According to a Bloomberg article, the ongoing Microsoft layoffs have “hurt hard” Halo Infinite creator 343 Industries. The computer behemoth with headquarters in Redmond declared that Microsoft would eliminate 10,000 employees, or 5% of its global staff. It seems like 343 Industries was hardest hit by the restructure.
Employees who talked with Bloomberg claim that some positions were removed for the Halo Infinite campaign team. In 2021, Halo Infinite was released to mixed reviews. Despite spending a long time in development hell, the game still appeared incomplete when it was released.
In an effort to save Halo Infinite, writer and veteran of the Halo franchise Joe Staten is also quitting. He will reportedly re-join Microsoft’s internal Xbox publishing division, according to Bloomberg.
Joe Staten is the latest in a succession of well-known employees to leave the company, joining Bonnie Ross, Jerry Hook, who oversaw the design of Halo Infinite, and David Berger, who served as the game’s lead developer.
Despite the doom, 343 Industries tweeted that “Halo and Master Chief are here to stay” and that the firm would continue to develop every Halo game going forward.
It’s interesting to note that Patrick Wren, a former multiplayer designer for the Halo team, tweeted that layoffs should not have occurred and that Halo Infinite’s state was caused by “incompetent leadership up top.”
