Destiny 2 director Joe Blackburn is stepping down following the discharge of The Final Shape, the upcoming enlargement slated to launch in June. Blackburn, who amongst different issues has served as Destiny’s Lead Raid Designer, says the time has come to “cross the torch” as he heads “on a brand new journey outdoors the partitions of Bungie.”
As we hit Finish-to-Finish subsequent month, Tyson Inexperienced will take the reins as D2 Sport Director. In case you’ve adopted Bungie for any size of time, you have heard his identify. From Halo PvP to the creation of Unique weapons in D1, Tyson has been a essential half of Bungie’s legacy since Delusion II.
— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 31, 2024
“As a deeply invested Guardian earlier than beginning right here at Bungie, attending to be an element of the Destiny 2 group has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Blackburn mentioned. “I’m and can eternally stay a lifelong Bungie fan and believer in what the groups inside its partitions are succesful of.”
Blackburn will probably be changed by Tyson Inexperienced, a Halo player-versus-player veteran who helped create Unique weapons within the unique Destiny and has been a “essential half of Bungie’s legacy since Delusion II.”
Blackburn’s departure comes at a troublesome second for each Bungie and Destiny. Again in October, Bungie was hit laborious by a significant spherical of layoffs, resulting in an environment that staff described as “soul crushing.” Destiny 2 has equally struggled with a declining playerbase and various community controversies. The Final Shape, which was imagined to launch on February 27, was delayed to the summer time.
Regardless of all that, Blackburn appeared to get pleasure from a typically optimistic repute amongst followers. He has been sport director since at the least 2021, having taken on the position after returning to Bungie following a short stint with Riot Video games. The announcement of his departure was greeted with heartfelt goodbyes on platforms like Twitter as followers thanked him for his laborious work on the sequence.
Blackburn, in the meantime, did not reveal his subsequent vacation spot, however did say that he plans to take a “large break” from social media. “I’ve nonetheless obtained a while earlier than I cross the torch, however as I stay up for taking an enormous break from social media, I do know I am going to see yall across the Tower. It’ll be nice to play Destiny alongside all of you.”
As for The Final Shape, it will be out June 4.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Information Director in addition to co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Ship her a DM at @the_katbot.