Joe Blackburn, game director for Destiny 2, is leaving Bungie. He’ll pursue a “new adventure” outside the company, with Tyson Green taking over. The latter has been a part of the company since Myth 2’s release and has worked on several things, from Halo’s PvP to Destiny 1’s Exotic weapons.
Best known for The Witch Queen and Lightfall, Blackburn also served as raid design lead on Destiny 2, having worked on King’s Fall. “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.”
Blackburn isn’t leaving immediately but will take a “big break from social media” when he does. Regarding The Final Shape, he revealed that it will be hitting “one of its most critical internal milestones: a ritual we call the End-to-End playtest.” It involves internal playtests that go on for days and serves as a shift towards bug fixes and more polish.
Destiny 2: The Final Shape launches on June 4th for Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, PS5 and PC. It’s the conclusion to the Light and Darkness Saga, as players venture into the Traveler to defeat The Witness. More details are coming in April, so stay tuned.
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
It’s multiple days of consecutive internal playtesting that not only generates incredibly valuable closing feedback on everything coming this summer, but also spiritually kicks off a shift towards bug fixing and polish work.
— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 31, 2024
Heading into this milestone, I've gotten to play 100s of hours of The Final Shape, and what the world-class talent here at Bungie has created has quickly become of the things I'm most proud to have worked on throughout my career.
— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 31, 2024
This ritual will be especially meaningful to me personally, as it will also serve as a moment to pass the torch of Destiny 2 Game Director to the next era of leadership as I head on a new adventure outside the walls of Bungie.
— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 31, 2024
As we hit End-to-End next month, Tyson Green will take the reins as D2 Game Director. If you’ve followed Bungie for any length of time, you've heard his name. From Halo PvP to the creation of Exotic weapons in D1, Tyson has been a critical part of Bungie's legacy since Myth II.
— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 31, 2024
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.
— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 31, 2024
I've still got some time before I pass the torch, but as I look forward to taking a big break from social media, I know I'll see yall around the Tower. It is going to be great to play Destiny alongside all of you.
— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 31, 2024
