According to a recent report, Hermen Hulst, the head of PlayStation Worldwide Studios, has been appointed to lead Bungie.
Everyone must be aware of the issues that have been going on with Bungie since Sony acquired the gaming company. However, now new reports have revealed that the situation is getting worse and Hermen Hulst, the head of PlayStation Worldwide Studios, has been appointed to lead Bungie for now.
Jeff Grubb of Giant Bomb, known for his industry insights, addressed Bungie’s independence from Sony on Twitter/X. When asked if the Destiny developer is still publishing its games independently and what “deepening integration with Sony Interactive Entertainment” meant, Grubb replied that Hermen Hulst now runs Bungie. He added that the company tried to soften the impact by transferring many Bungie employees to Sony Interactive Entertainment instead of laying them off outright.
For those unaware of the matter, here is the whole story:
When Sony acquired Bungie for $3.6 billion, the deal mainly highlighted that the Destiny developer would remain independent and operate alongside PS Studios rather than under it. However, it appears there were performance targets that, if missed, would allow PlayStation management to take more control.
It’s unclear if this is the case now, but after a significant reduction in the Halo maker’s workforce, it seems Sony is starting to assert its authority over Bungie.
Grubb noted on X (formerly Twitter) that over time, Bungie will lose its autonomy and become like any other PS Studio under SIE and Hermen Hulst, indicating this process is just beginning.
While Bungie staff had previously resisted PlayStation management’s involvement, the latest layoffs seem to be the tipping point. On Wednesday, Bungie announced plans to lay off 220 staff, about 17% of the studio. In a letter, the Destiny creator cited “rising costs of development and industry shifts” as reasons for what it described as some of the most challenging changes the studio has had to make.
Following this news, several former Bungie employees expressed their anger on social media, with much of the backlash directed at Bungie boss Pete Parsons. Parsons, who joined Bungie in 2002 and worked on Halo 2 and Halo 3, briefly left for Microsoft but returned before Destiny’s release.
Well, the matter seems to be going out of hand for now, however, the letter issued on Wednesday assured employees of compensation, including severance, bonus, and health coverage. It also reassured fans that Bungie’s Marathon reboot is also still in development, with over 800 developers working on it and the Destiny franchise.
For constant updates, keep following Gamevro.
