Halo developer 343 Industries released a statement on Twitter promising to continue development of the Halo franchise “now and in the future.” Studio head Pierre Hintze signed off the tweet stating 343 would commit to providing “epic stories, multiplayer, and more of what makes Halo great.”
This statement was released amidst rumors circulating that 343, Microsoft’s development studio for all Halo titles since 2007, would cease active development on Halo games and be reduced to franchise coordinator which would oversee other studios taking over development. 343 Industries was hit particularly hard by Microsoft’s recent layoffs, which heavily affected its gaming division studios like Bethesda and Coalition. According to well-known French Halo leaker Bathrobe Spartan, 343 Industries had lost up to 1/3 of its workforce and had even canceled plans for Halo Infinite‘s story DLC to shift focus on supporting third-party developers who could handle future installments to the franchise.
343’s apparent recommitment to being Halo‘s primary developer has received mixed reception in the Halo community. Halo Infinite, which released for the Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One and Windows in December 2021, while having a positive critical response was criticized for its lack of polish, and slow updates on features such as Battle Pass and co-op multiplayer. Halo Infinite also reportedly failed to meet the financial expectations set for its massive half-a-billion-dollar budget, which contributed to Microsoft’s decision for restructuring. While 343 Industries has publicly planted a flag for its right to produce Halo, the recent layoffs and the loss of Halo Infinite‘s creative director Joseph Staten may mark a possible new beginning for the future of the Halo series.