Bungie Studio Head Pete Parsons Is Leaving After 23 Years with the Studio

Bungie studio head and chief executive officer Pete Parsons has announced his departure after 23 years with the company, marking the end of a pivotal era for the studio. Parsons will be succeeded by chief development officer Justin Truman, who steps into the leadership role effective immediately.

The news was shared in an official Bungie blog post, where Parsons said he is “passing the torch” to Truman, expressing “full confidence” in his successor. Parsons, who became studio head in 2015, oversaw some of Bungie’s most defining moments, including the global success of Destiny 2. However, his tenure has also been marked by challenges in recent years, including multiple plagiarism controversies, mass layoffs, and growing internal unrest.

“Today marks the right time for a new beginning. The future of Bungie will be in the hands of a new generation of leaders,” Parsons wrote in his farewell message.

For Truman, who has spent 15 years at Bungie working his way from engineer to designer, producer, and most recently chief development officer, the move represents a natural progression. In his own statement, he reiterated Bungie’s mission: “We create worlds that inspire friendship.”

“Across all of these different roles, Bungie’s purpose has stayed clear,” Truman said. “When we’re at our best, we create those worlds alongside you, our player community, and build something that matters. Something that’s worth your time, your passion, and your investment in us. Something that I’ve learned, hopefully, overdelivers.”

He also acknowledged the studio’s rocky years, saying he has “personally learned a lot over the years” and is committed to working closely with the team to continue “pouring our hearts and souls” into Bungie’s games.

While this leadership change signals a possible turning point, it remains to be seen whether Truman will steer Bungie away from its recent struggles, or if the issues that many former employees attribute to Bungie’s leadership culture will persist. Fans and industry watchers alike will be waiting to see if Bungie can rebuild its reputation under its new head.

Do you think Bungie’s leadership change will bring real transformation, or will it be business as usual for the studio?