Jason Jones, a pivotal figure in the creation of both Halo and Destiny as a co-founder of Bungie, has announced the formation of his new studio, Stone Kite. This Los Angeles-based company is positioned to develop projects across a variety of entertainment mediums.
Stone Kite's inaugural release is "One Zero One," a limited four-part comic book series. The story is based on a manuscript originally written by Jones, and it centers on a conflict between humans and rogue AI-driven robots. The first part of "One Zero One" is now available digitally on the Stone Kite website, which also offers pre-orders for physical copies.
Margaret Stohl, a veteran of Bungie with a background in writing numerous books, games, and Marvel Comics, is partnering with Jones as CEO of Stone Kite. Stohl emphasized the studio's goal of breaking down traditional media silos, aiming to bring together creators from different disciplines from the outset to collaboratively shape worlds. "Instead of starting in one medium and adapting outward, we bring the best global creators from different disciplines into the room from day one to shape the world together," Stohl stated. "We change the conversation. We never say that’s how it’s traditionally done. We build communities, and we listen to them. That’s how we’re creating worlds that people can explore for decades, in whatever ways they want."
Jones expressed his long-held desire to write, recalling his childhood passion for science fiction. "I’ve spent my whole life making games, but I’ve always wanted to write," Jones said. "Margie was the first person to believe I could write a book of my own, the first person to read it, and the one person I trusted to help me develop it into epic entertainment that leaves the world a better place."
Jones's departure from Bungie appears to have coincided with widespread studio layoffs by Sony earlier this year, affecting his role as Chief Vision Officer. Known for his visionary game design, Jones has historically been reclusive, with his 2013 interview with IGN being his first in over a decade at the time.
Meanwhile, Bungie recently announced that despite having concluded support for Destiny 2 earlier this year, more content related to the Destiny franchise is forthcoming.