The sudden firing of Bungie’s iconic Audio Director left most Halo fans in disarray earlier this week as Marty O’Donnell was relieved of his position. His work on various Halo titles have been renowned for some time, so the abrupt dismissal seemed unexpected due to the current development of the next big Bungie project in the works. Rumored to be working on the audio for Destiny, the composer admitted after his position was terminated that he was indeed the head of Destiny‘s audio and sound department. But despite the removal from Bungie’s ranks, fans need not despair; the game itself won’t be subjected to delays or a shift in music. All of Marty O’Donnell’s audio will be accessible in the game, therefore the sudden decision on Bungie’s firing of the composer seemed more internal on the development team’s part. On April 16, 2014 the ex-composure for Bungie’s games wrote on his Twitter that he was removed without cause. Releasing some internal hostility for the gaming company, whom since then had not officially made this a public affair.
I'm saddened to say that Bungie's board of directors terminated me without cause on April 11, 2014.
— Marty O'Donnell (@MartyTheElder) April 16, 2014
Bungie commented in their response to Gamespot’s article that, “For more than a decade, Marty O’Donnell filled our worlds with unforgettable sounds and soundtracks, and left an indelible mark on our fans,” the developer continues on in his written statement, reassuring that the disbursement is one that doesn’t transfix on bitterness. “Today, as friends, we say goodbye. We know that wherever his journey takes him, he will always have a bright and hopeful future,” concludes the statement from Bungie. Although on the side of the composer, the sentiment does not seem to be primarily returned. As to be expected, considering that all of the effort placed into Destiny might prove to be unprofitable for Marty O’Donnell since his removal.
In a interview with Eurogamer at Bungie’s Bellevue, Washington headquarters on April 18th, the chief operating officer Pete Parsons confirmed that Destiny was “close to shipping”, and music from Marty O’Donnell alongside other composers would still be implemented into the game as a whole. Since much of the game has already been completed, Parsons was able to reassure that recent developments in the ranks at Bungie would not influence the game on a negative note.
While the dismemberment of the Bungie team is still sparking some controversy, one question has been answered: Destiny will appear on its designated release date, and shouldn’t suffer at all from the internal shift. As to the reasoning behind the layoffs, Bungie has chosen not to comment. Still, the position and expectations will have to be filled in time. How exactly Bungie will choose to go about that has yet to be seen, but the company does have an array of options despite the sudden shrinking of their development team.
Is this an expected move on Bungie’s front? Feel free to tell us your reaction or relief as a whole down below. We’d be interested to hear the opinions of fans on O’Donnell’s absence from future Bungie installments.