Destiny and Halo fans shocked as layoffs hit 24-year Bungie veteran: “To lay him off is a slap in the face to one of the greatest composers in modern history”
Oct. 31, 2023Beloved composer Michael Salvatori has wiped Bungie from his personal website
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Destiny 2 developerBungie’s latest wave of layoffs appears to include various studio veterans who have been around for over 24 years, since before the days of the original Halo.
One of the more prominent names among the fan chatter is beloved composer Michael Salvatori. A veteran of 25 years, Salvatori has contributed to every Bungie release, starting with Myth: The Fallen Lords before composing the first five Halo games and more recently Destiny and its eventual follow-up.
While his departure hasn’t officially been confirmed, fans have assumed as much as hiswebsitenow simply reads “gone fishin'” instead of the previous blurb about his career. Another composer who has also seemingly been laid off, Michael Sechrist, has updated their website to “Gone Fishin' with Salvatori.”
As oneTwitter userputs it, “Michael Salvatori earned the right to be able to retire at Bungie. To lay him off is a slap in the face to one of the greatest composers in modern history.”
Anotheradds, “If an award-winning portfolio of this absolute grandeur isn’t enough to keep your job, then I fear for everyone in the industry.”
News ofBungie’s round of layoffs surfaced yesterday, with numerous staffers coming forward to share that they had lost their jobs or offer solidarity to those who did. Alongside several studio composers, the layoffs appear to have reached other corners of the studio, such as community management and beyond.
“Today is a sad day at Bungie as we say goodbye to colleagues who have all made a significant impact on our studio,” CEO Pete Parsonssays. “What these exceptional individuals have contributed to our games and Bungie culture has been enormous and will continue to be a part of Bungie long into the future. These are truly talented people. If you have openings, I would highly recommend each and every one of them.”
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According to aBloombergreport, Destiny 2: The Final Shape and Marathon have reportedly been delayed among the layoffs.
Recently,The Witcher and Cyberpunk 2077 staff unionizedafter three waves of layoffs atCDPRthis year alone.
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