Microsoft’s Layoffs Impact Halo Studios, Former Leaders Express Support
- Microsoft laid off 268 employees, including many from Halo Studios.
- Former leaders Bonnie Ross and Kiki Wolfkill expressed condolences to affected staff.
- Halo Studios’ operations will shift to Activision with a new dedicated team for the next title.
Former Halo leaders Bonnie Ross and Kiki Wolfkill have voiced their support for laid-off employees following significant downsizing at Halo Studios, announced by Microsoft yesterday. The sudden layoffs impacted numerous team members, including cinematic director Josh Daniels, who noted an unusual circumstance of being promoted and then laid off in the same week.
The layoffs, part of broader job cuts at Xbox, resulted in a total of 268 job losses across Halo Studios, other unnamed first-party studios, and Xbox Game Studios management. As a consequence, Halo Studios will be left with only a small support team, while major development efforts for future Halo titles will transition to Activision, which is establishing a dedicated team separate from its Call of Duty franchise.
“It was difficult to wake up to the news that the Halo Studio is essentially being shut down today” -Bonnie Ross
Bonnie Ross, who previously led Halo and founded 343 Industries, shared her reaction 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 emphasized that many highly skilled individuals, including creatives, engineers, and community leaders, were affected by the layoffs, and she expressed her support for those seeking new opportunities.
Kiki Wolfkill, also a prominent figure in Halo’s recent history, expressed her sorrow regarding the situation, stating she was “gutted to hear the news today.” She extended her support to all those affected and offered her assistance in any capacity, encouraging individuals to reach out for help.
The exact number of layoffs at Halo Studios remains unclear, but there are unconfirmed reports indicating that the total could be in the hundreds. Several former employees have commented on LinkedIn, revealing that many from Halo Studios were affected by the cuts, with one indicating that the studio had “shut down” as of yesterday.
Established in 2007 after Bungie regained its independence from the Halo franchise, 343 Industries has been responsible for the development of every Halo game since Halo: Reach in 2010 and was rebranded as Halo Studios two years ago. Additionally, the recent layoffs are accompanied by significant organizational changes at Xbox, including the potential closure of British studio Ninja Theory, restructuring of Obsidian under Bethesda, and various other team consolidations.
News Courtesy of Eurogamer
