Halo Studios appears to have reduced its workforce shortly after the release of its latest title, Halo: Campaign Evolved. Several contract employees have publicly shared news of their departures on LinkedIn. This follows a broader trend of layoffs within Microsoft, Halo Studios' parent company, which saw approximately 1600 workers cut in early July alongside the divestment of several studios.
Among those departing is Nick Treitman, a producer who had spent over six years working on Halo titles. "After 6.5 years working on Halo and dodging just as many rounds of layoffs - it has finally caught up to me," Treitman stated in a LinkedIn post. He expressed his continued affection for the studio and the Halo franchise, acknowledging the current challenging realities of the gaming industry.
Paul Morris, a scrum master for Campaign Evolved with prior production credits on titles such as The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered and Forza Motorsport 7, shared a similar sentiment. "Today, I learned my time at Halo Studios will be coming to an end following the successful launch of our latest game, Halo: Campaign Evolved," he wrote. Morris also commented on the difficult job market but affirmed his continued dedication to his work.
Both Treitman and Morris's LinkedIn profiles indicate their positions were contract-based. This suggests that Halo Studios may have opted not to extend these contracts after the completion of Campaign Evolved, rather than implementing full-time staff layoffs similar to Microsoft's recent actions. Nevertheless, the outcome for those affected is unemployment during a period acknowledged by the departing employees as particularly challenging for re-entering the industry.