Bungie Internship 2027–2028: What Happened, What to Expect & What to Do Instead

Last updated: July 2026

Here is the honest answer most guides will not give you: Bungie has not posted a single internship since the 2023 cycle. Three rounds of layoffs under Sony's ownership have cut headcount from roughly 1,600 to about 500 employees, and as of July 2026 the entire careers page lists one open role, a Marathon UI/UX Director position. The studio that created Halo, Destiny, and Marathon historically ran a strong summer internship program paying engineering interns $110,000 annualized, but the program's future is genuinely uncertain. This guide covers every detail from the last confirmed cycle, tells you exactly what to monitor and when, and maps out what to do right now if you want to work in gaming regardless of whether Bungie brings internships back.

Quick Facts

Bungie's internship program is on hold. The last confirmed cohort was summer 2023. No internship roles have been posted since, and 750+ layoffs make the program's return uncertain. If it does come back, expect fall 2026 postings for summer 2027.

Externships are short, remote professional experience programs where you finish a real project with a real company. While Bungie's internship program remains on hold, the Beats by Dre Data Analytics Externship and the Wayfair AI Agent Engineering Externship build the data and engineering skills gaming studios look for. Explore all Externships.

What Is a Bungie Internship?

A Bungie internship, when it exists, is a paid, 12-week summer placement at one of gaming's most storied studios, the company behind Halo (under Microsoft), the Destiny franchise, and the recently launched Marathon. Founded in 1991 and acquired by Sony Interactive Entertainment for $3.6 billion in 2022, Bungie ran a strong summer program in 2023 across roles from gameplay engineering to a one-of-a-kind "Destiny Historian" position. Interns rated the experience well: Comparably reports 100% of interns surveyed had a mentor and 100% developed close friendships with coworkers. But the studio's trajectory changed sharply after Sony's acquisition. Three rounds of layoffs, October 2023, July 2024, and June 2026, cut 750+ positions, dropping headcount to roughly 500. Whether the internship program returns is an open question, and the honest approach is to prepare for both outcomes.

When Do Bungie Internship Applications Open for 2027–2028?

Bungie's internship timeline is built on historical pattern, not confirmed dates. The last large cohort opened applications on December 5, 2022 for summer 2023. No internship postings have appeared since, and Bungie has not announced whether a summer 2027 program will run. If the program returns, the December 2022 pattern suggests postings would appear between November 2026 and February 2027. Given the uncertainty, this timeline covers both what to monitor and what to do regardless of whether Bungie's program comes back.

Why You Must Apply the Week Applications Open

There may not be a Bungie application window at all. But there is still urgency, and it comes from two directions. First, if Bungie does restore internships, history says the window will be short and the studio's brand will attract a surge of applicants to very few seats, likely fewer than the 2023 cohort given the reduced headcount. Second, and more practically, the gaming studios that are hiring interns, Riot Games, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, run their own fall recruiting timelines. Waiting for Bungie to announce while those windows close is the worst outcome. Apply to the sure things first, and treat a Bungie posting as a bonus if it appears.

Which Bungie Internship Programs Should You Target?

Bungie doesn't run named internship "programs", it posts individual intern roles. In the 2023 cycle (the last confirmed large cohort), the studio posted at least six distinct intern positions spanning engineering, data, product, research, and creative disciplines. These roles reflected Bungie's active projects at the time, primarily Destiny 2 and early Marathon development.

Note that any future cohort would likely look different. With the Destiny team significantly reduced in the June 2026 layoffs and Marathon as Bungie's primary active project, future intern roles (if any) would more likely be Marathon-focused. Monitor careers.bungie.com/jobs starting fall 2026.

What Are the Eligibility Requirements?

These requirements are drawn from Bungie's archived 2023 internship job descriptions and were consistent across all roles:

• Enrollment: currently enrolled in a U.S. college, university, or related program and returning to school in the fall after the internship ends.

• Availability: able to work full-time for 12 weeks throughout the summer with a set May or June start date.

• GPA: no minimum GPA requirement stated in any archived Bungie intern JD, a contrast with finance companies that typically require 3.2+.

• Degree level: varies by role. Undergrad for most positions; Master's or PhD required for the Research Intern; MBA required for the Product Management Intern.

• Location: most roles were remote (anywhere in Bungie's approved U.S. states: CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, IL, MA, MD, MN, NC, NJ, NY, OR, TN, TX, UT, VA, WA, WI). The Research Intern required onsite presence in Bellevue/Seattle for in-studio user research.

Does Bungie Require a Minimum GPA?

No. Bungie doesn't list a minimum GPA in any of its archived internship job descriptions. This is verified across all six 2023 intern roles. Instead, the company emphasizes relevant skills, portfolio quality, and gaming passion. For technical roles like Gameplay Engineering, a strong foundation in C++, algorithms, and math matters far more than GPA. For creative roles like the Destiny Historian, deep franchise knowledge and research ability are what gets you through. Every JD also included inclusive language encouraging applicants who don't meet every listed qualification to apply anyway.

What Skills Does Bungie Look For, and How Do You Build Them?

Bungie's 2023 intern JDs reveal a studio that values two things above all else: deep technical skill in your specific discipline and genuine passion for games. Communication appears in every role, from the C++ engineer to the lore historian. But the technical requirements vary dramatically by position. Engineering interns need production-level C++ and math. Data interns need Python, SQL, and pipeline experience. Research interns need graduate-level methodology. The one universal: every JD mentions passion for games as either a requirement or a strong preference, and Destiny franchise familiarity is listed as a "nice-to-have" across the board.

How Is Demand for Gaming Interns Moving Right Now?

Build These Skills Before You Apply

Whether Bungie brings back internships or not, these are the skills their JDs demanded, and you can build every one through a remote Externship.

