In a recent development, gaming studio Bungie has announced that it will be laying off an undisclosed number of staff members. As a consequence of these layoffs, two highly anticipated titles from the company, the Destiny 2 expansion called The Final Shape and the new game Marathon, will also be delayed.

The news of the layoffs was first reported by Bloomberg, revealing that the staff cuts are part of broader downsizing within Sony's PlayStation division. While the exact number of employees affected has not been officially disclosed, former Bungie employees have taken to social media to express their feelings about the layoffs.

Sony acquired Bungie last year in a deal worth $3.6 million, with the intention of allowing the Destiny developer to continue operating independently. However, the layoffs suggest a change in the company's plans.

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons expressed his sadness about the situation in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. He stated, "Today is a sad day at Bungie as we say goodbye to colleagues who have all made a significant impact on our studio."

Regarding the affected titles, The Final Shape, a highly anticipated expansion pack for Destiny 2, will now be launched in June 2024, rather than its original expected release date in February of that year. The Final Shape is set to conclude several important storylines within the Destiny franchise.

Marathon, which is based on Bungie's popular first-person shooter initially released on macOS in 1994, has also been delayed. Originally, it was slated for release in 2024, but the game is now expected to hit the shelves in 2025. Marathon is described as a PvP "extraction" game, promising an exciting experience for players.

Bungie's layoffs add to the challenges faced by the gaming industry this year. Earlier in 2021, Epic Games cut approximately 16 percent of its workforce, amounting to around 830 jobs. Naughty Dog, the developer of The Last of Us, reportedly also let go of some contractors recently, while CD Projekt Red, the creator of Cyberpunk 2077, laid off around 100 employees in July. Niantic, the company behind Pokémon Go, also made cuts in staffing and discontinued other games to focus on its popular augmented reality game.

As the gaming industry continues to evolve, the impact of these layoffs on Bungie and its upcoming projects remains to be seen. Players and fans will have to wait a little longer for the highly anticipated Destiny 2 expansion and the new Marathon game.

[Updated on October 30th, 4:27 PM ET to include a post from Bungie CEO Pete Parsons.]