Last night, Destiny developer Bungie‘s Board of Directors left a statement on their official website, stating a major change in their regime. Harold Ryan, the studio’s president, will be stepping down and being replaced.
Harold Ryan began his career in the gaming industry as a game tester and configuration tester, working on Crimson Skies and the Close Combat series. He joined Bungie in 2001 as a Test Manager on Halo: Combat Evolved, adding the title of Producer on Halo 2. He was then promoted to Studio Manager in 2007 for Halo 3. Two years later, he was appointed as the studio’s president, and was a major public face for Destiny during and after its launch.
After the Halo series, Bungie has been focusing on Destiny, which initially received less-than-stellar reviews and still continues to deal with criticisms for Destiny’s subsequent content, despite the launch of the critically acclaimed expansion The Taken King. It is possible that Destiny’s failings were a major factor for the Board’s desire to seek another leader in Pete Parsons, though no official reason has been confirmed.
Pete Parsons has had a long relationship with Bungie and their franchises. After working with Microsoft, he started as a Studio Manager and Executive Producer for Halo 2 and Halo 3. He then left the company on good terms to start his own studio. In 2008, he returned as Chief Operations Officer. He left a statement with the announcement:
I want to personally thank Harold for his friendship, passion, hard work, and dedication in helping make Bungie the great company it is today. As a team, we celebrated many victories and weathered many storms.
To the players of Destiny, I want you to know that my number one priority, and Bungie’s, is and always has been to deliver great games that we can all share together. I believe that Destiny is a one-of-a-kind experience. I also believe you have yet to see our studio’s best work. My new role here at the studio will be entirely focused on fulfilling that promise.
