A former Bungie developer says Marathon’s leadership was “extremely toxic and humiliating,” calling for a complete overhaul of studio leadership as the studio faces heavy criticism and ongoing morale issues.
Bungie’s upcoming extraction shooter, Marathon, has faced plenty of controversy and skepticism in recent weeks, and the situation just seems to keep getting worse. With negative first impressions from the Closed Alpha playtest, a huge art theft scandal, and growing reports of morale collapse behind the scenes, it’s clear that Marathon’s development hasn’t been smooth. Big changes to marketing and playtest plans have only added to the uncertainty.
What’s even more concerning is that these problems aren’t just being pointed out by critics on the outside; they’ve been coming from inside the studio for a long time. Many developers working on Marathon have reportedly raised their concerns over the years, especially about the push to keep the game focused only on PvP and not include any PvE features.
Despite these repeated warnings, Bungie’s leadership is said to have brushed off the feedback and refused to reconsider their approach.
Former Marathon Developer Speaks Out: “Extremely Toxic and Humiliating”
The latest blow came from a former Bungie developer who worked on Marathon, known online as Spirited, who shared a comment about his experience on social media. On Sunday, Spirited posted on Bluesky, saying, “As a former Bungie employee who worked on Marathon, I feel for those still at the studio. Working with engineering / Marathon leadership was extremely toxic and humiliating. I won’t speak about the rest, but Bungie leadership needs to be gutted completely.”
Spirited worked at Bungie as a senior software engineer from June 2022 to May 2024, per his LinkedIn profile. His comments shed more light on what appears to be a deeply troubled work environment. In his own words, he described the daily reality of working under leadership as “extremely toxic and humiliating,” making it clear that the issues are not just about the project’s direction but about how the teams are treated on a personal level.
This isn’t the first time Spirited has been open about his experiences at Bungie. Last year, after the studio laid off more employees, he said he left Bungie because “their leadership is the worst I’ve worked with.” He described “rampant micromanagement, frequent toxicity and violations of their core values, and no ability to execute on their multi-franchise vision.”
“Every day was a fight for autonomy and trust,” said Spirited. “Every day was someone telling me I’m not allowed to speak on any issue or problem in a professional tone.”
“It was on our minds since the last layoffs in October 2023. We asked Pete, and his response was that it was a lever he’d pull again. They need to flush out leadership completely. My team was excellent, but it felt like everything else prevented us from doing anything meaningful.”
He also pointed out that repeated layoffs have only pushed the studio to rely more on contractors and even AI, making things even more difficult for the full-time staff. “So when I hear that they laid off another round of my talented colleagues and friends, I feel angry. They’re not at fault. They’re not the ones who need to be canned. And every round only strengthens their reliance on contractors and AI (no joke).”
He’s not alone in speaking out. Other former Bungie staff have publicly criticized leadership in recent months. Notably, Liana Ruppert, Bungie’s former community manager, also called out issues with leadership after getting laid off in October 2023, further adding to the chorus of voices calling for major changes at the top.
What do you think about the ongoing Marathon situation? Do you think a delay is needed? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
