A cinematic director at Halo Studios was promoted on Monday, only to be laid off by Xbox the very next day.
Josh Daniels, who had been with Xbox in some form for the last 11 years, took to social media on Tuesday to announce he was caught in the latest layoffs. It was news that came as a surprise for the long-time Xbox employee.
“Promoted and laid off in the same week is pretty wild,” he wrote. “I’m one of the many hit by the Halo Studios layoffs. I’ll be taking some offline time today but very much would love to talk to anyone looking for Cinematic Direction or Production roles. Feel free to get in touch if anything looks like I might be a fit.”
Daniels had been with Halo Studios since 2024. Before then, he worked for Turn 10 on the Forza Motorsport series from 2015.
- More Xbox Layoff News: XBOX Moves Rare Under Activision & Obsidian Entertainment to Bethesda
On Tuesday, Xbox announced that the next Halo game would be developed at Activision. The move would come with layoffs across Halo Studios, though they didn’t go as far as to say whether Halo Studios would be absorbed or closed entirely.
Reports suggest that the next Halo game from Activision will be a full, mainline installment for the franchise. When it releases is a different question. One report suggests a prototype for the new game already exists and is pending Microsoft approval. Nothing has been confirmed by Insider Gaming’s sources, however.
What do you think of Daniels being laid off by Xbox just after the director was promoted at Halo Studios? Let us know down in the comments and in the official Insider Gaming Discord.
In other news, read Xbox’s Matt Booty’s full memo to staff on the latest changes at the company, including more layoffs. And for even more Insider Gaming delivered directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.
Mike has been covering the gaming industry since 2012, and has reported on some of the largest events in the industry while also working as an investigative reporter. Outside of…
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