Bungie CEO Pete Parsons Exits

After 23 years with the company and nearly a decade as its CEO, Bungie's Pete Parsons is stepping down. He will be succeeded by current Chief Development Officer and longtime Bungie veteran, Justin Truman.

Parsons shared the news in a post on Bungie's official website, reflecting on his tenure:

My goal when I took the helm in 2015 was to grow Bungie into a studio capable of creating and sustaining iconic entertainment for generations. Together, we've achieved so much: we launched a bold new chapter for Destiny, built a formidable independent live operations team to develop and publish our own games, and became part of the incredible Sony Interactive Entertainment family.

Now feels like the right moment for a fresh start. Bungie's future will be led by a new generation, and I'm thrilled to announce Justin Truman as the studio's new head.

Parsons led Bungie through a period of significant change, becoming CEO in 2016 after Harold Ryan and steering the company's separation from Activision in 2019. His leadership spanned the years documented in IGN's 2021 investigation into Bungie's workplace culture. While sources indicated the studio had been particularly toxic and hostile toward women before Parsons took charge, they also reported that, as CEO, he was often slow to act on reported issues and seemed unsure how to manage problematic staff. Parsons apologized at the time, stating, "Our actions, or in some cases our failure to act, caused real pain. I apologize personally and on behalf of everyone at Bungie who feels profound empathy and sorrow reading these stories."

Months after that report, Sony acquired Bungie for $3.7 billion, ending the studio's era of independence. Following the acquisition, worries about Bungie's direction grew. Destiny 2 faced challenges, and the upcoming title Marathon was still years from release. In 2023, Bungie laid off approximately 100 employees and delayed Destiny 2's *The Final Shape* expansion, with Parsons accepting responsibility for the job cuts. Developers described a "soul-crushing" atmosphere amid fears of a complete Sony takeover. Further layoffs hit in 2024, affecting 220 more staff, despite the success of *The Final Shape*. During this period, 155 Bungie employees were also moved into Sony's structure. Challenges persisted through 2024 and into 2025, with Marathon being delayed from its planned September release to an unspecified future date.

It is against this backdrop—with Destiny 2 facing difficulties, Marathon delayed, a reduced workforce, and Sony's looming presence—that Parsons exits the company. He hands over to Justin Truman, who began his Bungie career 15 years ago as a developer on the original Destiny and subsequently rose through the ranks to Chief Development Officer and now Studio Head.

At our best, we build these worlds alongside you, our community, to create something meaningful. Something worthy of your time, passion, and investment. Something that, I hope, consistently exceeds expectations.

I've also been here during times when we weren't at our best. When we've stumbled and realized, by listening to our players, that we had missed the mark. Those conversations have taught me, and all of us here, invaluable lessons over the years.

I am committed to supporting and working with every member of this team as we continue pouring our hearts into these worlds—worlds we love and hope have been worth your time and passion. Ultimately, these worlds only exist and thrive with you in them.

We are deeply focused on that work right now, both on Marathon and Destiny. We're currently heads down, but we look forward to sharing more with you about both worlds later this year.

According to Bungie's social media announcement, Parsons is retiring and will not remain with the studio.