Games can only be good as the people behind it. This is why studios hire the right individuals to work on their games. So, while Bungie is still focused on Desitny 2, it has other ventures requiring capable hands. This is where Andrew Witts comes in.
As confirmed by Witts on Twitter, he’ll join Marathon as its Gameplay Design Director.
Witts brings with him a wealth of experience working on other multiple shooters, which includes big titles such as Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, and Halo Infinite.
I'm excited to share that I've completed my first week @Bungie!
I will be joining @MarathonTheGame as Gameplay Design Director.
Everyone has been so welcoming and kind. I am thrilled to work with this brilliant and incredibly talented team 💚 pic.twitter.com/Z5O3B2OB0k
— Andrew Witts (@RevivedAntihero) July 14, 2023
Bungie officially revived one of its oldest IPs earlier this year after leakers claimed to have come across proof for it late last year.
Witts’ hiring has drawn mostly positive reactions, especially since he played a huge role in the multiplayer gameplay for the latest Halo entry. For all of the criticism that Halo Infinite received post-launch, its multiplayer was one of its core strengths at launch and remains one of the reasons why players keep on coming back to it despite 343 Industries’ recent struggles.
The best-case scenario is that Marathon will have masterful gameplay mechanics that are on par or even better than what Halo Infinite, Rainbow Six Siege, and Fortnite had. And, with the help of Bungie’s expertise in running a tight live-service ship, things are looking up for Bungie’s upcoming shooter.
Unfortunately, while this is a positive development, it’s still unclear when Marathon is coming out.
However, with the recent influx in funding, Bungie will have the necessary resources to make sure Marathon is as good as can be. It’s unclear if Marathon will launch before Matter, another in-development project by Bungie that was revealed by Microsoft as part of the company’s proceedings during its trial against the FTC.
Sony’s investment in live-service titles has drawn plenty of criticism ever since the company acquired Bungie. Many critics believe that Sony is sinking its money into a dying genre, as evidenced by the growing list of failed attempts in the past few years, including but not limited to Redfall, Marvel’s Avengers, and Back 4 Blood.
Despite the opposition, Sony remains headstrong in its decision, putting its best studios, namely Naughty Dog and Guerilla Games, to work on a multiplayer spin-off to The Last of Us and an MMO set in the Horizon universe, respectively.
Sony assures fans that it hasn’t given up on single-player titles as well, with the budget for such projects remaining as big as ever. As a matter of fact, Sony and Naughty Dog, presumably with the help of Nixxes Software, are working on a re-release of The Last of Us Part 2 for the PlayStation 5 and the PC.
Between its ambitious PC port endeavors, which will see the release of 2021’s GOTY contender, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, on the PC – the hardware requirements are surprisingly modest for a current-gen flagship title – on July 26, the continued pursuit of better single-player experiences, and a colossal leap towards live-service titles, Sony is taking the multi-pronged approach towards the future.
