Halo: After layoffs: 343 no longer as a developer?

The wave of layoffs at Microsoft had recently also hit 343 Industries – and for the Halo developer this could apparently have far-reaching consequences in the medium and long term. According to a reputable insider, the studio will no longer serve as the primary developer of the Halo franchise going forward.

Bungie was initially responsible for the Halo series, but had taken over 343 Industries in recent years. The current Halo Infinite was also developed in the lead by this studio, but according to a well-known insider it could have been in the future. Accordingly, after the recent wave of layoffs at Microsoft, 343 Industries is said to have been discontinued as the primary developer studio on the Halo franchise.

Source of this report in this case is Bathrobe spartan. The leaker has proven to be extremely reliable when it comes to Halo and has pretty much always hit the mark. If that is also the case this time, then the recent layoffs at Microsoft would also have drastic repercussions at 343 Industries. 343 Industries will therefore no longer be the main developer of future Halo parts, but only monitor the franchise. The actual development work should therefore be passed on to third-party partners.

Bathrobe Spartan explains in this context that 343 Industries will lose around a third of its workforce as a result of the layoffs, the non-renewal of external contracts and the relocation of employees to other parts of Microsoft. As a result, efforts to continue the narrative around Halo through internal development work are to be scaled back.

However, this should not have any impact on Halo Infinite; there have been no changes to the live service support of the game. Season 2 and future content will continue to be driven in collaboration with partners including SkyBox Labs, Sperasoft and Certain Affinity. However, it will be interesting to see how the Halo franchise will continue in general apart from this.