Halo series transferred to Activision: Major layoffs at Halo Studios

The Halo series is now in the hands of Activision. While 268 people were laid off at Halo Studios within Xbox, the future of the series passes to the Call of Duty team.

The Halo series, which has a very special place for Xbox, is entering a new era as of today. The Halo series will now be developed under the control of Activision and the future of the series will be entrusted to this team.

The series, which was first developed by Bungie and later transferred to the Halo Studios unit established by Microsoft, is changing hands with a strategic change. Activision, not Halo Studios, will now be responsible for the development of the next Halo game.

Major layoffs at Halo Studios

This radical change is a result of the restructuring process that has been going on for a while on the Xbox side. While Microsoft has recently decided to close or make independent many studios, it is also largely liquidating Halo Studios.

In the statement made simultaneously with Activision's announcement, it was stated that 268 people working at Xbox would be dismissed. It is stated that most of these layoffs include Halo Studios employees.

Although the studio has been largely evacuated, Halo Studios is not completely closed for now. A small remaining team will continue to provide support for existing Halo games.

Call of Duty team merges with Halo

Activision, which currently manages the development processes of the Call of Duty series, has added one of Xbox's most important brands to its portfolio with this change. Xbox management emphasizes that the Call of Duty and Halo series will be run by independent teams.

Although it is stated that the same personnel will not work on both series simultaneously, the team that will prepare the new Halo game will consist of people who have previously worked on Call of Duty projects. This could have significant impacts on the future game mechanics and development style of the series.

This decision by Microsoft can be considered as a step taken to use resources more efficiently in the gaming world. The company aims for success by entrusting its well-established series to teams that are more experienced and carry out large-scale projects.

Considering Halo Studios' past successes, it is a matter of curiosity what impact this transition process will have on fans. Particularly, whether or not the iconic structure of the series will be preserved is among the most discussed topics in the gaming world.

Activision's commercial success with Call of Duty can be a reference point for the future sales and player base targets of the Halo series. However, the fact that both series have different dynamics may pose difficulties in the development process.

Xbox management aims to create a more focused and efficient working model with this restructuring. Studio mergers and layoffs can also be read as a reflection of the general contraction trend in the industry.

Time will tell what path the Halo series will follow in the new era and what kind of vision Activision will add to this brand. How do you think the transfer of the Halo series to Activision will affect the future of the game?