Frank O’Connor has left 343 Industries, a subsidiary of Microsoft, following a two decade career with the Halo franchise. O’Connor started with Halo from the franchise’s early days at Bungie. Starting off as a community manager for the franchise, O’Connor became the series creative director when he joined 343 Industries on Halo 4 onward.
O’Connor’s departure was confirmed by Stephen Totilo from Axios, following a LinkedIn update on O’Connor’s profile detailing that he no longer worked with the tech company. Microsoft praised O’Connor in its brief statement, thanking him for “numerous contributions towards the franchise” and wished him well in his future endeavors.
Frank O’Connor is the latest high-profile figure leaving 343 Industries alongside Joseph Staten, Bonnie Ross, Kiki Wolfkill, and many more. While the reasons for his departure are currently unknown, it is another heavy blow for the studio as it bears the brunt of layoffs hitting the tech industry since the beginning of 2023. He is currently listed as a franchise creative director for an unnamed company on LinkedIn.
343 Industries’ recent struggles alongside the mishandling of Halo Infinite’s development has left the fate of the Halo franchise up for question for many fans. That said, 343 Industries, seems determined to keep its grip on the franchise into the future.