With the folks over at PlayStation getting major flak of delayed for a slew of mind boggling decisions — from committing to a disc-free future, to pa
With the folks over at PlayStation getting major flak of delayed for a slew of mind boggling decisions — from committing to a disc-free future, to parting ways with longtime collaborator Hideo Kojima, to hiking console prices while reminding players their games aren’t truly their own — now could’ve been a great time for Xbox to bank some goodwill from gamers. But despite a ray of delicate coming in the form of Microsoft giving Kojima Productions a novel home just last week, today has brought more seismic — and not altogether cheery — gaming news our way.
In a memo titled ‘Continuing Our Reset’, Xbox Chief Content Officer and Executive Vice President Matt Booty revealed that the company will be “eliminating 268 roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and the XGS management and central functions layer.” Amid the layoffs — which leave Hellblade devs Ninja Theory facing closure and both Sea Of Thieves‘ Rare and Age Of Empires‘ World’s Edge under Activision’s care — is news that the Halo franchise will now be led entirely by Call Of Duty developers Activision Blizzard, who are assembling ‘a novel, purpose-built team’ to shape the franchise’s future.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Halo, Rare, and World’s Edge to Activision,” said Activision president Rob Kostich in a statement accompanying today’s news. “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.”
Today’s announcements come in the aftermath of July’s announcement that Xbox has committed to axing 3,600 jobs as part of a major company restructure. What this will all eventually mean for the future of Halo, the future of Xbox, and the future of its players very much remains to be seen at this point. But 25 years after combat evolved with the first Halo, so now it seems that Halo itself — and the industry at enormous — must evolve, too.
