The developer behind the popular shooter Halo Infinite, 343 Industries, recently described how the famous franchise will be “here to stay.” This comes in the wake of rumors which have been making the rounds online to the effect that 343 Industries would soon be dropped from the development of the ongoing series.
“Halo and Master Chief are here to say,” the statement which was released on Twitter explains. “343 Industries will continue to develop Halo now and in the future including epic stories, multiplayer, and more of what makes Halo great.” The release was apparently signed by Studio Head at 343 Industries Pierre Hintze.
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The reasons for the ongoing rumors are naturally manifold, but the most credible criticisms concern the newly announced layoffs at parent company Microsoft. The publisher fired more than 10,000 workers earlier this week including many in its games division, a move which has been widely criticized by current and former employees at 343 Industries.
"The layoffs at 343 Industries shouldn't have happened and Halo Infinite should be in a better state," former Senior Multiplayer Designer on Halo Infinite Patrick Wren for example said on Twitter. "The reason for both of those things is incompetent leadership up top during Halo Infinite development causing massive stress on those working hard to make Halo the best it can be.” The developer explained how "they helped push for a better Halo and got laid off for it."
Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella somewhat controversially explained that Microsoft was "allocating both our capital and talent to areas of secular growth and long term competitiveness for the company while divesting in other areas.”
Halo Infinite was released on December 8, 2021 following a rocky process of development resulting in a series of high profile delays, most notably for downloadable content. 343 Industries apparently remains committed to the game, but fans of the franchise have been losing faith in recent months, a promised cooperative campaign mode for example having been canceled back in September, 2022.