creative director Halo infinite Joseph Staten and movie director of the first three Halo games are leaving Microsoft.
According to IGN, Staten is leaving Microsoft after nine years at the company, but the reason for his departure has not been confirmed. “We thank Joseph for his contributions to the Halo franchise and Xbox in general,” a Microsoft spokesperson wrote in a statement. “We wish him all the best in his new adventure.” Over the years, Staten has been a well-known figure behind the Halo series, working as a film director on the first three Halo games (Combat Evolved, Halo 2 and Halo 3), and Served as lead writer for Destiny while working at Bungie.
Stanton himself commented on the report, writing, “Hi everyone, I am indeed leaving Microsoft. I will have more information to share soon, but for now, I just want to thank all my Xbox colleagues for their understanding as I embark on this new adventure and support.” Earlier this year, Staten left 343 Industries to return to Xbox Publishing, where he worked before joining 343 Industries to lead the development of Halo. This comes shortly after Microsoft laid off about 10,000 employees, which did affect 343 industries.
Halo Infinite hasn’t been the best since its release, either. The game’s third season finally arrives in March after being delayed for months (it even received a mini-season to fill the void), and even reportedly moving development from its custom Slipspace Engine to Unreal Engine is out of the question A smooth assignment. 343 Industries has also seen numerous employee departures since the launch of Halo Infinite, building a rather bumpy picture overall. All of this really makes you wonder if we’re witnessing the demise of the Halo franchise.
