Design director and co-creator of the Halo and Destiny franchises Joe Staten is leaving Bungie after 15 years “to tackle new creative challenges,” according to a post on the Halo and Destiny developer’s website.
During Staten’s tenure at Bungie, the longstanding creative director served as the voice of the Halo series’ grunts and the author of the Halo: Contact Harvest novel. Most recently, he served as design director for Destiny, the developer’s upcoming open-world shooter. Just a few weeks ago, Staten appeared in a video for Destiny, in which he discussed the shooter’s social experience.
Staten’s full statement appears below:
Dear community friends,
After fifteen great years at Bungie, from the battlefields of Myth to the mysteries of Halo and beyond, I’m leaving to tackle new creative challenges. While this may come as a surprise, fear not. It’s been my pleasure building Destiny these past four years, and after the big reveal this Summer, our hugely talented team is on track for greatness. I’ll be cheering all of them, with all of you, when the game launches next year. Thank you for your support of me, and your continued support of Bungie. We couldn’t have done it without you.
