Joseph Cross has clarified that his departure from Bungie was a deliberate and personal choice, dismissing any rumors of a forced exit.
Joseph Cross, a long-standing Bungie veteran and the lead art director for the highly anticipated extraction shooter Marathon, has unexpectedly stepped down. This exit comes just months before the title’s projected launch in March 2026.
In recent discussions with the press, Cross reaffirmed that his departure was not a termination. Instead, he reached a conscious decision to move on from the studio where he has spent a significant portion of his professional career.
“I take immense pride in this project and what the team has accomplished throughout the past six years.”
As a primary architect of Marathon’s development, Cross was instrumental in establishing and refining the shooter’s unique visual identity.
His departure occurs during a turbulent phase for the project. Marathon’s release window was recently deferred from September 2025 to March 2026 following a controversy surrounding asset plagiarism—an issue that has since been resolved—alongside critical feedback from the player community.
Source: iXBT.games