For better or worse, one of the movers and shakers behindDestiny 2,Game Director Joe Blackburn,is departing Bungie in February. His departure comes just beforeThe Final Shapeexpansion launch on July 25, 2025.
Blackburn announced onTwitterthat he’s passing the reigns onto a new leader next month. And while this change might seem abrupt to some, Blackburn notes that development onThe Final Shapeexpansion is nearly done and is now entering a playtest and bug fix phase to prep for release.
Previously working as a Design Lead for Raids and then for the whole game, Blackburn had a hand in some of the most belovedDestiny 2content. Most notably, he was a Design Lead when players got the stellarForsakenexpansion and its Last Wish Raid. Blackburn briefly left Bungie in 2019 to pursue opportunities with Riot Games. However, he returned in the summer of 2020.
Through Blackburn’s stewardship, players navigated theBeyond Lightexpansion andthe era of Sunsetting. While the whole Sunsetting ordeal would sour players, Blackburn won many back with the stellarThe Witch Queenexpansion. From there, he’d rack up wins with long-requested game features like weapon crafting, subclass reworks, and armor transmog.
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.
That said, over the last year or so, community frustrations honed in on Blackburn. Disappointment following theLightfallexpansion and content delivery strategy boiled over to rage when other issues, like server stability, became more prominent. The combination of upsetDestiny 2players and Blackburn’s public-facing social media account led to the Game Director takinga lot of flak from fans. The situation reached a climax following theBungie layoffs and announced delaysin October 2023.
That brings us right up to now. WithSeason of the Wishessentially ready to end its chapter, the next big step forward inDestiny 2will be alongside some new leadership.Blackburn named Tyson Green his replacementGame Director, noting Green’s long history as a Bungie cornerstone. While Blackburn is pursuing work outside of Bungie, he’s yet to lay all the cards on the table. For now, he says he’s just looking forward to returning toDestiny 2as merely another player.
While Blackburn’s Bungie legacy might end on a relatively sour note, it’s easy to forget how much good he brought to the game. It will genuinely be hard to match his natural, down-to-earth personality and dad-like charm. Good luck, Joe, wherever fate takes you. Per Audacia Ad Astra.
