Within the wake of layoffs at Bungie and reports of an impending delay to Future 2 growth The Ultimate Form — and instead of its typical “This Week in Future” replace — the studio as an alternative posted a sober, contrite message from the development team that acknowledges participant dissatisfaction with the sport.
In its notice, Bungie addressed the layoffs on the studio, saying “we’ve parted methods with individuals we respect and admire.” About 100 Bungie employees had been laid off this week after Future 2 participant counts plummeted by practically half, in line with a report from Bloomberg.
Whereas Bungie doesn’t instantly verify experiences of a four-month delay for Future 2’s subsequent growth, the assertion definitely implies it.
“We need to acknowledge the suggestions and considerations you’ve got about Lightfall,” Bungie mentioned, referring to the newest and coolly obtained sixth growth for Future 2, “and up to date Seasons, in addition to your responses to the reveal of The Ultimate Form. We all know we’ve misplaced a number of your belief. Future must shock and delight. We haven’t executed this sufficient and that’s going to alter.”
As a part of its “path ahead,” Bungie mentioned it “want[s] to make The Ultimate Form an unforgettable Future expertise” on par with beloved Future expansions Forsaken, The Witch Queen, and The Taken King. “These are the usual bearers we purpose to reside as much as” with subsequent 12 months’s The Ultimate Form, Bungie mentioned.
“We’re intensely targeted on exceeding your expectations for The Ultimate Form,” the studio mentioned. “Future 2 has greater than 650 devoted teammates pouring all their power and experience into delivering this epic second and its subsequent Episodes.”
The developer mentioned it plans to disclose extra about “what’s subsequent on the short-term horizon, starting with our subsequent Season in late November” within the coming weeks. It additionally teased a “larger, bolder, and brighter imaginative and prescient for The Ultimate Form,” which reportedly may have a June 2024 launch window.
Bungie didn’t tackle the state of Marathon, its extraction-style shooter that was revealed earlier this 12 months. Whereas not formally dated, Marathon has reportedly been pushed to 2025.