Whoa. That's a surprise, for sure.

(And hey, Warbow!)

Wow. That really did come as a shock. Anybody see this coming?

While I definitely find this to be sad news, I wish you the best of luck Joe. I've enjoyed your contributions to the Halo universe, and I look forward to enjoying the input you had in the creation of Destiny when it drops. I'll be watching to see what you work on next.

...endeavors.

Thanks for your work in helping making Bungie the awesome studio it is, Joe. Your writing efforts (Halo 1, 2, & ODST and Contact Harvest) were always enjoyable, as were your voiceovers for the Grunts, and I can't wait to see Destiny and your contributions to it. Best of luck in your future endeavors.

And here's a blast from the past from Mr. Staten:

Gosh, that's hit me. Right out of the blue.

I'm such a fan of his works; he's been a real inspiration. I'll remain forever eager to see what projects he works on from here. All the best man!

That's a big shock, I can't wait to see what is doing next.

Always loved what Joe brought to the table, and his voice alone always got me excited for previews and demos (not to mention the laughter his Grunt work gave).

I'm really happy that he contributed 4 years to Destiny and that we still have a lot of his work in that franchise to look forward to, but it will still feel little sad that him (and Marcus Lehto too) won't be with Bungie as it finally conquers the world.

Hope what he does next is spectacular. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for his work!

http://www.bungie.net/7_Its-been-an-honor/en/News/News?aid=11101

wut... y u no stay?

One of their finest.
Been a huge Staten fan for years, sad to see him go.

Wonder what kind of project (game or otherwise) he's moving on to...

I know that there are tons of awesome people at Bungie, but nothing got me as excited for a new Bungie game as hearing Staten's voice narrating the demo. Hearing him do the Destiny E3 demo took me straight back to that Halo 2 multiplayer demo. I don't tend to know the individual Bungie employees by name like some (many?) around here do, but I know Staten's and wow. I hope the best for him and can't wait to see what he does next.

That sure is... uh... wow. To say this is shocking news would be an understatement considering the many many years of dedicated service and amazing work that Joseph was able to bring to life. It sucks to see you go, but best of luck with whatever you do in the future. It's sure to be amazing and inspiring no matter what.

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I wonder who's going to step up and fill his position. It seems very odd timing to me since Destiny is still in the pre-alpha.

I share a lot of Levi's sentiment. Success gives you choices though, and I have to believe that Staten and Lehto have made the right choices for themselves.

I was a Bungie fan before Staten got on board, and I'll be fan after or at least until they surprise me by releasing something that doesn't excite me. I used to think that Bungie was unique in their storytelling ability. They are not. There's a lot of writing talent out there. No doubt some of it is at Bungie. Ever hopeful.

My heart broke just a little when I saw this, but I'm happy for the time that BUNGiE, and we as BUNGiE fans, had with you. Best of luck in your future! I can't wait to see what you do next :)

But as you can see, we're all rooting and excited for you, Joe!!! Thanks for all the awesomeness you helped give us in years and games past; it will DEFINITELY be interesting to see what was so awesome that it enticed you to leave Bungie! :D

Thank you for over a decade of fun times. We will miss you!

See you starside. :)

...especially after killing him in-game so many times.

I'm excited to see what new thing is going to receive a splash of Staten's particular sort of charm.

Good luck Joe, we'll miss that unbridled, high pitched, full nerd enthusiasm. :)

I don't really know what to say. I'm happy for him, but I'm going to miss seeing him and what he brought to Bungie's games. I'm really interested in seeing what he does next.

"May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face. And may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars."

Excuse me, I have some old ViDocs and E3 demos to watch. Can't wait to see what project Joe lends his chipper attitude to next.

That is a shock... I was literally a bit stunned for a moment.

Someone beat me to posting the Halo 2 reveal, but that was a memorable moment for me as well. So was the E3 (?) panel for ODST. I still recall telling my wife, "Joseph Staten has my dream job."

Best of luck to him! Can't wait to see what's next.

You were always a favorite amongst favorites at Bungie for me and I'll miss seeing you in the ViDocs, Joe.

Thank you for all the fun! We love you!

WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GO?!

I'm sure the game is in capable hands but I am still a bit gutted he has left. Thanks for all the fun you created Joe and good luck with whatever you are moving on to.

That's a huge surprise. I remember meeting Joe at a Halo fanfest or two back in the early 2000s. He's a great guy, and he obviously played an important role in Halo-era Bungie. I wish him all the best.

I suppose they wouldn't announce his departure in advance but it just seems so abrupt after seeing him become a sort of spokesperson for Destiny this past year with the GDC presentation and E3 gameplay demo. I can't help but wonder if there was some kind of drama behind the decision.

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http://www.bungie.net/7_Its-been-an-honor/en/News/News?aid=11101

I feel awkwardly detached. I know Staten from the many videos and presentations, but it has been some time since I really sat down and enjoyed anything from Bungie o.O It is still sad to see someone leave the ship after so long, but that is always the feeling when things like this happen, then stuff tend to work out anyway, the result will just be tinted a different color.

Call me an asshat but I figured I could just as well post my thoughts. If Joe has his mind on other kinds of media and storytelling, like perhaps movies, it is probably good for both him and everyone else that he moves on. Over the years I have seen games turn into interactive movies which breaks my heart. Just meaning that if his goals and motivation have diverged from those of Bungie it is probably a good decision. Not sure how well I got that across, uh.

And random speculation, If Staten is moving towards a... what, Halo movie project? Well that would make me very excited :P haha. I'll be looking forward to see what he takes on in the future!

I love that guy. Thought he'd be one of those that never leaves. Like, ever.

It's kinda making me reflect on the fragile impermanence of all the things I thought wouldn't change. They all change. I change.

whoa

While I'm sad to see him go, I wish him the best!

I'm confident that Bungie will stay on track and keep releasing great games, but Joe's presence will be missed.

And now I'm curious about what he's going on to do... There were a few people tossing around the idea of him writing books or movie scripts. Either one (or even both) would be awesome! Can't wait to see what stories he has in store for us!

Fifteen years of building the industry's most eagerly expected, groundbreaking console titles. I'm not surprised he wants a change of pace — truth be told I don't know how some of these guys keep going, how their marriages haven't crumbled and they're not all suffering from PTSD. I know I would be. Maybe the buzz of making these things is what keeps them going, but I'm sure you can't do that forever.

Whatever he does next (and Marcus Lehto too, for that matter) I'm looking forward to hearing about it. Maybe he'll open a vineyard or something? That'd be neat.

Specifically, his second point [7:55]: Create more than you consume.

He repeated this advice at the "Evolution of a game developer" panel at PAX several weeks back.

These words haunt me every day.

I love reading, but...

I love listening to music, but ...

I love Breaking Bad, but ....

I love playing games, but ...

I love being here, but ...

His last piece of advice is crucial, too. (You'll have to watch.:))

Now that Staten is gone, one wonders under what condition he left. I am not meaning what money and legal conditions but what condition the story was.

For me personally it looked like he was so into it, but due to the work nearly being completed he left. Remember he has been working on this from pre-halo reach. And if anything ODST may be when he was working the base of this game, example being the gameplay the feeling etc.

So i have this feeling that due to time he spent working away from the team and not being that involved in reach the story part of the project is most likely complete. If anything it looks like he has done his full job and created the base of the story, and only thing left is for others to fill in the details.

What i then also wonder is if he is leaving who is he leaving to fill in after him. Who could it be?

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