Joe Ziegler, the game director for Bungie's recently launched title Marathon, has announced he is leaving the studio. This departure marks another significant change for Bungie, which has experienced a tumultuous year including layoffs and a shift in development focus for its flagship titles.

Ziegler shared his decision via a statement on X, confirming he is handing over the game director role to Del Chafe III. Chafe, a 15-year Bungie veteran who previously worked on Destiny and Destiny 2, will lead Marathon alongside Creative Director Julia Nardin. Ziegler expressed confidence in their ability to guide the game forward, stating, "Both of them have been operating in a strong leadership capacity for the team and are ready to guide Marathon into the next chapter with an even better and brighter future."

Before joining Bungie, Ziegler served as game director for Riot Games' Valorant. He took the helm for Marathon in March, replacing Christopher Barrett, who had reportedly been terminated for misconduct and subsequently filed a lawsuit against Bungie and Sony. That lawsuit has since been settled under undisclosed terms.

Marathon launched in March with considerable anticipation but has struggled to gain significant traction compared to Bungie's earlier successes like Destiny and Destiny 2. On Steam, the game saw a peak of 77,358 players shortly after launch, a number that has since decreased to around 12,041 active players in the last 30 days, according to Steam Charts. In contrast, Destiny 2 has maintained a larger player base.

Despite these player count fluctuations, Sony, which acquired Bungie in 2022, acknowledged player reception to Marathon as strong in May. Sony CFO Lin Tao noted a Metacritic score of 82 and over 90% positive Steam reviews, with engagement metrics remaining high. Sony plans to continue investing in the game, aiming to improve performance through new content and gameplay enhancements.

Marathon is currently in its second season, with a new experimental PvE mode, Vault Breaker, scheduled to run from July 21 to August 4. The game's full PvE mode is slated for release in season 3.

Ziegler concluded his statement by thanking fans for their support, promising that the mission of Marathon will continue in new and surprising ways.