Game Director of Destiny 2, Joe Blackburn, has announced he’ll be stepping down from the position at Bungie, just before the release of the next major expansion The Final Shape.
Destiny 2 is hurtling towards the end of the Light and Dark saga. With the oncoming arrival of The Final Shape, the game is looking to conclude an almost 10-year-old story, with Guardians facing off against The Witness in an ultimate battle for the ages.
The Final Shape expansion was hit with a couple of delays during its development process, with the release date being moved back to June 2024. Despite this, players are still eager than ever to learn more about this seemingly conclusive chapter in what’s being built as the game’s grand finale.
Now a new announcement has shaken the fabric of the dev team behind the franchise, as the Game Director has announced that they will soon be stepping down from the role.
Next month, The Final Shape will be hitting one of its most critical internal milestones: a ritual we call the End-to-End playtest.This ritual has been a key part of development since Forsaken.
— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 31, 2024
Destiny 2 Game Director to step down before The Final Shape
The Game Director of Destiny 2 Joe Blackburn has been liked by much of the community thanks to their transparency in their recent vlogs. However, these may be coming to an end as we move toward The Final Shape, with the developer stating he’d be “pass(ing) the torch”.
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“As we hit End-to-End next month, Tyson Green will take the reins as D2 Game Director,” Blackburn announced.
Green brings years of experience to the helm, having worked at Bungie since Halo’s first outing, before taking the reigns as Multiplayer Design Lead for Halo 3.
Blackburn will be stepping down as Bungie begins its final phase of testing, ensuring everything is correct before The Final Shape launches. The dev took the time to thank everyone at Bungie and will remain a “lifelong Bungie fan”.
“As a deeply invested Guardian before starting here at Bungie, getting to be a part of the Destiny 2 team has been the privilege of a lifetime. I am and will forever remain a lifelong Bungie fan and believer in what the teams within its walls are capable of.”