Activision Is Developing The Next Halo Game As Halo Studios & Other First-Party

Microsoft has announced today as part of a huge shakeup that Call of Duty publisher Activision has been handed the reins of the next Halo game, with mass layoffs impacting Halo Studios and various other first-party studios under the Xbox umbrella.

The console manufacturer confirmed today that 268 job losses have been put in place “across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and the XGS management and central functions layer” as part of its ongoing restructuring process, which began back in July. Speaking in a blog post, Xbox’s COO, Matt Booty, commented:

The actions completed since July, inclusive of the studio divestitures, bring us roughly three-quarters of the way through previously announced restructuring. I am deeply grateful for what our colleagues have built, and I know how difficult today will be for those leaving and the teams around them.

As for Halo, Booty confirmed that the next instalment in the long-running franchise is being “led by a new, purpose-built team that is separate from ongoing development and plans for Call of Duty. A small team at Halo Studios will continue supporting the Halo community and games in-market.”

Activision President, Rob Kostich, added:

We’re thrilled to welcome Halo, Rare, and World’s Edge to Activision. It’s an honor and a responsibility that we do not take lightly. These teams and their games have inspired fans around the world for decades. For Halo, our goal is clear: make the greatest Halo game ever, worthy of its universe and legacy, while staying true to what made players love it in the first place. It is a bold ambition, one that this franchise deserves. We have already begun assembling a purpose-built team, unique in capability and talent, ready and excited to deliver this next chapter with the community.

To the World’s Edge and Rare teams, we can’t wait to get to work together.

As previously reported, part of the latest cuts at Xbox will involve the proposed closure of Ninja Theory, which failed to find a buyer despite being thought safe from the original round of layoffs at Microsoft.

[Source – Xbox Blog Post]

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