Former Halo leaders Bonnie Ross and Kiki Wolfkill have added their voices to the chorus of people wishing laid-off Halo Studios employees well after Microsoft’s drastic downsizing of the studio yesterday.
The Xbox cuts were so sudden one former Halo Studios employee, cinematic director Josh Daniels, said he was promoted and then laid off in the same week. “Promoted and laid off in the same week is pretty wild,” wrote Daniels on LinkedIn. “I’m one of the many hit by the Halo Studios layoffs.”
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Daniels’ departure was a result of yesterday’s Xbox cuts, which saw 268 people lose their jobs across a combination of Halo Studios, other unnamed first-party studios, and Xbox Game Studios management layers.
Halo Studios is reduced to a “small” support team as a result, with major Halo development moving to Activision, where a “purpose-built” team – separate from Call of Duty – has been created to develop “the next Halo title”.
“It was difficult to wake up to the news that the Halo Studio is essentially being shut down today” -Bonnie Ross
Bonnie Ross, the former head of Halo and founder of 343 Industries (which became Halo Studios), responded to yesterday’s news on LinkedIn: “It was difficult to wake up to the news that the Halo Studio is essentially being shut down today, with only a small number of roles remaining,” she wrote.
“Hundreds of incredibly talented team members are being impacted with creatives, designers, engineers, producers, artists, narrative and audio specialists, data insights, ops, community leaders and franchise teams who poured their passion into Halo, gaming, and engaging and serving players and fans.
“My thoughts are with every Halo team member and with the broader Xbox teams affected. For teams looking to hire, you will not find a more dedicated, capable, or community-driven group of people. Their talent and heart run deep.”
Kiki Wolfkill, another enormously influential figure in Halo’s recent history, having led 343 Studios for a number of years, added that she was “gutted to hear the news today”. “Sending love and support to everyone impacted by the layoffs at Halo Studios and across Xbox. I know how much talent, heart, and care these teams pour into this work—and how deeply this can affect individuals, families, and teams.
“If I can be helpful in any way—making an introduction, offering advice, being a sounding board, or simply listening—please, please reach out. My door is open.”
Exactly how many people at Halo Studios have been let go, we don’t officially know, though there are unconfirmed reports – such as one on Windows Central – that layoffs are in their hundreds. LinkedIn has a lot of Halo Studios-related posts, and a few offer some clues about the extent of the cuts.
One former employee said they, “along with the majority of Halo Studios”, were laid off yesterday, while another former employee said “Halo Studios ‘shut down’ today”.
343 Industries was created in 2007 after Halo series creator Bungie bought back its independence, and it has developed or overseen development of every Halo game since Halo: Reach in 2010. The studio was rebranded as Halo Studios two years ago.
Yesterday’s Xbox cuts also resulted in what appears to be the impending closure of British studio Ninja Theory, as well as organisational changes, as Obsidian moves under Bethesda’s control, Playground and Turn 10 merge, Undead Labs goes independent, and Rare, World’s Edge and Halo move under Activision’s control. So far, it’s emereged that Undead Labs has also suffered major layoffs as a result, as well as Age of Empires and Mythology developer World’s Edge.