In an unexpected twist, Sony is reportedly taking over Bungie, classifying the initial $3.6 billion acquisition as a “failed investment.” This bold move comes amidst a backdrop of internal turmoil and a strategic shift within Sony’s approach to live service games. With Bungie under the microscope, it appears Sony’s foray into the realm of continuously evolving online game experiences, a sector where Destiny 2 was once the prime example of how to do live service right, hasn’t gone according to plan.
Destiny 2 content creator, Aztecross, recently uploaded a video claiming to receive an anonymous email detailing the rift between Sony and Bungie. As shared on Reddit, part of the email claims Sony’s U.S. leadership is proposing a more direct intervention to fix Bungie’s shortcomings. This approach contrasts Sony Japan’s plans to overhaul Bungie’s teams, including those working on future projects like Marathon.
What’s particularly concerning is the part where the email says that Bungie hasn’t done what Sony bought it for: advise its first-party studios.
Sony most recently canceled a swath of multiplayer titles, including Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Online, Insomniac Games’ Spider-Man: The Great Web, and a Twisted Metal reboot helmed by an unconfirmed studio. Most believed that Bungie played a part in the cancelations, but this raises concerns about whether Bungie gave sound advice.
Interestingly, the email comes just a month after Sony President Hiroki Totoki called out Bungie in a Q&A with analysts as its latest financial reports went live. According to the chief executive, Bungie needs to improve its “use of business expenses” and it has to be better at “assuming accountability for development timelines.” These sounds a lot like corporate speak for “‘gluttonous’ executives at Bungie who are not doing their jobs” and “every target since [Lightfall] has been missed at an escalating decline.”
This letter finds itself online against a backdrop of declining Destiny 2 player counts and revenue shortfalls, placing additional pressure on Bungie to have something to show two years since it became a part of Sony.
At the very least, it’s happened at least twice now that Sony has said that it recognizes the top-end talent in Bungie; the issue lies with the decision-makers.
Thus, it’s possible that the employees very well possess the live-service knowledge that Sony sought with the purchase. If so, Sony should take over. As it is, it’s wasting away its biggest buyout over by letting things play out.
Hopefully, if a takeover does happen, Sony lets the same people it acknowledged keep their jobs.
