For higher or worse, one of many movers and shakers behind Future 2, Recreation Director Joe Blackburn, is departing Bungie in February. His departure comes simply earlier than The Remaining Form enlargement launch on June 4, 2024.

Blackburn introduced on Twitter that he’s passing the reigns onto a brand new chief subsequent month. And whereas this modification may appear abrupt to some, Blackburn notes that growth on The Remaining Form enlargement is almost executed and is now coming into a playtest and bug repair part to prep for launch.

Beforehand working as a Design Lead for Raids after which for the entire recreation, Blackburn had a hand in a number of the most beloved Future 2 content material. Most notably, he was a Design Lead when gamers received the stellar Forsaken enlargement and its Final Want Raid. Blackburn briefly left Bungie in 2019 to pursue alternatives with Riot Video games. Nevertheless, he returned in the summertime of 2020.

Via Blackburn’s stewardship, gamers navigated the Past Mild enlargement and the period of Sunsetting. Whereas the entire Sunsetting ordeal would bitter gamers, Blackburn gained many again with the stellar The Witch Queen enlargement. From there, he’d rack up wins with long-requested recreation options like weapon crafting, subclass reworks, and armor transmog.

This ritual will likely be particularly significant to me personally, as it can additionally function a second to cross the torch of Future 2 Recreation Director to the following period of management as I head on a brand new journey exterior the partitions of Bungie.

— Joe Blackburn (@joegoroth) January 31, 2024

That mentioned, during the last 12 months or so, neighborhood frustrations honed in on Blackburn. Disappointment following the Lightfall enlargement and content material supply technique boiled over to rage when different points, like server stability, grew to become extra distinguished. The mixture of upset Future 2 gamers and Blackburn’s public-facing social media account led to the Recreation Director taking a variety of flak from followers. The state of affairs reached a climax following the Bungie layoffs and introduced delays in October 2023.

That brings us proper thus far. With Season of the Want basically prepared to finish its chapter, the following massive step ahead in Future 2 will likely be alongside some new management. Blackburn named Tyson Inexperienced his substitute Recreation Director, noting Inexperienced’s lengthy historical past as a Bungie cornerstone. Whereas Blackburn is pursuing work exterior of Bungie, he’s but to put all of the playing cards on the desk. For now, he says he’s simply wanting ahead to returning to Future 2 as merely one other participant.

Whereas Blackburn’s Bungie legacy may finish on a comparatively bitter word, it’s simple to overlook how a lot good he delivered to the sport. It is going to genuinely be laborious to match his pure, down-to-earth character and dad-like appeal. Good luck, Joe, wherever destiny takes you. Per Audacia Advert Astra.