'There were a lot of disagreements across the place': Former Marathon director Joe Ziegler on leading Bungie's extraction shooter, playing Path of Exile for 3,4

Joe Ziegler, known for directing Valorant and leading Bungie’s Marathon revival, reflects on his transition from competitive shooters to extraction shooters, citing a desire to work on innovative projects with talented teams. He took over Marathon’s direction in March 2024 after Christopher Barret’s departure and departed Bungie following its launch to pursue an undisclosed new project. Ziegler’s leadership focused on aligning disparate ideas within the team to define a cohesive vision for the game.

Ziegler’s gaming history includes early experiences with point-and-click adventures like King’s Quest, which shaped his appreciation for clever puzzle-solving. He began his career at Pandemic Studios as a mission designer on *The Saboteur* before joining Riot Games to direct *Valorant*. His work on Marathon marked his return to Bungie, where he was drawn by the studio’s legacy and collaborative culture, despite the challenges of managing differing team opinions.

Currently, Ziegler is playing *Elden Ring Nightreign*, a multiplayer roguelike soulslike that combines solo challenge with cooperative play. He praises the game’s mastery-based difficulty and buildcrafting mechanics, noting that his prior experience with *Elden Ring* made it easier to engage with the title’s systems. The game’s roguelike elements, where players experiment with different builds and strategies, align with his creative approach to game design.

Ziegler also revisits *Destiny 2*, a game he has logged 730 hours in, describing it as comfort gaming. He recently switched from playing a Warlock to a Titan, experimenting with a prismatic spec. His long-standing connection to Bungie traces back to childhood, when a friend’s copy of *Myth 2* included a ticket to his first E3, an event he attended after discussing it with Jason Jones and Alex Seropian.