Xbox studios have had a number of employees take their leave, whether it be to pursue other ventures or due to layoffs. Recently, news broke of a major figure at 343 Industries making her way out of the studio, formerly head of Halo transmedia and entertainment at 343 Industries Kiki Wolfkill. According to Video Games Chronicle, the former employee is moving on to another role at Xbox from her LinkedIn profile. She oversaw the launch of the Halo television show on Paramount+.
Wolfkill had a long career at 343, working with the company since 2008 as an executive producer on Halo 4 before spending eight years overseeing other Halo projects like the Halo TV show. While many had initially seen Wolfkill’s departure as another casualty of the recent layoffs at 343, VGC confirmed that Wolfkill has only moved on to expand her role to “…encompass all of Xbox IPs.” Wolfkill’s departure has no correlation to Microsoft’s recent mass layoffs.
The tech industry has had a shaky start in 2023. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on their respective economy has deemed many companies to resort to massive layoffs. Following rampant rumors, Microsoft announced its plan to lay off around 10,000 of its workforce. This affected Xbox too, with layoffs occurring at Bethesda and 343 Industries. While Wolfkill’s departure had no ties to these layoffs, due to her leaving a month before they were announced, other veteran workers weren’t spared the same fate.
Many within 343 and outside the studio believe that the layoffs specific to the studio were due to poor leadership and mismanagement, mainly tied to Halo Infinite’s troubling production and poor reception.