Marathon's Art Director Exits Bungie - Months Before Release

Bungie’s Marathon has lost its senior art director, Joseph Cross, months before the shooter’s March 2026 release. Here’s what happened, what he said, and what it means.

Marathon’s senior art director leaves Bungie before launch

Marathon is already under a microscope, so any staff shake-up is going to get noticed. This week, it surfaced that Joseph Cross - listed as Marathon's senior art director - has left Bungie ahead of the game's release. Cross has since confirmed he chose to leave, while Bungie is still gearing up for the game's March 2026 launch across PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

Marathon's senior art director, Jospeh Cross, is no longer at Bungie
The change was spotted via Linkedin and a updated X bio
Cross told Kotaku it was his decision, and said he's proud of the work done over six years.

Who left Bungie, and how it was spotted

The first clues weren’t a press statement. They were the kind of online breadcrumbs people always find in games.

Joseph Cross was listed as Marathon’s senior art director at Bungie
A LinkedIn job entry reportedly changed from “present” to ending in 2025
His X (Twitter) bio was also updated, removing the Bungie mention

In other words: it looked like Cross had quietly moved on, and the internet did what it does.

What Joseph Cross said about the exit

After the speculation kicked off, Cross confirmed the move directly.

Cross told Kotaku it was his decision to leave
He said he’s “super proud” of the project and the team’s work
He referenced what the team achieved over the last six years

That’s about as calm as these announcements get. No dramatic subtext. No vague “new opportunities” post. Just a straightforward exit and a nod to the people still shipping the game.

Where Marathon stands right now

If you’re trying to map this to the launch timeline, Marathon is in a pretty specific spot: delayed, reintroduced, and now on the clock again.

Original planned release date: 23 September
Delay announced: June
New release window: March 2026
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC
Price: $39.99 / €39.99 / £34.99
Monetisation: Bungie says no pay-to-win
Content model: gameplay updates (maps, Runner shells, events, etc.) included
Reward pass: exists and won’t expire

If you want the quick version of the March 2026 plan (and what it means for platforms), here’s our earlier coverage:
Bungie’s Marathon lands March 2026 for $40

Why the timing matters

Art direction isn’t just “make it pretty”. For an extraction shooter, it shapes the stuff players read at a glance: silhouettes, colours, faction identity, UI clarity, and the overall vibe that makes clips recognisable.

It’s a high-visibility role, especially this close to launch
Marathon’s delay was tied to more testing and refinement
The project has also had to deal with a stolen artwork controversy from test builds
The artist involved later said the situation had been resolved with Bungie and Sony Interactive Entertainment

None of this automatically means the game is in trouble. But it does mean Bungie will need to keep communications clear, because the community is already primed to assume the worst.

Who is Joseph Cross?

Joseph Cross is an artist who worked at Bungie and was listed as the senior art director for Marathon. He was also a lead concept artist on Destiny 2.