Halo developer says franchise is ‘here to stay’ after studio ‘hit hard’ by Microsoft layoffs

Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries took to Twitter on Saturday to share a brief message about the franchise’s future. “Halo and Master Chief are here to stay,” 343 said in a statement attributed to studio head Pierre Hintze. “343 Industries will continue to develop Halo now and in the future, including epic stories, multiplayer, and more of what makes Halo great.”

The statement comes after Microsoft confirmed that it would lay off 10,000 employees before the end of March. According to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, 343 Industries was “hit hard” by the restructuring and lost Halo veteran and creative director Joe Staten – who joined the studio in 2020 to help bring Infinite over the finish line – to Microsoft’s publishing division. Staten’s reassignment follows a handful of other high-profile departures, including that of Slipspace Engine lead developer David Berger and 343 co-founder Bonnie Ross. Schreier couldn’t put a number to the cuts at 343, but he said Infinite’s campaign team was particularly affected by the cuts. Prior to the layoffs, the studio also had a “long-running” hiring freeze in place and had lost a lot …read more