740°

Microsoft’s New Halo Game Loses Top Director After Project Delay

Jason Schreier writes: Chris Lee, who oversaw production of Halo Infinite at 343 Industries, which is developing the game for Microsoft, is no longer working on it, he confirmed to Bloomberg News on Wednesday. Lee is the second top director on the project to leave in the past two years.

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bloomberg.com
AngainorG7X1906d ago (Edited 1906d ago )

Just cancel it at this point however I do believe that Joe will save the title

crazyCoconuts1906d ago

Cancel Halo Infinite?! Heretic!

Bender65021906d ago

I loved Heretic. Great game from yesteryear. But yes, cancel a Halo title that's sacrilege.

The Wood1906d ago

I smell crackdown

Management has to be questioned both inside and outside 343

Neonridr1906d ago

@Bender6502 - I enjoyed Hexen better.

UltraNova1905d ago

The fact that the game had to delayed by a whole year, this close to launch after all those years in development, and now losing another director paints a very clear picture of its status - and it ain't a good one, to say the least.

That said i don't doubt for a second that MS is going to allow its biggest Xbox asset to flounder like say Crackdown did. I sure they'll fix the game by next year or even delay it as need until they do.

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Christopher1906d ago

What? Cancel a game because a person who was probably set to leave anyway has left?

RgR1906d ago

Cancelling is reaching but the point to take away is as follows.

Who leaves a team where they just finished creating something special?
I for one would stay to see what awesomeness we do next. However, if it looks like it is not reaching expectations and working on it has been a nightmare then I would have no problem resigning asap.

It speaks volumes that many key people are in and out of this project.

KeenBean3451906d ago (Edited 1906d ago )

Agreed. Reading the headline this sounds awful but when you actually know he's been off the project since the awful showcase in August it's not as they brought in Joe Statten, just sounds like he's surplus to requirements with Statten and Pierre now running things.

Halo 2 had a much much worse development cycle than this game and turned into a master piece so I hope this is what happens here. I really hope this game is good and can restore Halo to what it once was

Christopher1906d ago

***Who leaves a team where they just finished creating something special?***

Someone who already had a job lined up elsewhere.

Cueil1905d ago

If you have been paying attention this purge of many of the Halo 5 people has been going on for a while

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Atom6661906d ago

Won't happen.

All of the rumored issues with the game go back to scheduling, communication, and other director tasks. It's about damn time they cleaned things up in those roles. I know he stepped aside a couple of months ago, but this should have happened long before imo.

Eamon1906d ago

There were also rumours that Infinite was almost set to be a "Live Service" game. I think Phil Spencer put a stop to that after the negative reception to the demo shown a few months back.

Joe Staten is a Bungie veteran and was part of the core team that provided the creative direction for the Halo trilogy. So it's not all bad news, and in some ways, perhaps good news.

1906d ago
soulrebel1906d ago

You believe he will save it but you want it cancelled 🙃

SpeedDemon1906d ago

Cancel the game of the year?
Non sense.

SullysCigar1906d ago

Lmao and what year would that be, exactly?

1906d ago
neutralgamer19921906d ago

delay the game until it's ready if it means 2022 so be it but fix the issues and make a master piece so people will forget the delays

Knightofelemia1905d ago (Edited 1905d ago )

@AngainorG7X

Cancelling Halo infinite will be a shot in the foot for Microsoft especially with the Series X and S coming out they need the title. They showed it off and made a promise that the game will arrive that would be like Nintendo showing off a new Metroid game get it half developed and then scrapping it. That would be a shot in the foot there as well if Nintendo did that and piss off a lot of fans and scare away sales of the Switch.

1905d ago
CaptainHenry9161905d ago (Edited 1905d ago )

Halo has been going downhill for so long now that it can never recover, better to escape this mess asap lol. Only Bungie can save it

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Father__Merrin1906d ago

It's definatly in development limbo now they started it as an xbox one title then lied during their reveal that it's been built ground up for series X. I think it's best if they just release it as it is halo is all about the gameplay anyways

shabz6661906d ago (Edited 1906d ago )

Nope nope. Let them cook it till it’s ready. I reckon this will be the final nail in 343 if they don’t deliver. The game is basically in development hell. I love halo and want it back at its best and hopefully they deliver. I’m sure the pandemic hasn’t made things easy for the team. Now that joe staten has come to help the team hopefully they can have a unified vision to what this game is. Sigh I miss halo

Atticus_finch1906d ago

Just release it as is already. All the memes will be fire and xfans will pretend they love it.

