Joe Ziegler
Reporting and statements that mention Joe Ziegler.
Latest coverage
With Destiny 2 dead, Bungie is trying to save Marathon's dwindling player count with a free-to-play trial
Bungie is offering a free Open Play Week for its first-person shooter Marathon from June 2 to June 9, coinciding with the launch of Season 2. This initiative aims to boost the game's declining player count following the end of development for Destiny 2. All progress made during the trial will carry over to the full paid version available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.
Bungie outlines plan to save Marathon with Steam player count at less than 15% of launch day peak
Bungie game director Joe Ziegler has outlined plans to revitalize the game Marathon, which has seen a significant decline in its Steam player count since launch. The developer aims to address player pain points by reintroducing duos in Season 2, improving the onboarding process, and introducing new PvE and PvP-lite experiences. These changes are intended to make the game less grindy and more rewarding, with further updates planned for subsequent seasons.
Marathon's Game Director admits it's "overwhelming to learn" and too sweaty
Marathon's Game Director Joe Ziegler admits the extraction shooter can be an overwhelming and overly competitive experience for new players. Bungie plans to introduce new PvE-focused modes and more sci-fi elements in Season 2 to offer more relaxed ways to play, alongside improvements to onboarding and matchmaking.
Marathon "overwhelming" for newcomers, director admits as plans for PvE and PvP-lite modes revealed
Marathon game director Joe Ziegler admitted the extraction shooter can be overwhelming for new players and revealed plans for PvE and PvP-lite modes to offer alternatives. Bungie will implement these changes starting in Season 3, with further updates planned for Seasons 4 and 5 to deepen the extraction loop and evolve the game's ecosystem. This comes amid concerns about the game's longevity and following Sony's announcement of a significant financial loss related to its ownership of Bungie.
Bungie Is Looking To Expand Marathon's Appeal With "Chill" New PvE Modes
Bungie is planning to expand the appeal of its upcoming game Marathon by introducing new PvE-focused modes alongside its PvP elements. Game director Joe Ziegler stated that Season 2 will experiment with modes that are primarily PvE, with one being PvE-only, aiming to provide a less stressful experience for players. The update will also include new zones, weapons, equipment, and progression systems.
Bungie Is Looking To Expand Marathon's Appeal With "Chill" New PvE Modes
Bungie is planning to expand the appeal of its upcoming game Marathon by introducing new PvE-focused modes alongside its PvP elements. Game director Joe Ziegler stated that Season 2 will experiment with modes that are primarily PvE, with one being PvE-only, aiming to provide a less stressful experience for players. The update will also include new zones, weapons, equipment, and progression systems.
A PvE-only mode is coming to Marathon as Bungie lays out plans for seasons 3, 4 and 5
Bungie director Joe Ziegler has outlined upcoming seasonal plans for the extraction shooter Marathon, revealing that a PvE-only mode focused on crew objectives will be introduced in Season 2. While PvP remains a core strength, the studio is experimenting with PvE elements and other mechanics to potentially integrate into the game's core loop.
Bungie’s plans for growing Marathon’s ‘strong core community,’ including a PvE-only mode, sound like just what the game needs
Bungie is implementing significant changes to its extraction shooter Marathon to grow its player base, including a less grindy experience, improved UI/UX, and a new PvE-only mode. Game director Joe Ziegler detailed plans for multiple seasons of content and revisions to the early game experience to make it less overwhelming for new players.
What do Marathon and The Lord of the Rings have to do with each other? PvPvE gameplay, apparently
Bungie game director Joe Ziegler compares the PvPvE gameplay of the upcoming game Marathon to classic adventure stories like The Lord of the Rings. He explains that the balance between predictable PvE challenges and the unpredictable nature of other players creates compelling experiences. Ziegler believes this dynamic is crucial for the success of extraction shooters.
Marathon boss says extraction shooters are like The Lord of the Rings and that's why they need PvP
Joe Ziegler, game director for Bungie's Marathon, compares the extraction shooter genre to The Lord of the Rings, arguing that the inclusion of unpredictable player-versus-player (PvP) elements is crucial for creating memorable and suspenseful experiences. He believes this PvPvE balance is key to the genre's appeal, contrasting it with purely PvE-focused games.
