Following shock layoffs earlier this week that noticed various well-loved veteran workers put out of labor, Future studio Bungie has launched a press release acknowledging that it has “misplaced plenty of your belief” however says that it stays “intensely centered on exceeding your expectations” with the upcoming Future 2 growth The Remaining Form.
“This has been one of the tough weeks in our studio’s historical past, as we’ve parted methods with individuals we respect and admire,” Bungie wrote. “We’ve spent this week supporting each other, together with those that are on the studio, in addition to buddies and colleagues who not are.
The assertion goes on to handle adverse sentiment within the Future neighborhood. The temper across the recreation has reached new lows this 12 months, with the sport director at one level making a video apology for the way communication had been dealt with. The catalyst for the wave of negativity engulfing the sport was the discharge of the Lightfall growth final February, which was a considerable step again from the standard of its predecessor, The Witch Queen. Criticism has solely snowballed from that time, often encompassing participant burnout with the seasonal mannequin and the way its monetized.
“We wish to acknowledge the suggestions and issues you’ve got about Lightfall and up to date Seasons, in addition to your responses to the reveal of The Remaining Form. We all know now we have misplaced plenty of your belief. Future must shock and delight. We haven’t finished this sufficient and that’s going to alter.”
Considerably surprisingly, there is no point out of a delay to The Remaining Form’s launch. Following the layoffs, rumors surfaced saying that the growth had been pushed into June: A Bloomberg report mentioned The Remaining Form has been getting good however “not nice” suggestions internally, which together with a poor reception to the earlier growth Lightfall and a reported sharp drop in participant numbers led administration to push again the discharge.
“We’re intensely centered on exceeding your expectations for The Remaining Form,” Bungie wrote. “Future 2 has greater than 650 devoted teammates pouring all their vitality and experience into delivering this epic second and its subsequent Episodes.
“Within the weeks forward, you’ll be listening to extra from us about what’s subsequent on the short-term horizon, starting with our subsequent Season in late November. Afterwards, we’ll start to unpack our workforce’s larger, bolder, and brighter imaginative and prescient for The Remaining Form, in addition to the bridge we plan to construct to take us all out of this Darkness and into the Mild.”
The early response to Bungie’s assertion, which is attributed to the “Future 2 Dev Staff,” just isn’t very optimistic. Followers are crucial of the shocking dearth of details about the growth, and likewise of the highly-polished however largely vacuous nature of the put up itself, which successfully hand-waves the shock firing of an estimated 100 workers by referring to them as “buddies and colleagues who not are [at the studio].”
That sentiment echoes the response to a tweet launched shortly after the layoffs had been confirmed by Bungie CEO Pete Parsons, who mentioned it was “a tragic day at Bungie as we are saying goodbye to colleagues who’ve all made a major impression on our studio.” The passivity of Parsons’ assertion angered many Future followers, who identified that he is the still-employed head of the corporate, and never merely a bystander who feels very dangerous about the entire thing.
The shortage of any touch upon the discharge date of The Remaining Form is truthfully shocking too. The growth will conclude the Mild and Darkness saga that is offered the narrative framework for Future because the launch of the unique recreation, and the remaining gamers are naturally wanting to see it finish with a bang. Bungie could also be reluctant to delay the growth given the experiences of declining participant numbers already—pushing it out even additional solely offers wavering gamers another excuse to maneuver on to different video games—however placing it out in half-baked situation might do much more long-term injury to the sport.
Locking itself into a brand new launch date at this level may additionally be unwise: Transferring from February to June is not actually sufficient time to make substantial modifications to the growth, and that would imply even additional delays as the brand new launch date approaches, brutal crunch for builders, or each. However followers anticipated one thing in the way in which of a standing replace, and to depart them hanging like this with completely nothing would not strike me as particularly well-considered.
For now, the Future 2: The Remaining Form preorder web page nonetheless lists February 27, 2024 as the discharge date. We have reached out to Bungie for extra info on the delay experiences and can replace if we obtain a reply.