Bungie leadership confirmed that various options were considered before the layoffs began, but the company ruled out executive pay cuts. Inside the team and among management, no one blames Sony for the problems that arose, and there were even statements that due to Destiny 2's underwhelming performance, “the studio would be at risk if it continued to remain independent.”
The issue does not lie in Bungie's expensive new project, but in the fact that after the release of Lightfall, Destiny 2 suffered a “real, devastating drop in player engagement/spending.” The studio's results fell 45% below projections, which were not inflated.
Some Destiny 2 developers were aware of The Final Shape delay. The expansion is of good quality, but Bungie wants to release the “best” DLC, which, in the studio's view, marked a key turning point. However, concerns are being raised about whether it can fulfill all of its objectives amid a severe crisis.
Paul Tassi cannot confirm any information regarding the studio's future – right now, the company is not discussing further plans to create expansions for Destiny 2, nor any attempts to develop Destiny 3.
There were many meetings within the team regarding microtransactions; some developers would like to cut back on them, but even individual ones bring in a lot of money. Some players believe that, like the older expansions, they should be offered for free, yet they still buy them.
The mood at Bungie leaves much to be desired, and the developers are eagerly awaiting the release of the upcoming expansion:
“The general sentiment of most Bungie employees is anger, sadness, and fear. Anger over the way the layoffs were handled, sadness over who left, fear that more layoffs are coming, and overall, no one feels safe. Nevertheless, there is a lot of faith that really cool things will come in The Final Shape that players will love.”