marathon gameplay was finally shown back in April, in June Bungie delayed the game indefinitely in response to “passionate” fan suggestions. Forward of the choice, Bungie staff morale was said to be in “free fall” because it grappled with the fallout over Marathon property stolen from different artists.
Whereas such endemic toxicity and poor administration can’t, after all, be pinpointed to at least one particular person, Bungie is clearly at a vital level in its historical past. Let’s hope this shift in CEO will increase morale on the studio forward of Marathon’s eventual launch – and no matter is subsequent for Bungie.
