24 January 2023 , 10:56
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Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries took to Twitter to quell rumours that the studio was no longer in charge of the flagship IP.
This comes after Microsoft announced last week that it would be laying off 10,000 staff, with the bulk of them coming from its Xbox and video games divisions, including many at the Halo Infinite developer (via a blog post))
Reports also began to circulate last Friday that suggested that 343 had been taken off active development of the Halo franchise and that it would only continue to work on the IP in an advisory role (via Metro)
In a brief statement from the official Halo Twitter account, studio head Pierre Hintze: "Halo and Master Chief are here to stay. 343 Industries will continue to develop Halo now and in the future, including epic stories, multiplayer, and more of what makes Halo great.”
The latest episode comes after a string of high-profile exits at 343, including Halo Infinite's multiplayer creative director Tom French, who announced his departure last December; as well as 343's founder and head Bonnie Ross, who announced she was leaving the company after 15 years in a statement posted to Twitter in September.
A Halo reboot is the best thing for the series after the mess of Halo Infinite
In the wake of the news, former multiplayer designer on Halo Infinite, Patrick Wren (now working at Respawn) took to Twitter to criticise Microsoft, stating that the layoffs are the result of "incompetent leadership" that caused "massive stress" during Halo Infinite's development.
In the same thread, Wren goes on to say that the people who "were passionate about Halo and wanted to make something great for the fans" drove for a 'better Halo' and were laid off for their troubles. And that while the game "should be in a better state", there are still developers at the studio trying their best to salvage Halo Infinite.
The layoffs come as Microsoft prepares for its upcoming Xbox and Bethesda Showcase on Wednesday, January 25. The live stream will include details on a slew of new and upcoming Xbox Series X|S exclusives and day one Xbox Game Pass titles like Arcane Studio's multiplayer vampire hunting game Redfall. Sadly, the anticipated space opera RPG Starfield will not be in attendance.
Halo? Is it me you're looking for
But where does this all leave players, apart from a bit bewildered? As a long-time Halo fan who tends to upgrade to the next iteration of Xbox whenever Master Chief appears to be on the horizon, It saddens me to see the iconic series in such a weird limbo.
Especially since Halo Infinite is easily one of the best Xbox games and the welcome shot in the arm the series desperately needed after Halo 5. It's the best game 343 has made that successfully recreates the wonder and sheer scale of the original trilogy, while revamping the gunplay and traversal mechanics in such a way as to make it feel fresh, fast and incredibly satisfying.
This is why it breaks my heart to see that there has not been a single piece of Halo Infinite campaign DLC since its release in November 2021, despite there being room for it on the map, while the free-to-play multiplayer dies on the vine due to a lack of timely updates.
I don't know what needs to happen, but something does – and soon.