Amid Marathon slump and Destiny 2 player resurgence, former Bungie employee claims studio was "very close" to shutting down before Sony's acquisition
Former Bungie staffers allege the studio was on the brink of closure before Sony’s 2024 buyout, now facing financial strain after a $765 million writedown linked to *Marathon*’s underperformance. *Destiny 2*’s player decline contrasts with *Marathon*’s slow start, raising questions about Bungie’s long-term viability under Sony. Multiple insiders describe the acquisition as an emergency lifeline, though *Marathon*’s future remains critical to stabilizing operations.
What changed
New claims from multiple ex-Bungie employees—including a former *Destiny 2* developer and community manager—directly tie Sony’s acquisition to Bungie’s survival, while fresh financial reports confirm Sony’s $765M writedown tied to *Marathon*’s launch.
Live updates
-
Bungie nearly shut down before Sony acquisition, ex-employee claims amid Marathon struggles
confidence 92%Former Bungie staffers allege the studio was on the brink of closure before Sony’s 2024 buyout, now facing financial strain after a $765 million writedown linked to *Marathon*’s underperformance. *Destiny 2*’s player decline contrasts with *Marathon*’s slow start, raising questions about Bungie’s long-term viability under Sony. Multiple insiders describe the acquisition as an emergency lifeline, though *Marathon*’s future remains critical to stabilizing operations.
What's confirmed:
- A former Bungie employee stated the studio was 'very close to shutting its doors' before Sony acquired it in 2024.
- Sony recorded a $765 million writedown in 2026, attributed to Bungie’s financial struggles, including *Marathon*’s poor performance.
- The writedown underscores growing risks in live-service gaming, with analysts citing Bungie’s challenges as a warning for Sony’s investment.
- Bungie’s former community manager linked the studio’s current issues to pre-*Marathon* struggles, not the game’s launch alone.
- Multiple sources describe Sony’s acquisition as an 'emergency' move to prevent Bungie’s closure.
Still unconfirmed:
- An ex-*Destiny 2* developer claimed the merger was an 'emergency acquisition' with no other viable alternative.
- *Marathon*’s player base is insufficient to sustain Bungie’s live-service model, though no concrete metrics have been released.
- Internal Bungie documents reportedly showed financial projections that made shutdown a likely outcome before Sony’s intervention.