Amid ongoing nervousness inside Bungie following layoffs final yr, the studio is now getting ready for one more shakeup, this time on Marathon — its upcoming service recreation supposed as its subsequent step past Future.
In accordance with a number of sources accustomed to the matter, Bungie is within the midst of shifting round its artistic management on Marathon, together with eradicating long-time Bungie designer Christopher Barrett from the sport director function. IGN discovered he’s being changed by former Valorant recreation director Joe Ziegler, who left Riot Video games for Bungie in 2022.
IGN has reached out to Bungie for touch upon whether or not or not Barrett will stay with the corporate. Bungie has not but responded to IGN’s request for remark, however shortly after we reached out, Ziegler confirmed his appointment as recreation director on X/Twitter.
“For the final 9 Months I’ve been engaged on Marathon as the sport director,” he wrote. “We’re nonetheless baking, however I’m excited to share with you extra information on the sport as we get nearer and nearer to bringing it to all of you.”
Hey everybody! Enjoyable replace: for the final 9Months I’ve been engaged on Marathon as the sport director. We’re nonetheless baking, however I’m excited to share with you extra information on the sport as we get nearer and nearer to bringing it to all of you.— Ziegler (@Ziegler_Dev) March 19, 2024
Whereas this is occurring, sources inform IGN that Bungie is pouring assets into getting Marathon out the door. The sport’s course has shifted considerably beneath Ziegler’s new management, one supply says, together with shifting away from customized participant characters in favor of a selectable solid of heroes.
Marathon Over Matter
Whereas upcoming Future 2 enlargement The Remaining Form can be being prioritized, there are rising fears and rumors that layoffs will instantly observe its launch. One particular person with data of budgets at Bungie instructed me that “nothing provides up” and “one thing might want to occur to curb prices until The Remaining Form does so effectively to cowl the hole and other people can transfer to Marathon.”
When Sony acquired Bungie, the studio introduced with it quite a few different incubation tasks, together with a MOBA-like recreation codenamed Gummy Bears and a brand new IP often known as Matter. In accordance with sources, Matter was canceled again in 2020, however the workforce continued engaged on the same venture with barely completely different course till that too was canceled in late 2022. Gummy Bears, in the meantime, is at present in a holding sample because of the ongoing firm struggles.
Throughout the firm, there’s a rising expectation that senior firm management will depart in droves in the summertime of 2026 when the ultimate payouts from Sony’s acquisition of the corporate take impact. With this in thoughts, there’s a robust push to get Marathon out the door earlier than then, and let whoever takes the reins after that (be it Sony or Bungie) fear about the way it’s sustained.
A Marathon, and a Dash
Bungie has discovered itself rocked by quite a few main shake-ups lately which have tanked morale on the Future studio and left its future unsure. Sony formally acquired the studio mid-2022, with the promise it will largely retain a semblance of freedom as an unbiased subsidiary. Whereas sources say that is largely remained true, Bungie has struggled to satisfy key monetary targets, Future 2 considerably underperformed final yr.
In October, Bungie laid off roughly 100 of its then-1,200 staff amid better cost-cutting measures that noticed Marathon delayed to 2025 and worker advantages slashed, additional damaging the temper internally. Notably, a number of sources on the time and since have shared that Sony has largely left the studio to kind out its personal troubles and was not answerable for the layoffs, with CEO Pete Parsons taking accountability.
Nonetheless, sources on the time additionally instructed IGN that when leaders have been requested if they’d thought of taking pay cuts prior to creating layoff choices, one responded that Bungie was not “that kind of firm.” Internally, the sentiment is just rising that The Remaining Form must succeed for Bungie to keep away from additional inner turmoil.
Neither Bungie nor Sony responded to IGN’s request for remark.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Bought a narrative tip? Ship it to rvalentine@ign.com.