Design Director Joseph Staten leaves Bungie

Joseph Staten, 15 year veteran and design director at Bungie, has announced his departure from the studio. One of the masterminds behind both Halo and the Destiny universe, Staten is now looking to take on new creative challenges according to a blogpost on the official site.

"Dear community friends,

After fifteen great years at Bungie, from the battlefields of Myth to the mysteries of Halo and beyond, I'm leaving to tackle new creative challenges. While this may come as a surprise, fear not. It's been my pleasure building Destiny these past four years, and after the big reveal this Summer, our hugely talented team is on track for greatness. I'll be cheering all of them, with all of you, when the game launches next year. Thank you for your support of me, and your continued support of Bungie. We couldn't have done it without you.

Per Audacia Ad Astra!
Joseph Staten"

The nice phrasing aside the departure comes as a surprise as Bungie are still months away from releasing Destiny (expected Q2 2014).

We leave you with this interview Gillen McAllister conducted on Destiny with Staten at E3 this summer.