More information about Bungie‘s mass layoffs are coming to light, as news broke late Thursday that Destiny Franchise Director Luke Smith and Franchise VP Mark Noseworthy are no longer working at the company due to its recent restructure and layoffs. Noted game journalist and insider Jeff Grubb confirmed on his Game Mess podcast that Smith and Noseworthy were let go, with the project they were involved in developing called Payback, set in the Destiny universe, being shelved indefinitely.
“Smith and Noseworthy were let go as part of the executive and leadership shakeup,” Grubb stated. Payback was intended to be a major new installment for the Destiny series, but not a direct sequel like Destiny 3, which we’ve discussed on several episodes of Tower Casuals: The Destiny Podcast sometime late last year.
Smith, who most notably created fan favorite raid Vault of Glass and climbed the ladder to Franchise Director, had been a prominent figure for Bungie and had significantly contributed to Destiny 2‘s narrative development. Noseworthy, the vice president of the franchise, oversaw the strategic direction of Destiny.

Bungie CEO Pete Parsons confirmed on Wednesday that around 220 employees, or 17% of the workforce, were being laid off across various departments, with another 150 being reassigned within Sony Interactive Entertainment. Parsons attributed the layoffs to rising development costs, industry shifts, and economic conditions, moving their focus on cost structure and development efforts solely on Destiny and Marathon. Additionally, the incubated sci-fi fantasy game not related to Destiny or Marathon will be moved to a new internal studio within PlayStation.
Despite the positive reception of Destiny 2‘s The Final Shape, these job cuts have raised concerns about the future content for players, with larger expansions likely being replaced by smaller content packs. We will keep you up to date on what is happening with Bungie, Destiny, and Marathon, so keep it here on Boss Rush.
What are your thoughts on these layoffs and the continued amount of industry cuts? Let us know in our Discord or in the comments.
Source: Jeff Grubb’s Game Mess
Source: Forbes via Paul Tassi
Featured Image Source: Bungie
Corey Dirrig is the Founder and President of Boss Rush Media. He is the host of The Boss Rush Podcast, Nintendo Pow Block, Tower Casuals: The Destiny Podcast, and cohosts a variety of other podcasts and content. You can follow Corey on Bluesky, on X/Twitter, and on Instagram or connect with him on LinkedIn for Business Inquiries.
Tower Casuals: The Destiny Podcast by Boss Rush
Eyes up, Guardians! Tower Casuals: The Destiny Podcast is Boss Rush’s dedicated show covering all things Destiny and Bungie-related content. Join hosts Corey Dirrig and Josh Finney, along with friends from the Tower Casuals LFG, every Friday as they dive into the latest updates—story developments, coverage of the This Week in Destiny blog, in-game events, gear changes, Clan contests, and more—including the fan-favorite segment, Lore Corner. New episodes alternate weeks with Xbox Casuals: An Xbox Podcast.
Follow Tower Casuals: The Destiny Podcast on Social Media
X/Twitter | Bluesky | Threads | Instagram | Facebook
Join the Tower Casuals Destiny Discord Community
Tower Casuals Discord Server
Subscribe to Tower Casuals: The Destiny Podcast on Podcast Apps or on YouTube
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Goodpods | YouTube | Twitch
Thank you for watching and/or listening to Tower Casuals: The Destiny Podcast. You can find the show on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. If you enjoyed the discussion, be sure to like the video, subscribe to the channel, or rate us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Drop a comment to share your thoughts on this week’s news or leave a question for next week’s episode. Thank you for your continued support of Tower Casuals, Xbox Casuals, and Boss Rush!
Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games
The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship show of Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network. Each week, hosts Corey Dirrig, LeRon Dawkins, Stephanie Klimov, and Pat Klein, as well as their friends, fellow creators, developers, and industry veterans, share their gaming experiences. They discuss what they’ve been playing, explore rotating segments, debate the Boss Rush Banter topic of the week, answer community write-ins, and more. Patreon subscribers at any tier enjoy exclusive access to the Boss Rush Podcast Patreon Show twice a month along with other perks and extras.
Follow and Connect with Boss Rush Podcast on Social Media
X/Twitter + Bluesky + Instagram + Threads + YouTube
Listen to Boss Rush Podcast on Podcast Services
Apple Podcasts + Spotify + Goodpods + Amazon + More Links
Thank you for supporting Boss Rush Podcast and the Boss Rush Network
Thank you for watching or listening to The Boss Rush Podcast. If you’re watching this episode on YouTube, hit the Subscribe button, Like the video, and hit the notification bell so you don’t miss an episode! If you’re listening on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, consider leaving us a rating and a review as it helps with discoverability and growth. Support Boss Rush on Patreon for exclusive content, early access and audio versions of shows, become a Patreon Producer, and more. Visit our website for all of our content including reviews, news, daily Boss Rush Banter discussion topics, listicles, features, and more. However you support us, it means so much to us. Thank you for your continued support of the Boss Rush Podcast and the Boss Rush Network.




Leave a Reply