Destiny 2 Leadership Shift: Joe Blackburn Hands Over Reins to Tyson Green

Announcement of Departure and Leadership Change

Joe Blackburn, the current game director of Destiny 2, has made the announcement that he will be departing from Bungie, the studio behind Destiny 2, in the coming month. He shared this significant news on X (formerly Twitter), amidst discussing a pivotal studio tradition known as the "End-to-End playtest." In this context, Blackburn also introduced Tyson Green, a veteran developer at Bungie, as his successor and the new game director of Destiny 2.

End-to-End Playtest: A Bungie Tradition

The "End-to-End playtest" Blackburn mentioned is a comprehensive internal playtesting event that spans several days. It's designed to gather critical feedback on upcoming content and marks a transition towards the final stages of bug fixing and game polishing. This playtest ritual holds a special place in Blackburn's heart, particularly as it coincides with his departure and the handover of his role to Tyson Green. Blackburn highlighted Green's extensive contributions to the studio, noting his involvement in pivotal projects from Halo PvP to the creation of exotic weapons in the original Destiny.

The Final Shape and Legacy

Looking ahead, Blackburn expressed his pride in Destiny 2's forthcoming expansion, The Final Shape, which aims to conclude the epic War of Light and Darkness storyline. Despite the expansion's delay to June 4, Blackburn's extensive playtesting experience has left him confident in the quality and impact of the upcoming content. As he prepares to embark on a new adventure outside of Bungie, Blackburn's departure marks the end of an era and the beginning of a new chapter under Tyson Green's leadership. This transition occurs in the wake of significant layoffs at Bungie, with approximately 100 employees affected last October.