Joseph Cross, the art director on Bungie’s upcoming shooter Marathon, has announced his resignation from the company.
Originally reported by Kotaku, Cross has now made this move official with a brief statement on social media:
This comes just after Marathon’s recent reintroduction following heavy criticism from early playtests.
Having implemented feedback from the community, fans are looking much more favourably on the sci-fi extraction shooter.
Marathon has a very distinct art style, with lots of stark colouring punctuating its gritty sci-fi universe. Cross, who spearheaded the direction for its striking look, leaves Bungie a few months before its launch in March 2026.
We imagine that much of his work is done at this stage of development, but it’s also important to remember the art-related scandal that may have influenced his decision to step away.
Earlier this year, it was discovered that the game prominently featured the work of an independent artist without permission.
This has since been resolved, with the plagiarised work removed and replaced with original art, but it took its toll on the reputation of the game and Bungie itself.
Cross looked particularly deflated during a livestream in which the studio addressed the issue.
Anyway, it seems things are looking brighter for Marathon at this stage, and its art director will be “enjoying playing the game as a fan” in the new year.
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