Martin O'Donnell, the composer responsible for the music of the Halo series, is no longer with the company. He revealed today on Twitter that the company fired him.
O'Donnell has worked with Bungie for over 15 years. His company TotalAudio produced the music for Myth: The Fallen Lords and Myth 2. He then joined Bungie as their in-house composer in 1999 to help them with third-person action game Oni. O'Donnell is best known for his work on the Halo series, though, including the iconic theme song to Halo: Combat Evolved.
He's one of the rare game composers to gain his own following. The release of his soundtracks as individual albums probably helped that process. His fans, dubbed the "Marty Army," have their own group page on Bungie's website.
His most recent work was on Destiny, Bungie's upcoming shared-world shooter. Some of his music for the game, including "Awakening," was revealed by Bungie throughout the game's development. It's unclear how O'Donnell's departure will affect Destiny's soundtrack. You'd hope he was able to finish his work before he was canned, though.
Bungie confirmed O'Donnell's departure with a brief statement on their website. They didn't address his accusation that he was fired "without cause," though.
"For more than a decade, Marty O’Donnell filled our worlds with unforgettable sounds and soundtracks, and left an indelible mark on our fans," the company said. "Today, as friends, we say goodbye. We know that wherever his journey takes him, he will always have a bright and hopeful future.
"We wish him luck in all his future endeavors."
It's sad to see O'Donnell's time at Bungie come to an end under such strange circumstances. Maybe it'll have a happy ending, though, like Amy Hennig's departure from Naughty Dog. His resume should make him an attractive hire for any studio in need of a soundtrack. Maybe 343 Industries will bring him aboard for Halo 5?
