Yesterday, Xbox announced another round of layoffs and more structural changes as part of its ongoing “reset” plan. One of the biggest changes involved Halo, with Xbox revealing that the long-running shooter series will now be developed by Activision. Meanwhile, former Halo stewards Halo Studios (formerly known as 343 Industries) suffered a ton of layoffs. In the wake of this news, many former Halo devs shared their thoughts online about the situation.
On Tuesday, Xbox exec Matt Booty confirmed in a memo that the company was cutting over 250 more jobs, including many at Halo Studios. These cuts included some longtime Halo vets and even at least one person who had been promoted just the day before. Booty also confirmed that Halo Studios won’t be developing the next mainline Halo game. Instead, a new team within Activision will lead the charge, leaving what little remains of Halo Studios following the layoffs as a support studio for the series.
For many longtime Halo devs who have since gone off to do other things, the news was brutal, heartbreaking, and frustrating.
“Gutted to hear the news today,” posted former Halo executive producer Kiki Wolfkill on LinkedIn. “Sending love and support to everyone impacted by the layoffs at Halo Studios and across Xbox. I know how much talent, heart, and care these teams pour into this work—and how deeply this can affect individuals, families, and teams.”
Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto shared on Twitter that he was “shocked but not entirely surprised” by the Xbox layoffs and Halo shakeup.
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