"It's a slippery slope to try and build a game for an audience": Marathon, Arc Raiders, and Last Flag devs dig into the trend-bucking evolution of multiplayer shooters
Developers from Bungie, Embark Studios, and Night Street Games discuss the evolving landscape of multiplayer shooters, particularly the rise of extraction shooters like Arc Raiders and Marathon. They emphasize the importance of creative vision over trend-chasing and the challenges of launching live service games in a competitive market.
Marathon’s WSTR Shotgun Nerf Means No More Two-Shotting Blue Shield (and Above) Users
Marathon's game director Joe Ziegler announced that the WSTR shotgun will receive a nerf on April 21st. The change will prevent the shotgun from downing enemies with blue rarity shields or higher in two shots, aiming to increase counterplay. While still effective against lower-tier shields, the nerf seeks to balance its dominance over other short-range options.
Marathon's next experimental mode goes all in on sponsored kits, which sounds great for scaredy-cats like me
Bungie is launching a new experimental mode for Marathon called Dire Marsh - Sponsored Queue, available from April 15th to April 29th. This mode will require players to use free sponsored kits and scavenge for gear, aiming to gather data on early game economy and player progression with limited equipment. The update also includes weapon adjustments and commendations.
Marathon Dire Marsh Sponsor Experimental queue offers some late season catch up mechanics
Bungie is introducing experimental queues for its upcoming game Marathon, including a limited-time 'Experimental Dire Marsh' mode. This mode aims to provide players with catch-up mechanics and low-risk environments to learn the game's systems. The experimental queues are designed to test new modes and features, gather player feedback, and contribute to the game's longevity.
Marathon Pushes Players To Be More Friendly In New Update
Bungie is releasing a mid-season update for Marathon that emphasizes teamwork and offers new players incentives to join. The update introduces features like 'Stay Together' for exfilling players and 'Mercy Kits' to revive downed enemies, alongside new Codex Challenges and proximity chat options. An experimental mode called 'Dire Marsh Sponsored' will also be available for a limited time, forcing players to start with only sponsored gear kits to test 'zero to hero' gameplay.
Marathon will test out a new experimental game mode which forces players to use free sponsored kits
Bungie is introducing a new experimental game mode for Marathon called 'Dire Marsh Sponsored'. This mode will require all players to start with basic sponsored kits and scavenge for better equipment on the map, aiming to test early gear systems and zero-to-hero gameplay. The mode will be available for duos and trios, excluding solo play.
A 'free kit frenzy' mode for cheapskates arrives in Marathon this week
Bungie is launching an experimental playlist for Marathon called 'Dire Marsh - Sponsored Queue' starting April 15th. This mode will provide all players with a free sponsored kit, focusing on early gear progression and equalized gameplay. The experimental queue aims to gather data on the early gear ecosystem and will coincide with a significant balancing patch for the game.
Marathon talks cheaters and toxicity, nerfs knives, and preps mid-season experiments
Bungie is addressing player concerns in Marathon, implementing measures against cheaters and toxic behavior, including easier flagging and stream sniping prevention. A recent tuning update adjusted melee and knife damage to improve game balance. Future updates will include changes to the echo pulse ability, tracker drone buffs, and further gameplay experiments, with network improvements also being tested.
Marathon Officially Adds Duos Queue in Season 2, New Experimental Playlist Coming Next Week
Marathon director Joe Ziegler announced that the experimental Duos queue is ending, but new experimental playlists are coming next week. Duos will be officially added in Season 2, with a new experimental queue launching on April 15th. Bungie is also working on game balancing, including nerfs to popular tactics, to improve the extraction shooter experience on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
Marathon players are fiercely debating how to best change one of the game's most "present and dominant" weapon attachments
Marathon players are actively debating how to best adjust the game's thermal gun optics, which are considered overly dominant. Game director Joe Ziegler has acknowledged the issue, and the community has proposed ideas like scaling thermal clarity with player heat. These discussions highlight the ongoing challenges of balancing live service games.
