A former Halo Studios developer has responded to the recent Xbox layoffs. The former Microsoft employee opened up about how he is feeling after the cuts and the announcement that Activision will develop the next Halo game.
Former Halo Studios Developer Opens Up After Xbox Layoffs
Microsoft recently surprised players, when it announced that future Halo games would now be developed by Activision following a wider Xbox restructuring. However, a former Halo Studios employee has just opened up about the situation, and given us insight into the dire state of the Xbox Games studio following the recent Activison decision.
According to former Studio Operations PM at Halo Studios Rob B, things had been “miserable” at the Xbox games publisher since last year. “They got me, friends. C’est la vie. I’m a jumble of thoughts and emotions, but mostly relief. I was miserable for the last year and a half and it’ll be nice to feel something different. Obviously, tons of love for Halo and the people who worked on it. And, thoughts about this industry of mine.”
Rob B. opened up about the shocking layoffs in a post on his LinkedIn. While the former Xbox developer didn’t specify further details about the shakeup, a new report claims that the layoffs were much worse than some expected at Halo Studios.
How Many Halo Studios Developers Were Laid Off?
A new report claims that Halo Studios may have as few as 20 developers left following Microsoft’s layoffs and restructuring. The figure has reportedly been attributed to pro Halo player aPureGangster, who said it came from a “very, very reputable source.” However, the number has not been confirmed.
Microsoft has only confirmed that it is eliminating 268 roles across its first-party studios and Xbox management, but it has not said how many of those cuts were specifically at Halo Studios. The company has only described the remaining team as “small” and working in a “support role.”
For now, Ron B.’s post gives us a better insight into how the layoffs have impacted the team that has worked on Halo over the past decade. With Activision taking over development of the next game, we’ll have to wait to learn how many developers remain at Halo Studios and what the changes mean for its future.
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