Halo Devs 343 Industries Quits, After Microsoft Lays off 10,000 Workers

The renowned Xbox-exclusive gaming franchise, Halo, receives a massive hit as the veteran developing studio exits the game’s development projects. According to a report from a trusted Halo insider on Twitter, the recent mass layoff from Microsoft has severely affected the studio, forcing them to take the step. 

The first ever Halo game was released back in November 2001. The game was developed by Bungie. For the next few years, Bungie was responsible for the series. In 2007, the studio announced its split with Microsoft, but the right for Halo remained with the latter. To develop and continue the series, Microsoft created its subsidiary company 343 Industries. 

343 Industries will no longer make Halo games 

After directly developing the mainline titles for more than 10 years, the developing studio is released from its responsibility. From now on, the company will take the parental role and oversee the development procedures as third-party companies will take the helm of the world-renowned gaming series.

Read More: Mario Kart Fan Recreates Infamous Magic Of Kart Racing In Halo Infinite’s Forge

According to the insider Bathrobe Spartan’s report on Twitter, poor management and massive layoffs from the parent company have been the main reason for this change. According to reports, Microsoft fired around 10,000 workers from many of their departments.

CEO Satya Nadella described it as “times of significant change.” As Reported by The New York Times  Microsoft had hired 75,000 people since 2019 to meet the demand for online-based services during the pandemic. Currently, to cut the losses, the tech giant is forced to lay off staff including their developers from Xbox games and Bethesda. 

What is the future of the series?

Reports have suggested that a follow-up of Halo Infinite is currently in development. Alongside these, many spin-offs are in the pipeline, which are being developed by different studios with a more modest budget. However, 343 Industries had confirmed that the anticipated Couch co-op of Infinite is no longer in development. Instead, they will be focusing on the live service of the game. 

The upcoming Season 3: Echoes Within for Infinite is set to release on March 7. This new ambitious update of the game will add brand new features, gameplay modes, weapons, maps, and more. 

WATCH THIS STORY- Ranking The Highest Selling Nintendo Games of All Time