Bungie’s new Marathon general manager has surfaced through LinkedIn, while a veteran developer retires after more than 20 years at the studio.
Sony and Bungie’s June layoff notice covered around 292 jobs tied to the company’s Bellevue reduction, including senior positions connected to Marathon. The public filing listed a Goliath General Manager, an Engineering Director, producers, art leadership, UX, and testing roles among the cuts. Goliath was Marathon’s internal project name, which made the leadership gap hard to miss.
Scott Taylor had served as Marathon’s General Manager from March 2019 until June 2026, according to his LinkedIn history and Bungie’s game credits. His departure landed during the same month as the layoffs, although the redacted filing didn’t identify affected employees by name. Bungie also hadn’t publicly announced who would take the role next.
Now, The Game Post has spotted a new LinkedIn update that fills in that missing piece.
Marathon General Manager Role Now Held by Bungie’s Head of Product
Joshua Deane became Bungie’s Head of Product in June 2026 and is also serving as Marathon’s new General Manager, according to an update on his LinkedIn profile. Deane says he is responsible for Bungie’s wider product strategy across current franchises, future projects, incubation work, and investment priorities.
His Marathon remit covers “product evolution, team organization, and player health” with the aim of supporting sustainable growth.
“Responsible for stewarding Bungie’s values, studio/product vision, and portfolio strategy,” Deane’s LinkedIn profile update reads. “Fully dedicated to driving holistic product leadership across the studio by connecting long-term vision, franchise direction, incubation leadership, and investment priorities into a coherent, sustainable path for Bungie’s future.”
“Serving as General Manager for Marathon, driving product evolution, team organization, and player health in support of sustainable community growth. Overseeing Bungie’s incubation efforts, ensuring early development is aligned with Bungie’s mission, strategic priorities, and long-term portfolio direction.”
That’s a broad job at a studio already being pulled closer into Sony. Deane isn’t arriving from outside Bungie, either. He served as Head of Franchise Strategy and Product Engagement from January to June 2026, Head of Publishing from August 2024 to January 2026, and Senior Director of Marketing Strategy and Operations for just over a year before that.
Earlier, Deane spent more than two years as Global Destiny Universe Franchise Director. He previously handled platform strategy and global commerce at Bungie. His background is weighted toward franchise planning, publishing, market performance, and long-term product direction rather than hands-on game design.
Longtime Bungie Designer Leaves After 20-Year Run
The same round of profile updates also confirms that Lars Bakken is no longer at Bungie. Bakken retired from game development in June after 20 years and nine months at the studio, ending a 28-year career in the industry. His final Bungie title was Senior Design Lead, while Marathon’s credits list him as a Senior Activity Design Lead.
Bakken’s work runs through several of Bungie’s biggest releases. He was a multiplayer designer on Halo 3, worked as Firefight and investment design lead on Halo: Reach, served as a design lead on the original Destiny, and became Destiny 2’s PvP design lead. He also received design credits on Shadowkeep and The Witch Queen.
That’s a lot of Bungie shooter DNA walking out the door, though Bakken’s LinkedIn update frames the exit as retirement rather than a layoff. His profile now lists him as a self-employed “dog walker.”
Deane takes over Marathon’s product leadership while Bungie reorganizes after the June cuts. His responsibilities now stretch beyond one game, connecting Marathon’s direction with the studio’s wider portfolio and incubation plans.
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