Developers Leaving Bungie Doesn’t Mean Destiny 2 Is In Trouble

News surrounding Destiny 2 has recently been all about the fact that so many developers are leaving Bungie. The most recent of these was Joe Blackburn, the newly appointed Raid Design Lead. His announcement told fans that his last day was the 26th of April 2019.

Discussing his time with Bungie on Twitter, Blackburn said that he’d had an amazing time with the developer working on the franchise. He added that the reason for his departure was an incredible opportunity offered to him in Santa Monica, but didn’t confirm where this opportunity had come from. A quick look in the area shows developers such as Naughty Dog, Treyarch, Riot Games, and Sony Santa Monica to name but a few.

Other developers who have recently left Bungie include; Josh Hamrick, Jon Weisnewski, and Cluade Jerome, Sandbox Designers, and Jill Scharr, ex-Senior Writer on the franchise. All of these staff movements have created some uncertainty in the community, with many Guardians claiming that Bungie is now falling apart.

With the developer’s recent split with Activision Blizzard, a number of staff leaving does look as though Bungie is going under and the people in the know are jumping ship. However, another way to look at the situation is that now Bungie has split with the sometimes toxic influence of the publisher, they’re doing things differently.

Change is always hard for a percentage of the staff in a company. When people are used to doing things in a certain way, and knowing what they’re doing when they come to work in the morning, it can be extremely hard for them when change is suddenly thrust upon them. Yes, it could be that Bungie is experiencing some difficulties with establishing a new normal outside of their partnership, but it could also be that the reorganisation of the company post-split has left some people twiddling their thumbs. As a result, restless developers might feel as though they may as well look for a new job with so much change and uncertainty around them where they are.

Another take on the situation is that so many staff are leaving because Bungie is now between projects. Recent rumours suggest that Destiny 3 is in development, and as such it’s the perfect time for those who want a change to move on from the franchise. Destiny 1 development began back in 2010, making the franchise nine years old. That’s a long time for people to have committed to a game series, and a single job role, making it understandable for those who want a change of pace and a change of scenery.

This September it’s likely that Bungie will reveal a new annual pass for Destiny 2 Year 3, and the content that will release over regular seasons along with it. Hopefully this content is well into development, with the initial content drop almost finished. This makes it the perfect time for those who’s work has come to a natural close to move on from Destiny 2 and start fresh with something else. For Bungie it’s also a great time to give Destiny 2 a satisfying end while they work on the launch of Destiny 3.

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