Future 2 director Joe Blackburn is stepping down following the discharge of The Closing Form, the upcoming enlargement slated to launch in June. Blackburn, who amongst different issues has served as Future’s Lead Raid Designer, says the time has come to “cross the torch” as he heads “on a brand new journey outdoors the partitions of Bungie.”
As we hit Finish-to-Finish subsequent month, Tyson Inexperienced will take the reins as D2 Sport Director. When you’ve adopted Bungie for any size of time, you have heard his title. From Halo PvP to the creation of Unique weapons in D1, Tyson has been a important a part of Bungie’s legacy since Fable II.
— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 31, 2024
“As a deeply invested Guardian earlier than beginning right here at Bungie, attending to be part of the Future 2 staff has been the privilege of a lifetime,” Blackburn mentioned. “I’m and can without end stay a lifelong Bungie fan and believer in what the groups inside its partitions are able to.”
Blackburn shall be changed by Tyson Inexperienced, a Halo player-versus-player veteran who helped create Unique weapons within the unique Future and has been a “important a part of Bungie’s legacy since Fable II.”
Blackburn’s departure comes at a tough second for each Bungie and Future. Again in October, Bungie was hit arduous by a serious spherical of layoffs, resulting in an environment that workers described as “soul crushing.” Future 2 has equally struggled with a declining playerbase and numerous neighborhood controversies. The Closing Form, which was purported to launch on February 27, was delayed to the summer season.
Regardless of all that, Blackburn appeared to get pleasure from a typically constructive status amongst followers. He has been recreation director since not less than 2021, having taken on the position after returning to Bungie following a short stint with Riot Video games. The announcement of his departure was greeted with heartfelt goodbyes on platforms like Twitter as followers thanked him for his arduous work on the sequence.
Blackburn, in the meantime, did not reveal his subsequent vacation spot, however did say that he plans to take a “huge break” from social media. “I’ve nonetheless bought a while earlier than I cross the torch, however as I sit up for taking an enormous break from social media, I do know I am going to see yall across the Tower. It’ll be nice to play Future alongside all of you.”
As for The Closing Form, it will be out June 4.
Kat Bailey is IGN’s Information Director in addition to co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Ship her a DM at @the_katbot.