Joe Ziegler, the Game Director for Bungie’s Marathon, has officially left the studio, marking the end of an era for the developer’s ongoing sci-fi extraction shooter. The former Valorant Game Director first joined Bungie in December 2022 and took on the role of Marathon‘s director in June 2023.
Released back in March, Marathon is a sequel and spiritual reboot of Bungie’s 90s sci-fi shooter series of the same name. Though the impressions surrounding Marathon‘s closed alpha last year were mixed to say the least, the final product received a much warmer reception from critics. On OpenCritic, Marathon is sitting at a Top Critic Average of 81, with multiple 9/10 scores under its belt. But despite this strong critical reception, it’s been reported that Marathon failed to meet sales expectations, with Sony officially confirming at least a $765 million impairment loss due to Bungie’s underperformance since Sony’s acquisition of the studio. On June 25, Bungie confirmed that it was undergoing layoffs.
Marathon’s Director Has Left Bungie
Now, three weeks after those layoffs, Joe Ziegler made a post on his personal Twitter account announcing that July 17 was his last day working at Bungie. Ziegler states that he’s “passing the torch” of Game Director to Del Chafe III, and that they’ll lead Marathon‘s ongoing development alongside Creative Director Julia Nardin.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
Rearrange the covers into the correct US release order.
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According to Del Chafe III’s LinkedIn page, the developer has been working in the gaming industry since 1997, with some of their earliest work being mods for Quake 2 and 3. Del Chafe III joined Bungie in May 2011, where they began as a designer on the first Destiny. Over the last 15 years, Del Chafe has gradually climbed their way up the ranks of Bungie, leading projects like Destiny 2‘s Forsaken, Beyond Light, and Shadowkeep expansions. In October 2022, Del Chafe became Marathon‘s Creative Director, and since April 2024 they’ve been working as an Assistant Game Director.
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Image via Bungie -
Image via Bungie -
Julia Nardin joined Bungie in October 2019, where they worked as a Narrative Lead on Destiny: Season of Arrivals and an assortment of subsequent content drops. In August 2022, Nardin took on the role of Narrative Director of both Destiny 2: The Final Shape and Marathon, and in May 2025 they were promoted to be Marathon‘s Creative Director.
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As for Ziegler himself, the former Riot Games — and now former Bungie — developer has stated that he’s “heading to something new, somewhere else, and will update [fans] on where and what soon.” Ziegler dedicates a large portion of his announcement post to thanking those who have supported Marathon over the years, and teases that the game will continue in “new and surprising ways,” confirming that while his departure is the end of an era for Marathon, it’s far from the game’s final moments.
- Released
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March 5, 2026
- ESRB
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Teen / Animated Blood, Language, Violence, In-Game Purchases, Users Interact
