Marathon Art Director Has Left Bungie

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As a big fan of Marathon, I was pretty bummed to hear that Joseph Cross, the art director, has left Bungie. It’s been a tough year for the game with all the stuff going on, but things were finally looking up! Bungie just announced a release date and price for early 2026, which was awesome news. It’s just a shame he won’t be around to see the launch after all his work.

Earlier this year, the first trailer for Marathon generated a lot of excitement, with many gamers praising its distinctive visual style. However, Bungie, the game’s developer, faced some challenges. Initial playtests received mixed reactions, and there were even claims of artwork being copied. This led to controversy and ultimately, a delay in the game’s release. This week, Bungie announced that Marathon is now scheduled to launch in March 2026. While the release date is exciting news, Bungie recently announced the departure of the game’s art director.

Marathon Art Director Joseph Cross Parts Ways With Bungie

It’s not known exactly why Jeremy Cross left the studio, but he told Kotaku it was his own choice, and that he was incredibly proud of the work the team did on the project over the past six years. He also used Twitter to thank players for their support of Marathon during development and for their excitement about the game. Cross expressed how pleased he was with the game’s unique world, which he and the team created, and shared that he’s looking forward to experiencing Marathon as a player alongside everyone else.

He didn’t say why he left Bungie, but it’s likely he simply felt it was time for a change. After six years working on the Marathon series, he may have felt he’d accomplished what he wanted to at Bungie. Cross is a well-established professional in the game industry, with a solid career history. His LinkedIn profile shows he worked at Bungie from 2011, and before that, he spent several years at EA as a concept artist on Dead Space 2 and Dead Space 3.

Bungie announced that the game Marathon will be priced at $40 when it releases on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S.

I’m super proud of the project and what the team accomplished over the last six years.

Joseph Cross leaving the studio before the release of Marathon might seem concerning, but it could just mean he’s moving on to new opportunities. Developing a game is demanding, and considering Marathon‘s strong art style, Cross can be proud of his contribution. Marathon is predicted to be a major competitor to ARC Raiders, and entering the popular extraction shooter market will be difficult. Since its delay, Marathon has evolved significantly, notably with the addition of proximity chat. With extraction shooters becoming increasingly popular, it will be interesting to see how Marathon performs. Cross’s work has created a promising take on the genre, and the game’s overall design should be truly unique when it launches.

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2025-12-19 19:38