Frank O’Connor, who spent almost two decades at Xbox and departed as the franchise's creative director in 2023, has shared his perspective on the future of the Halo series. In a LinkedIn comment, he outlined three possible paths for Activision to consider:
"1. Make a 'classic' Halo movement/sandbox/shooter experience tailored to a core audience & scaled to be successful with that core audience and attractive to a broader one so it can grow (not to mention obvious fact that Halo MP is better w. more people playing, by mathematical default)."
"2. Make something new, modern that >reinvents< the game/universe in a surprising but fantastic way. An action/sandbox game (maybe it’s a new take on the FPS, maybe it’s an action RPG but it’s fundamentally different) and succeeds with a combination of strong story, IP use and gets a small head start based on curiosity or loyalty."
"3. Translate Halo IP and sandbox into the ATVI comfort zone. Use the player, progression and business models that are proven to work and craft a big annual or semi-annual spectacle and constant content."
O’Connor emphasized that none of these options guarantee success. He also advised Microsoft against tying future Halo titles strictly to the Xbox hardware or services cycle and cautioned against abandoning the franchise's established sandbox elements. His additional "pro-pro-tip" for Activision was to consider hiring developers who were recently laid off from studios like Bungie and the former Halo Studios, noting their abundance of talent.
Recent workforce reductions have impacted numerous game development studios. Sony's downsizing at Bungie led to the departure of many experienced developers, and Halo Studios also appears to have been significantly affected by recent changes at Xbox. O'Connor's suggestion highlights the potential to leverage this available talent pool.
Activision has not yet revealed specific plans for Halo's next steps or its strategy for rebuilding the development team. It remains unclear whether the company will pursue O'Connor's advice regarding hiring recently released personnel.