Former Halo developer Bungie allegedly ‘terminated’ longtime composer Marty O’Donnell last week

The man responsible for the music in Halo series is no longer with Bungie

Early this morning, former Bungie audio director and composer Martin O’Donnell revealed his departure from the studio, which is producing the sci-fi shooter Destiny for Xbox One, PS4, and last-gen platforms. The audio mastermind joined the studio in the late 1990s and has overseen the company’s music and sound design ever since. Bungie confirmed O’Donnell’s exit in a statement on its website.

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“For more than a decade, Marty O’Donnell filled our worlds with unforgettable sounds and soundtracks and left an indelible mark on our fans,” reads the statement. “Today, as friends, we say goodbye. We know that wherever his journey takes him, he will always have a bright and hopeful future.”

While the studio claims they are still “friends” with O’Donnell, the composer’s tweet on the matter depicts the situation as far less amicable.

https://twitter.com/MartyTheElder/status/456303189998841856

We’ve reached out to Bungie and O’Donnell for more, and we’ll update this story with any new information.

O’Donnell has had a long career in games. He worked as a sound designer on the Myst sequel Riven in 1997. He later went on to produce the music for Bungie’s shooter Myth: The Fallen Lords. Ten days before Microsoft bought Bungie, O’Donnell joined the developer as a full-time employee. He has worked as audio director on all of the company’s games since then.

Destiny is still in the works. The online shooter should debut Sept. 9, and it will presumably still feature sound and music. It’s the first non-Halo property from Bungie since it ended its relationship with Microsoft. Publisher Activision is handling distribution on the game.