Halo Studios has been ravaged in the latest round of Microsoft’s layoffs as part of the restructuring of XBOX, with claims that as few as 20 employees remain.
The Halo franchise was one of the biggest stories in the September 22 round of layoffs from Microsoft, where it was announced that development of future titles was being moved to Activision.
While Halo Studios will remain in some capacity, Activision has been handed stewardship, and it’s claimed that the remaining staff for the former is extremely small.
Halo Studios Layoffs Leave Just 20 Employees, It’s Claimed
The claims of just 20 staff remaining at Halo Studios come from pro player aPureGangster, cited by Technical Halo, who says the information came “from a very, very reputable source.”
Although those figures cannot be verified, it does somewhat align with what Microsoft has publicly stated and what others have reported, with Windows Central’s Jez Corden stating that Halo Studio is “looking at major layoffs in the 100s.”
It may take a while for precise figures to emerge, but plenty of former staff have taken to LinkedIn to announce their departures, including one director who was promoted, then laid off the following day.
Many of those parting ways with the Halo franchise have been a part of the journey for decades, spanning back to the pinacle of Halo’s success, though that does seem a long time ago.
Some of the most recent titles, including this year’s Halo: Campaign Evolved, which brought Master Chief to PlayStation for the first time, and 2021’s Halo Infinite, didn’t achieve the same level of reviews from critics and players that earlier titles did.
Given that Halo has only just moved under Activision’s stewardship publicly, it remains to be seen exactly what’s planned, and the latest big game could be a way off.
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