Destiny Writer Quits Bungie to Work On Game of Thrones at Telltale

Joshua Rubin, who spent two years at Bungie writing the story for the upcoming shooter Destiny, has quit the studio to take a job at Telltale Games where he will work on the developer's Game of Thrones episodic series. Rubin announced the news on Twitter, saying he's excited by the challenge of writing a Game of Thrones story that is on par--or better--than what fans found in the HBO TV show.

"[Game of Thrones TV show writers David Benioff and Daniel Weiss] have set an incredibly high standard for writing," Rubin said on Twitter. "I'm inspired by their work every season. I'm gonna have to up my game!"

"It's a privilege to be working on Telltale's Game of Thrones," he added. "I am such a massive fan of the HBO show!"

Prior to joining Bungie in March 2012 to work on Destiny, Rubin spent one year each at Visceral Games and Capcom where he wrote for unannounced projects. Rubin is not the first high-profile creative designer to leave Bungie this year. Joseph Staten, who co-created the entire Destiny universe, left Bungie in September 2013, and has since joined Microsoft for an unannounced project.

Rubin leaves Bungie less than a month before Destiny's release date, September 9, but it's not likely a major concern for the project, as writing work is handled early in the development process. Plus, it sounds like Bungie already has story details locked down for Destiny's DLC.

The first installment in Telltale Games' Game of Thrones series will be released later this year. The developer recently wrapped up the first season of The Wolf Among Us and is working on the second season of The Walking Dead (and a third), as well as Tales from the Borderlands.