Bungie Replaces Marathon Director Amid Leadership Shakeup, Fears of Layoffs

ign.com:

Amid ongoing anxiety within Bungie following layoffs last year, the studio is now preparing for another shakeup, this time on Marathon — its upcoming service game intended as its next step beyond Destiny.

According to multiple sources familiar with the matter, Bungie is in the midst of shifting around its creative leadership on Marathon, including removing long-time Bungie designer Christopher Barrett from the game director role. IGN learned he is being replaced by former Valorant game director Joe Ziegler, who left Riot Games for Bungie in 2022.

IGN has reached out to Bungie for comment on whether or not Barrett will remain with the company. Bungie has not yet responded to IGN's request for comment, but shortly after we reached out, Ziegler confirmed his appointment as game director on X/Twitter.

"For the last 9 Months I’ve been working on Marathon as the game director," he wrote. "We’re still baking, but I’m excited to share with you more info on the game as we get closer and closer to bringing it to all of you."

Hey everyone! Fun update: for the last 9
Months I’ve been working on Marathon as the game director. We’re still baking, but I’m excited to share with you more info on the game as we get closer and closer to bringing it to all of you.

While this is going on, sources tell IGN that Bungie is pouring resources into getting Marathon out the door. The game's direction has shifted somewhat under Ziegler's new leadership, one source says, including moving away from custom player characters in favor of a selectable cast of heroes.

While upcoming Destiny 2 expansion The Final Shape is also being prioritized, there are growing fears and rumors that layoffs will immediately follow its release. One person with knowledge of budgets at Bungie told me that "nothing adds up" and "something will need to happen to curb costs unless The Final Shape does so well to cover the gap and people can move to Marathon."

When Sony acquired Bungie, the studio brought with it a number of other