What it does: Bungie develops video games and is famous for its development of the Halo and Destiny Series.
Mission: to create compelling games, stories, and worlds by using the best technology and the best talent in the industry, assembled in the best place.
Size & Presence: Bungie's current Bellevue HQ is roughly 200,000 square feet, while its leased space in the downtown Seattle 2+U tower takes up another 60,000. Bungie has now approved six U.S. states besides Washington for remote work, including California, Oregon, Illinois, and Texas. It has 901+ employees.
Best known for: developing the award-winning Halo series of video games along with some other remarkable game series such as Destiny. Moreover, it is also known for its informal workplace culture.
The good bits: Bungie provides an excellent platform for those who are passionate about video game development and looking for a career in the same field. The company has so far developed some great video game series and hires the most creative talent. One of the great advantages of working with such a platform is the informal yet dedicated work environment it offers.
The not-so-good bits: Working in a gaming company comes with many challenges such as the pressure of being innovative every time and delivering projects on time. Also, getting a job in one of the leading video gaming companies requires technical skills.
Bungie Inc. is an American video game company headquartered in Bellevue, Washington. Founded in 1991 by Alex Seropian, the company was originally based in Chicago, Illinois. The company focused on Macintosh games initially and also created two successful video game franchises, Marathon and Myth.
In 2000, Microsoft acquired Bungie, and the project Halo: Combat Evolved was repurposed as a launch title for its Xbox console. It soon became the killer app for Xbox and the company sold millions of copies in no time. In 2007, Bungie announced its split from Microsoft and become a privately held Independent company, Bungie LLC. However, the ownership of the Halo franchise’s intellectual property remained with Microsoft.
On January 31, 2022, Sony Interactive Entertainment announced its intent to acquire Bungie for a whopping amount of $3.6 billion. While the company would become part of the PlayStation Family, it would remain an Independent subsidiary under Sony. It means the company would independently develop and publish and would not be a part of PlayStation Studios.
Bungie is known for its informal work environment where everyone is dedicated to working hard. The pace of work at the company is comfortably fast which means that tasks are assigned quite often but still doable. The employees are encouraged to be creative and innovative as the gaming industry is highly competitive.
It is like a once-in-a-lifetime place to work as the management respects the decisions of the employees and encourages them to do their best. The company’s culture is all about diversity and inclusion as the employees are from different backgrounds with a massive range of life experiences and perspectives.
Moreover, the studio is a state-of-the-art place nestled in beautiful Bellevue and designed to be a comfortable and inspiring hub for everyone working there. The area has a lot of outdoor adventure opportunities, rich cultural heritage, fine dining, and more.
The selection process at Bungie Inc. consists of five main steps and there may be some additional formalities depending on the job role and location.
Here’s what to expect from the hiring process at Bungie…
The process starts by submitting an online application by visiting the company’s website. The selected applications are eligible for further steps and the most deserving candidate will get the job offer.
Bungie Inc. offers many job opportunities to individuals who are passionate about video game development. The company looks for candidates with qualities like fun, passion, creative independence, and innovative mind. It provides equal opportunities to all regardless of their race, religion, national origin, colour, sex, age, sexual orientation, marital status, gender expression, etc.
Interested candidates can explore opportunities like Developer, Art Director, Concept Lead, 3D Character Artist, 3D Hard Surface Artist, Associate Prop and Interactive Artist, Associate Technical Artist, Character Art Outsourcing Specialist, Environment Artist, Animator, VFX Artist, Concept Artist, Lighting Artist, Digital Matter Artist, and more.
For the most talented and passionate game developers, the opportunities are in abundance.
The estimated average salaries at Bungie Inc. range from $110,468 per year including base and bonus while the average median salary is $103,055 per year. At Bungie, the highest-paid job title is a General Counsel who gets around $273,597 annually while the lowest-paid is a Customer Support Representative who gets approx $38,716 per year.
The department-wise average salaries at Bungie include: Product $137,905, Legal at $273,597, Admin at $55,715, and Marketing at $126,846. It means that half of the salaries of employees are above $103,055 per year.
There are company-funded social clubs for employees where they can participate in programs dedicated to supporting underrepresented communities. It also has a Bungie Foundation to help children by reducing stress and suffering through entertainment. The foundation also partners with organizations in times of natural disaster and crises to help those who need it the most.
It has a dedicated staff of individuals to help with the foundation and support all the charitable work. The main focus is on providing emotional support to children while they are recovering from their illness or injury.
Bungie Inc. has struggled with a lot of controversies but came strong. The recent controversy was about the company’s internal work culture when a report surfaced stating toxic leadership, poor communication, and mandatory overtime.
However, Bungie CEO Pete Parsons handled the situation well by publishing an open letter on the company’s portal. The letter begins with an apology to current and past employees for experiencing anything less than a safe, fair, and professional working environment at Bungie. He also provided details on addressing such concerns.