Abnor_Mal1906d ago

Like the fridge becoming reality, and now everyone claiming they love it and want one. Like that?

darthv721906d ago

Are you saying you wouldnt want a series x fridge? that thing is bad ass (even for a fridge)

Abnor_Mal1906d ago

@darth72 I will say it looks good, but it doesn't look functional at all. All the food looked green like it spoilt and mold started to form. :)

Critic4l_Strik31906d ago

New Microsoft division...Series X fridges

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aconnellan1906d ago

The gameplay reveal was really widely hated by Xbox fans - no one wants to release it in its current state

Gamist2dot01906d ago

They should just release it as planned now otherwise it's going to need to delay another 2 years if they want to get it right.

Pickledpepper1906d ago

Just like all the sony fans pretended to like TLOU2

Atticus_finch1906d ago

I'm glad you brought up TLoU2, a game that looks better on ps4 than Haloi does on next gen console. OUCH!

LucasRuinedChildhood1906d ago

It's one of the highest rated games of all time. Most people who complained about it were led by reactionary, political channels like TheQuartering that never even played it. Can't wait for it to get GOTY.

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190°

Halo Infinite Content Support Update Ending on November 18

Halo Infinite's live service updates will be ending with Operation: Infinite set to be released on November 18, 2025.

-Foxtrot70d ago

So much for that 10 year platform plan

darthv7270d ago

...and its barely been 4 years. LMAO

DarXyde68d ago

Halo Infinite?
Hell no, It's Finished.

... I'll see myself out.

RaidenBlack69d ago

... and he broke into the attic again and got his drums back.

Yang_kai69d ago

Well good luck with the next game, been on almost all systems will help the game life and strengthen their community with fresh blood.

RaidenBlack69d ago

no MP till Halo 7, as per leak
Don't know if it'll release parallelly with Halo 2R or Halo 3R or totally after the trilogy of remakes.

Inverno69d ago

Onto the next 10 year promise! When that turns out to be more Unreal slop you can drop it and promise the same for the game after.

franwex69d ago (Edited 69d ago )

I’m one of the 15 people that regularly play this. Oh well. Hopefully the game will retain a small dedicated player base.

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180°

Halo art director leaves studio after 17 years with ominous message alluding to discontent

Glenn Israel writes: "As of today and after seventeen long years, I am officially no longer contributing to the Halo universe. There is little more I can say for the moment, though I intend to share this particular story in its entirety when it is absolutely safe to do so next year. In the meantime, I have a message for anyone and everyone who needs to hear it.

I know that the state of our industry seems dire, but never forget that you are *free to choose*. No illusion of security nor promise of wealth or fame or power is worth trading away your health, your dignity, your ethics or values - and no one can force you to. Stay strong, take evidence when necessary, and find where you belong."

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linkedin.com
Bathyj97d ago

My god.
There's a story for next year.

VenomUK97d ago

I’m really disappointed to learn there are still people/morale problems. I thought the whole point of rebranding 343i to Halo Studios was to signal that real changes had been made - not to cynically rebrand to paper over the problems.

I really hope the Halo CE remake is great and gets people hyped for the future of the series.

DarXyde97d ago

It's inevitable with the modern landscape. Even if some issues have been assuaged, new ones crop up all the time.

I'm willing to bet AI and the lack of regulation is causing substantial upset.

shinXseijuro97d ago (Edited 97d ago )

He said something very marking . We tend to complain a lot about the industry but deep down I realize that we never have we been offered this crazy amount of games all available for you to play now . You can literally play any sorts of games in 2025 . Nobody is forcing you to buy the latest COD or the latest BF . You’re more of a 8 bit cozy gaming guy there’s a whole niche of modern games for that . You like micromanaging there’s games for that . I feel like we have been spoiled so much we just stopped being realistic and thinking for ourselves . We follow trends cry about stuff online when you are the buyer you have the power .

Notellin97d ago

I'm not buying any games until another Immersive sim is made.

PhillyDonJawn97d ago

....wth happened over there?
Does this confirm a new Halo by next year?
What did they want him to do that made him feel it was morally wrong or a insult to his integrity?

-Foxtrot97d ago

Well how about that, a name change doesn’t fix internal issues

Who would have thought

jznrpg97d ago

MS was throwing money around for a long time but now it’s time to pay the Piper.

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180°

Halo Infinite E-sports update

Halo Infinite to be retired from the Halo esports circuit as Halo Studios shifts focus to new title in the series. No HCS in 2026.

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halowaypoint.com
babadivad172d ago

The most useless studio in gaming.

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franwex172d ago

Halowaypoint does not even load for me. Not surprised…

1Victor172d ago

Well it’s not rare for e sports titles to be taken down regardless of franchise 🤷🏿

mkis007172d ago

Halo is due for a re-imagining, or at least a hiatus.

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