In an explosive announcement, Microsoft declared that will lay off 10,000 people. Halo Infinite’s 343 Industries has been affected, according to reportsand veteran developer Joseph Staten is reportedly leaving to rejoin Xbox Publishing.
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier broke the news of Staten’s departure, noting that 343 Industries was “hit hard” by the Microsoft layoffs. Staten has a storied legacy in the Halo franchise. He helped write the stories for Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and more. In 2020, 343 Industries announced that Staten had returned to help the team “get [Halo Infinite] to the finish line.”
Staten’s departure from Halo Infinite isn’t entirely unexpected. He original 343 Industries blog post Announcing Staten’s endorsement, he said he would help “for a while”, suggesting that Staten’s presence in Halo was temporary.
Microsoft won’t share specific numbers, but several employees have told me that 343 Industries was hit hard. This comes in the wake of a long-standing hiring freeze and many contractor departures.
—Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 18, 2023
Other 343 Industries workers have begun using Twitter to announce their layoffs. Christopher Blohm, Design Lead at 343 Industries, announced his departure from the studio after “twelve years in 343 [Industries] and 23 years at Microsoft.”
According to bloomberg reportBoth Bethesda Game Studios, the developer behind Starfield, and 343 Industries were affected by the Microsoft layoffs. The exact drawdown numbers are not known, but 343 Industries studio head Pierre Hintze confirmed in an internal email that the multiplayer and live service elements of Halo Infinite would continue to receive support.
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