Earlier this month, Microsoft revealed plans to lay off a whopping 10,000 employees from its various divisions. The Halo franchise developer 343 Industries was one of the Xbox studios hit with significant job cuts, and with it, rumors started circulating regarding the future of the shooter series and the company’s direction.
Today on Twitter, the official Halo account dispelled rumors of 343 being moved to be a franchise overseeing studio with a short message by studio head Pierre Hintze, saying “343 Industries will continue the develop Halo now and in the future, including epic stories, multiplayer, and more of what makes Halo great.”
Hintze took over the position in September 2022, just as long time studio head Bonnie Ross departed from 343 Industries.
The layoffs at the studio reportedly affected the campaign team the most, with Joseph Staten, who was brought in to help with Halo Infinite’s development issues and delays, also said to be leaving his position. Following this, reports quickly grew of Halo being taken from 343 to be handed over to other studios for future games, but today’s announcement should put those to rest.
Halo Infinite finally received the long-promised campaign co-op, the Forge editor, and a custom games browser in the past few months. Season 3 is set to hit in March, bringing new maps, weapons, and more to the multiplayer portion. With the latest developments though, we may be waiting quite a while to see Master Chief in action again.