Joe Blackburn, the guiding force behind Destiny 2 for several years, announced his departure from Bungie in a recent Twitter thread. He will step down as Game Director and embark on “a new adventure outside the walls of Bungie.” It’s a big loss for any developer, but it comes at a very difficult time for the studio.
Blackburn’s departure coincides with a crucial development stage for Destiny 2’s upcoming expansion, The Final Shape. Next month, the game will undergo its End-to-End playtest, a multi-day internal session for gathering final feedback and shifting focus towards bug fixing and polishing. The Final Shape was originally delayed after the fanbase made their disappointment known to the studio.
As detailed in a long Twitter thread, The mantle of Game Director will be passed to Tyson Green, a veteran at Bungie with experience in both the Halo series and Destiny 1. This is a great person to take over, but there’s no guarantee it will fix all the issues.
Blackburn was at least proud of his work on Destiny 2 and was confident in Green’s leadership. He will be taking a break from social media but remain an active player in the world he helped shape. Blackburn’s departure will clearly change a lot for the game, and we may see a different The Final Shape in June than was planned. The expansion promises a lot of additional content and features like the recently announced character customization.
Bungie continues to refine the Fireteam Finder feature, recently holding a beta test and preparing for The Final Shape’s internal playtesting. These developments indicate continued progress toward the expansion’s eventual release.
With Blackburn’s departure and Green’s arrival, Destiny 2 enters a new chapter in its ongoing narrative. The community awaits The Final Shape with anticipation, eager to see how Green’s leadership and Bungie’s ongoing efforts shape the future of this beloved live-service game.
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