Two Bungie veterans known for their work on the Destiny series, Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy, are reportedly no longer working for the company following the cancellation of the Payback project.
According to journalist Jeff Grubb on his podcast Game Mess Decides, the duo were fired after the cancellation of Payback, an incubation project that was believed to be a game in the Destiny series (but not Destiny 3).
“Luke Smith and Mark Noseworthy are no longer with Bungie and have been let go,” Grubb said. “They were part of the executive and leadership shakeup mentioned in the blog post. Their compensation has been withheld.”
Grubb later clarified his remarks, saying he had been “fired” but that it would be more accurate to say he “left due to a management shakeup.”
The Payback project is said to have ended in mid-June.
On Wednesday, Bungie announced that it would lay off 220 employees (about 17% of the studio) and “consolidate” 155 employees into Sony Interactive Entertainment.
According to Stephen Totillo’s GameFile newsletter, citing three separate sources, these deletions were planned as early as 2024, well before The Final Shape’s June release.
According to Totillo’s sources, this week’s cut was planned for early 2024 and would not have been avoided even if The Final Shape had been a huge hit.
“I think Sony paid Bungie too much,” a source told Totillo. “I think Bungie sold them something they couldn’t deliver.”
Since the firings, former Bungie employees have taken to social media to criticize the studio, with many blaming Bungie president Pete Parsons.
