Call of Duty's Activision to make next Halo game as Xbox cuts more jobs

ByLaura Cress Technology reporter.

Key points

• It saw 1, 600 jobs cut immediately, against the backdrop of 3, 600 planned losses overall.
• Xbox's announcement of a further 268 cut jobs comes after Sharma made public in July that the business was "beginning the most significant restructure in Xbox history".
• "Halo was once to Xbox what Mario is to Nintendo, " remarked Corden, "but years of mismanagement have eroded that".
• It comes as questions additionally mount over the future of other notable Xbox studios, including Cambridge-based game developer Ninja Theory.
• Though the business would be "mindful not to lose what makes Halo unique", dring remarked bringing Halo under Activision's leadership "makes sense".

As its company-wide "reset" continues, xbox is cutting hundreds of jobs and making sweeping changes to the production of its flagship Halo franchise.

Its latest reductions, forming part of a wave of ongoing layoffs, will impact staff at the studio which at present makes Halo – with Call of Duty publisher Activision to take on development of any future games.

While gaming analyst Christopher Dring stated it raised questions over whether it could support revive what was once Xbox's "crown jewel", jez Corden of Windows Central remarked the change was a "dramatic move".

Xbox chief executive Asha Sharma remarked in July the Bafta-winning studio behind the Hellblade games would be spun off, alongside four others, against the backdrop of its dramatic downsizing.

But Matt Booty, chief content officer at Xbox, wrote in a blog post on Tuesday, external that attempts to find a buyer for the studio had failed – with "two separate agreements" falling through.

Though potential buyout negotiations are continuing, he remarked Ninja Theory would now enter into consultation with employees on a proposed closure.

While consultation for Arcane remains "under way", Booty went on, of the four other affected firms, three have now returned to management.

Notably, the firm states it is three quarters of the way through its planned restructure.

Sharma remarked, external at the time that the Microsoft's gaming division had not been "healthy" and while platforms like its subscription plan Game Pass had "created meaningful value", they had not grown swiftly enough.

In an interview with the BBC in August, she additionally pointed to the "crisis" in rising computing costs and hardware costs as another external pressure on the firm. The future of Halo.

Halo has been a hallmark of the Xbox brand since Microsoft's first entry into the console market in 2001, helping establish the firm as a major player in the industry.

Xbox remarked on Tuesday that Halo Studios. It lately published Halo: Campaign Evolved in July, would continue to backing the game's community and work on existing games, as resisted to focusing on any new release.

Christopher Dring, editor-in-chief and co-founder of The Game Business, remarked the military sci-fi shooter was once Xbox's "crown jewel" but that hadn't been the case "for more than a decade".

"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" remarked Rob Kostich, Activision's president.

"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."

As well as the studio Rare and its series Sea of Thieves, as well as leading any new Halo game development, Xbox remarked Activision's remit would expand to manage the World's Edge studio, home to the Age of Empires franchise.

Notably, the PlayStation rival additionally confirmed consolidations of some of its current businesses – saying Elder Scroll-makers Bethesda would "expand its remit" to include Fallout New Vegas-makers Obsidian, and combining the studios behind Forza Horizon and Fable.

For now, call of Duty' s Activision to make next Halo game as Xbox cuts remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.