Halo franchise executive leaves 343 Industries in latest shakeup
Frank O’Connor is out at the Halo Infinite studio weeks after another big departure
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Frank O’Connor is out at the Halo Infinite studio weeks after another big departure
Microsoft and 343 Industries’ Halo Infinite is in a tough spot right now. The multiplayer FPS game series is reportedly undergoing a colossal shift in focus as it moves to Unreal Engine, with changes at the studio and the direction of the series all seemingly underway. You’ll be glad to know however that Halo Infinite’s Forge will remain mostly untouched, as the mode’s lead developer has responded to player concerns.
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A Bloomberg report from yesterday has revealed new details on the state of the Halo franchise and the turmoil at developer 343 Industries. This news comes after 95 employees lost their jobs, following mass layoffs across Microsoft. The layoffs affected long-time 343 devs, as well as contractors who only had a few days’ notice. Halo Infinite has been trying to find its footing after a rocky first year, but this report doesn’t inspire much hope from fans, at least for the series’ short-term future. The report delves into the studio’s switch to a different engine, an upcoming battle royale game, and most importantly, the lack of any single-player content in development.
343 Industries and Halo may be here to stay despite Microsoft’s mass layoffs, but that doesn’t mean it’s business as usual for the franchise. Bloombergsources claim 343 is effectively restarting Halo development between multiple changes that include the loss of “at least” 95 jobs, including directors and key contractors. Notably, the studio is reportedly switching to Epic’s Unreal Engine after both a leadership shuffle and struggling with its aging in-house platform (Slipspace) — it’s even breaking from its familiar story-driven gameplay, according to the tipsters.
The 343 team is understood to be using Unreal for an unannounced game, nicknamed “Tatanka,” developed with the help of long-time ally Certain Affinity. It was originally built as a battle royale title but might “evolve” into other forms, the sources say. While some at 343 are supposedly worried Unreal might affect how Halo feels to play, Slipspace’s glitches and hard-to-use tech have apparently held back multiplayer features in Halo Infinite that include past favorites like Assault and Extraction.
Many of the laid off workers were crafting game prototypes in Unreal rather than producing new missions for Halo Infinite, Bloomberg says. 343 had considered switching engines for the past decade, the insiders claim, but it wasn’t until studio lead Bonnie Ross and engine overseer David Berger left in late 2022 that the company committed to the change. Pierre Hintze, who replaced Ross, is said to have focused the company on “greenlighting” new tech while expanding Infinite.
Microsoft has declined to comment. A revamped strategy wouldn’t be surprising even without layoffs. While Infinite was well-received on launch, delayed modes, seasons and even a cancelled split-screen mode haven’t helped its reputation. 343 has also played a role in some of the Halo series’ less-than-stellar projects, including the problematic Halo: Master Chief Collection and offshoots like Halo Wars 2. A fresh start isn’t guaranteed to reinvigorate the sci-fi shooter, but it may address lingering concerns.
Xbox head Phil Spencer says Microsoft remains committed to the Halo franchise and developer 343 Industries. In an interview following this week’s Xbox and Bethesda Developer Direct showcase, Spencer told IGN “the heart and soul of Halo is with 343 and the team’s that there, and I have the utmost confidence in the team that’s there and leading and the plan that they have going forward.”
Spencer’s comments come after 343 was reportedly “hit hard” by Microsoft’s recently announced company-wide layoffs. The number of employees Microsoft let go at the studio is unknown, but according to Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier, Halo Infinite’s campaign team saw significant cuts. The news prompted 343 to publish a brief statement on the layoffs last weekend. “Halo and Master Chief are here to stay,” studio head Pierre Hintze said. “343 Industries will continue to developer Halo now and in the future, including epic stories, multiplayer, and more of what makes Halo great.”
According to Spencer, the layoffs were an effort by Microsoft to position 343 for the future. “What we’re doing now is we want to make sure that leadership team is set up with the flexibility to build the plan that they need to go build,” he said. “Halo will remain critically important to what Xbox is doing, and 343 is critically important to the success of Halo.”
Frustratingly, Spencer wouldn’t discuss the franchise’s future beyond the broad strokes he offered. He declined to comment on whether Microsoft still has a 10-year support plan in place for Halo Infinite. “I’m going to let 343 talk about the plans that they have right now,” Spencer said when asked about the subject. However, he did offer reassurances for Halo fans left worrying about what comes next for Master Chief. “I expect that we’ll be continuing to support and grow Halo for as long as the Xbox is a platform for people to play.” The rest of the interview is well worth reading if you’re an Xbox fan. The piece covers a lot of ground, including the console’s lackluster 2022.