❘ Published: 2023-01-31T19:49:25
❘ Updated: 2023-01-31T19:49:34
343 Interactive is working on a new game codenamed ‘Tatanka’ amid a huge turnover at the game studio and hitting the reset button after Halo Infinite.
On Jan. 18, Mircosoft laid off 10,000 employees, as Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier first reported. Many of the layoffs affected 343 Interactive, Halo Infinite’s lead design team. The insider-confirmed layoffs hit the Halo Infinite campaign team hard.
Former Halo pro-Ninja labeled 343 “delusional” for not launching the title with a battle royale mode. TimTheTatman agreed, arguing that the developers could have avoided disaster by implementing a battle royale mode.
Both content creators can get their wish, as in a follow-up report from Schreier, 343 is “starting from scratch” and the development team’s focus shifts to multiplayer content.
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343 Industries hits the reset button on the Halo franchise
Halo Infinite has its issues, but there’s still nothing quite like it.
On January 31, Schreier reported that 343 Industries will still be making Halo games, “But with massive layoffs (at least 95 people), an engine turning to Unreal and focusing solely on multiplayer for the foreseeable future, 343 is hitting the reset button.”
Microsoft’s 343 Industries will still make Halo games, despite rumors to the contrary. But with mass layoffs (at least 95 people), an engine pivot to Unreal, and a focus only on multiplayer for the foreseeable future, 343 hits the reset button. New story: https://t.co/kwfv6dsMuR
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) January 31, 2023
In his story, the insider talked about 343’s move to Unreal Engine in late 2022 after former studio head Bonnie Ross left. The move to Unreal Engine reportedly prompted the start of a new game codenamed Tatanka.
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“That project, which 343 is co-developing with Austin, Texas-based game studio Certain Affinity, started out as a battle royale, but could evolve in different directions.”
The insider had bad news for Halo Infinite fans hoping for more story-driven content.
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“Developers were prototyping in the Unreal Engine and pitching ideas for new Halo games instead of working on new missions for Halo Infinite.”
Fans of Halo Infinite have criticized the “embarrassing” lack of post-launch content and 343’s disappointing roadmap. Schreier reported, “the current plan for 343 is to support “a robust live offering” for Halo Infinite and its creator of the Forge level.”
It’ll be interesting to see how the community reacts to 343 moving away from single player content in favor of a potential battle royale title.