Bungie Layoffs: 17% of workforce cut over rising costs, ‘industry shifts’

What’s happening at Bungie?

Bungie has announced that it is laying off 220 employees, representing approximately 17% of its 1,000-strong workforce. The cuts will affect staff at all levels, including most senior and executive roles.

The layoffs come less than a year after the American-based video game developer laid off 100 employees in October.

Official statements and context

This decision is part of a strategy to refocus on “Destiny” and the upcoming game “Marathon” in light of overambitious expansion and economic pressures.

• “Due to rising costs of development and industry shifts as well as enduring economic conditions, it has become clear that we need to make substantial changes to our cost structure,” stated Bungie CEO Pete Parsons.
• Parsons also stated that the studio “set up several incubation projects, each seeded with senior development leaders from out existing teams,” but came to realise “that this model stretched our talent too thin, too quickly,”
• The company, known for creating the popular game franchise Halo, underwent a rapid expansion in 2023, which “ran headlong into a broad economic slowdown”.
• Bungie aims to integrate 155 roles into Sony Interactive Entertainment to ease job
  losses
• Many employees claim they were caught off-guard by the news, as whole teams have be disbanded.

Layoffs in Canada

It remains unclear exactly how many Bungie employees in Canada will lose their job as a result of this layoff.

Your rights

In Canada, non-unionized employees at Bungie are owed full severance pay when they lose their jobs due to downsizing, corporate restructuring, or the closure of the business.

This applies to individuals working in any capacity — full-time, part-time, hourly, or potentially even independent contractors — in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

Severance is the compensation provided to non-unionized workers in Canada by their employer when they are terminated without cause, and can be as much as 24 months’ pay, depending on a number of factors.

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains why you are still owed severance if you have been downsized on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Severance offers and deadlines

Before accepting a severance offer, double-check the amount using our firm’s free Severance Pay Calculator. It has helped millions of Canadians determine their entitlements.

In addition to your salary, make sure to factor in any other elements of your compensation (i.e. bonuses, commission, etc.).

If your employer’s offer falls short of what our Severance Pay Calculator says you are owed, it’s very likely that you have been wrongfully dismissed and should contact an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

Non-unionized employees in Canada have up to two years from the date of their dismissal to pursue proper severance pay. An employer’s deadline to sign back a severance offer is not legally enforceable or binding.

LEARN MORE
• Severance pay for provincially regulated employees
• Rights to severance during mass layoffs
• Severance entitlements in a recession

Major layoffs continue

The job cuts come amid a flurry of layoffs in 2024.

Big names, including Intuit, UiPath, Dyson, Vancity, Stifel, SAP Canada, Netflix, AmDocs, EXL Service, Best Buy, Relic Entertainment, Ubisoft, Intel, Amazon, and Telus, have pulled out the axe as they continue to navigate challenging economic conditions.

SEE ALSO
• Shell to lay off 20% of deals division, part of restructuring
• Walmart Canada cuts jobs amid restructuring, shift to Spark: Reports
• Where are layoffs happening in Canada?

Lost your job? Talk to an employment lawyer

If you have been fired or let go for any reason, contact the experienced employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

Our lawyers in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. have successfully represented tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals.

In addition to severance package negotiations, we can assist you on a broad range of employment matters, including:

If you are a non-unionized employee who needs help with a workplace issue, contact us or call 1-855-821-5900 to get the advice you need and the compensation you deserve.

Disclaimer: The materials above are provided as general information about the rights of non-unionized employees in Canada. It is not specific to any one company and should not be read as suggesting any improper conduct on the part of any specific employer, or a relationship between Samfiru Tumarkin LLP and a specific employer.