Marathon Director Joe Ziegler Talks Disagreements, Destiny 2, and His 3,437-Hour Path of Exile Habit

Ever wonder what a game director actually plays when they're not calling the shots on a massive shooter? Joe Ziegler, the former director of Bungie's Marathon, just gave us a peek into his Steam library—and it's a wild mix of soulslikes, ARPGs, and a whole lot of Destiny 2.

Ziegler, who took over Marathon in March 2024 after Christopher Barrett's dismissal, recently left Bungie to work on an unannounced project. But before that, he had to navigate a team that wasn't exactly seeing eye-to-eye. "There were a lot of disagreements across the place," he says about the Marathon project. His job was to help the team find a cohesive direction—something he describes as getting everyone to answer, "What are we trying to do here?"

These days, Ziegler is splitting his time between Elden Ring Nightreign and Star Wars: Galactic Racer. Nightreign, in particular, has become a social staple. "I play it socially with some friends," he says, praising how it blends his love of soulslikes with a multiplayer roguelike structure. "The level of difficulty keeps it constantly a mastery challenge—which is something that definitely motivates me." He admits that his Elden Ring experience made onboarding easier, but he can see how newcomers might struggle.

When it comes to comfort food, Ziegler keeps coming back to Destiny 2. With around 730 hours logged, he's the first to admit he's "not as hardcore as a lot of other people." Still, D2 is his go-to, and he recently returned to his Titan roots after years of playing Warlock. "D2 is definitely comfort food," he says.

His history with Bungie goes way back. At 16, he played Myth 2, which oddly came with an E3 ticket—his first trip to the show. That early connection, plus the legacy of Halo and Destiny, eventually drew him to the studio. Friends from Pandemic, including former CEO Justin Truman, brought him in to advise on Marathon before he took over direction.

As for the game he'll never uninstall? That honor goes to Kingdom Hearts, though Ziegler also mentions a staggering 3,437 hours in Path of Exile—a testament to his love for deep buildcrafting. Whether he's theorycrafting a bleed build in Nightreign or revisiting old favorites, Ziegler's passion for games that reward mastery is clear.

What do you think about Ziegler's approach to leading Marathon? Will you be keeping an eye on his next project? Let us know in the comments!