As part of Xbox’s new round of job cuts, the cinematics director for Halo: Campaign Evolved, Josh Daniels, has revealed that he was promoted earlier this week, shortly before he was laid off. Taking to LinkedIn, he also revealed that, while he is taking the day off, he is also looking for a new job in the industry for a similar role.
“Promoted and laid off in the same week is pretty wild. I’m one of the many hit by the Halo Studios layoffs. I’ll be taking some offline time today but very much would love to talk to anyone looking for Cinematic Direction or Production roles. Feel free to get in touch if anything looks like I might be a fit.”
Xbox EVP and chief content officer Matt Booty had announced this latest round of layoffs through a post on Xbox Wire titled “Continuing Our Reset”. In it, he also confirmed that the Halo franchise is being taken over by a new “purpose-built team” at Activision that is separate from any of the development teams for the Call of Duty series.
Halo Studios itself, along with other teams under the Xbox Game Studios banner, is going through layoffs that involve job cuts for 268 of its workers, and Booty has confirmed that this has brought the company “roughly three-quarters of the way” through its plan to eliminate around 1,600 more roles over the course of the fiscal year.
“Today, our focus should be on supporting those affected and treating one another with care and respect. I will spend time with our studios over the next week. At our October 6 town hall, we will come together as an all-Xbox team to reflect on our progress and look ahead to one of the strongest game lineups in our history.”
The restructuring at Xbox has involved the consolidation of many of its teams. Aside from taking on the Halo franchise, Activision will also take over leadership for Sea of Thieves developer Rare and Age of Empires developer World’s Edge. The studio behind Forza Motorsport – Turn 10 Studios – is also coming under the purview of Forza Horizon and Fable developer Playground Games, and King of Candy Crush fame is taking over the Microsoft Casual Games team.
In a recent interview, Activision president Rob Kostich spoke about the company’s plans with Halo, noting that it will “make the greatest Halo game ever” as part of its commitment to do right by the franchise.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Halo, Rare, and World’s Edge to Activision. It’s an honor and a responsibility that we do not take lightly. These teams and their games have inspired fans around the world for decades.
“For Halo, our goal is clear: make the greatest Halo game ever, worthy of its universe and legacy, while staying true to what made players love it in the first place. It is a bold ambition, one that this franchise deserves. We have already begun assembling a purpose-built team, unique in capability and talent, ready and excited to deliver this next chapter with the community.”
The most recent entry in the Halo franchise is Halo: Campaign Evolved, which is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. Read our review for more details.
