Former Bungie lawyer claims Sony forced the studio to 'get their heads out of their arses' because of its'management failure.

Don McGowan, former Bungie general attorney, gave his opinion on the ongoing turmoil within Bungie and the recent re-direction of Destiny 2 over the weekend. McGowan wrote in a Saturday LinkedIn post that, "It appears that Sony's imposing some discipline on my former co-workers may have forced them fix the things that were incorrect with the game."

McGowan added: "To be clear, I'm not referring to layoffs." "I'm not talking about the layoffs," McGowan continued. Good. "I still have friends who work in that environment, and I would like them to continue working."

McGowan's LinkedIn posting was a reaction to Bungie's announcement last week that it would be changing the content structure of Destiny 2 from its annual, major releases of linear story extensions to smaller, more frequent updates, with a greater focus on repeatable activities. The change in Destiny 2's strategy follows Bungie’s two rounds major layoffs that have taken place since Sony acquired the studio in 2022 for $3.6 billion.

Pete Parsons, CEO of Bungie, called the July 2024 announcement of the studio's decision to lay off 220 employees - or 17% of their staff - "a necessary move to refocus the studio" due to "rising development costs and industry shifts along with enduring economic conditions." McGowan, in a LinkedIn post, said that Bungie's continued uncertainty is the result of mismanagement by the studio leadership.

McGowan, Bungie's general attorney from 2020 to 2023, said that studio executives wanted to continue to operate as if it were an independent company even after the Sony purchase. McGowan explained that there were many egos who wanted to pretend 'nothing' would change. "I remember sitting in the room during the deal and saying, 'Does Sony describe this as them paying $3.6 billion to have no say in what Bungie does'? This was exactly what many people thought.

McGowan reiterated this opinion in his replies to comments made on his post. McGowan responded, "I think it's a failure of management." When asked why Bungie is in the current state, McGowan stated, "To me, it's a failure of management." They began to believe their own media." He also said that Bungie's survival is due to "talent outside of the C-suite". "I would go to meetings with Director-level people and think that 'this person' is an absolute pro, and then I'd go into exec-level meetings and wonder 'how in the fuck have these people made it this far?'" McGowan said.

McGowan compared Bungie's plans for Destiny 2 to "the things that you do to run franchises, not to continue making the game you have mastered with your friends, or to chase trendy trends."

McGowan's candid assessment of Bungie's repeated crises is refreshing, but it's unfortunate the Sony discipline he describes was imposed solely on the former employees who he claims are not to blame. Bungie's C-Suite, at least at the moment, appears to be unaffected.