343 Industries took to Twitter to respond to rumors that it would cease to be the main studio for Halo development after a series of high-profile resignations and mass layoffs at the company.
Last week, Microsoft confirmed that 10,000 employees will be laid off, with most of them working in video game departments. It is reported that 343 Industries, the Halo studio, has been hit hard by layoffs.
This happened after studio head Bonnie Ross left 343 Industries last September, and Halo veteran Tom French followed in December. Following news of the layoffs, it was confirmed that another Halo veteran, Joseph Staten, would be moved from 343 as the company “made the difficult decision to restructure elements of our team, which means reducing some roles.”
In November, the long-awaited winter update of Halo Infinite was released, and 343 Industries thanked fans for their patience. “Thank you for your support last year. We know that it definitely wasn’t the smoothest and fastest ride,” the company said.
The update came after Matt Bootie, head of Microsoft Studios, admitted that the 2021 shooter “fell short” of content after launch, and called the game “stumbling” at the finish line.
After all this uncertainty, rumors began to spread last week that third-party studios would lead the development of future Halo games, and 343 industries would take a supervisory role.
However, the studio took to Twitter to respond to these rumors with a short and accurate statement.
“Halo and Master Chief are here to stay. 343 Industries will continue to develop Halo now and in the future, including epic stories, multiplayer mode and more, which makes Halo great.”
— Halo (@Halo) January 21, 2023
“I wish everyone all the best for a bright future,” said Patrick Ren, a former designer of the Halo Infinite multiplayer game. “Despite all the problems that have arisen, I’m damn proud of the game that we released together. Halo inspired me to get into this industry, and he should continue to do it for others.”
The head of Halo support and player safety, Susan Bunch, added that she was “proud to be part of 343 Industries.”
However, one fan noted that “the most successful studios do not need to make statements that they will continue to make games.”
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the layoffs represent “less than five percent of our total workforce” and are the result of “layoff costs, changes to our equipment portfolio and the cost of lease consolidation as we increase density in our workplaces.”.
However, the company was criticized for holding an exclusive Sting concert for top managers on the eve of the announcement of mass layoffs.
From other news: It looks like Martin Hollis, director of Goldeneye 007 for the Nintendo 64, wants to make a new first-person shooter.
