Joseph Cross assured that he was not fired, it was his own conscious choice.
Bungie veteran and art director of the upcoming extraction shooter Marathon, Joseph Cross, has decided to suddenly leave the studio — literally a few months before the game's release, which is scheduled for March 2026.
In a conversation with journalists, Cross confirmed that he was not fired. He himself made a conscious decision to leave the studio, where he had worked for many years.
I am very proud of the project and what the team has achieved over the past six years.
Cross was one of the key developers of Marathon and defined the visual style of the shooter.
Cross's departure comes amid a turbulent period for Marathon: the game was delayed from September 2025 to March 2026 after a plagiarism scandal involving assets (subsequently resolved) and criticism from players.