Each of these Externships ends with a presented deliverable to a real company, which is exactly the kind of portfolio proof that gaming studios evaluate. Whether you end up applying to Bungie, Riot Games, or EA, the finished project speaks in the language their JDs use.

What Is the Bungie Application and Interview Process Like?

Since Bungie has no active internship postings, this process is reconstructed from the 2023 cycle and Glassdoor interview data (105 interviews across all roles, 3.34/5 difficulty rating):

1. Apply at careers.bungie.com/jobs (powered by Greenhouse ATS). When intern roles are posted, filter by "Internship" under the Type dropdown. Submit a resume, cover letter, and portfolio for creative or technical roles.

2. Application review. Bungie's hiring team reviews submissions. 77% of candidates got their interview by applying online; 14% through employee referrals.

3. Phone screen and hiring manager interview. Roughly 27% of Glassdoor reports describe a phone screening as the first interview stage, followed by a one-on-one with the hiring manager.

4. Skills assessment. For technical roles, expect a take-home coding assignment (C++ or C#, 3–4 hours) or easy-level LeetCode problems during a technical screen. For creative roles, portfolio review is the primary evaluation.

5. Panel interview and decision. A group panel interview (11% of reports) and potential presentation round (9%). The average process takes 37 days from application to decision; 54.6% of candidates report a positive experience.

Two things to note: Bungie doesn't appear to use HireVue or automated video assessments for intern roles, and the process is more portfolio-driven than algorithmic. For art and creative positions, "they are going to look through your portfolio more than anything." Prepare accordingly.

What Students on Reddit Say

Three threads capture the reality of applying to Bungie and working in its orbit.

Bungie May Not Be Hiring Interns. Here Is What to Do Anyway.

Three moves, all executable this summer. First, set up monitoring: bookmark careers.bungie.com/jobs, follow @BungieCareers on X, and set a Greenhouse job alert for "intern" at Bungie. If the program returns, you will know within days. Second, don't wait. Apply to gaming studios that are actively hiring: Riot Games, Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Sony/PlayStation, and Ubisoft all run formal summer intern programs with fall recruiting windows. These aren't consolation prizes, they are where you build the shipped-game experience and studio skills that make you competitive anywhere, including Bungie. Third, build portfolio proof in the JD's language. Bungie's engineering JDs asked for C++ and data structures. Their data JDs asked for Python and SQL. A finished project demonstrating these skills, through a remote Externship, a game jam entry, an open-source contribution, or a personal game project, separates your application from the stack whenever a window opens.

What Other Companies Should You Consider?

These are the gaming studios that actively run internship programs. If Bungie is the dream, these are both alternatives and stepping stones.

Many gaming professionals move between these studios over a career. An internship at Riot or EA isn't a detour from Bungie, it's exactly the kind of industry experience that makes a future Bungie application competitive, whenever the studio starts hiring again.

FAQ

Is Bungie offering internships for summer 2027?

Bungie has not confirmed whether it will run internships in summer 2027. The last confirmed cohort was summer 2023, and 750+ layoffs since then have reduced headcount to about 500. As of July 2026, only one role is open on the entire careers page. If internships return, postings would likely appear between November 2026 and February 2027 based on the December 2022 pattern.

Does Bungie run internships every year?

No. Bungie's internship program has been irregular. Engineering internships opened in 2019 "for the first time in over a year," and the 2023 cohort was the last large confirmed class. No intern roles have been posted during the 2024, 2025, or 2026 cycles. The program's future is uncertain given the studio's significantly reduced headcount.

What GPA do you need for a Bungie internship?

Bungie doesn't list a minimum GPA requirement in any of its archived internship job descriptions. Instead, the company emphasizes relevant skills, portfolio quality, and gaming passion. For technical roles, strong programming foundations in C++ and data structures matter more than GPA. For creative roles, a strong portfolio is the primary differentiator.

Are Bungie internships paid?

Yes. Bungie internships are well-compensated based on 2023 rates. Engineering and data intern roles listed $110,000 annualized (about $53 per hour) in the Seattle area. MBA product management interns earned $94,000 to $99,000, research interns $86,000 to $90,000, and non-technical roles $75,000 to $77,000. Benefits included PTO, paid holidays, and health coverage through an external partner.

What is the Bungie internship interview process like?

Based on Glassdoor data across 105 interviews, the process averages 37 days and typically includes a phone screening, a hiring manager interview, a skills test or take-home project, and a panel interview. For creative roles, portfolio review is central. For engineering roles, expect C++ or C# coding challenges. Interview difficulty is rated 3.34 out of 5.

Do Bungie interns get return offers?

Bungie doesn't publish intern-to-full-time conversion rates. One Glassdoor reviewer noted that conversion "isn't transparent and is highly dependent on team/manager." Given the studio's 750+ layoffs since 2023, return offer prospects would be more uncertain than at stable studios even if the internship program were running.

What are the best alternatives to a Bungie internship?

Gaming studios with active internship programs include Riot Games (100 to 150 summer positions), Electronic Arts, Epic Games, Sony/PlayStation (Bungie's parent company), and Ubisoft. These build the same gaming industry experience and technical skills. Many Bungie employees have prior experience at exactly these studios.

What skills should I build to be ready if Bungie posts internships?

Based on Bungie's 2023 JDs: engineering interns need C++, algorithms, and math; data interns need Python and SQL; research interns need a graduate degree with research methodology experience. Across all roles, Bungie values gaming passion, strong communication, and collaboration. Build portfolio proof now through personal game projects, game jams, or remote Externships.

Bungie's internship program may or may not come back. What you can control is what is on your resume when any gaming studio opens its window. A remote Externship in data analytics, software engineering, or product innovation turns "interested in gaming" into a finished project the next application can point at.