Halo Infinite creative head Joseph Staten exits Microsoft

Joseph Staten, known for his creative works in Halo Infinite and the first three Halo games, left Microsoft. Staten confirmed this to IGN and later shared the news on Twitter.

“Hey folks, I am indeed leaving Microsoft,” the tweet reads. “I’ll have more info to share soon, but for now, I’d just like to thank all my Xbox colleagues for all their understanding and support as I embark on a new adventure.”

Meanwhile, Microsoft appreciated Staten’s work without sharing the exact details about his departure. “We’re grateful for Joseph’s contributions to the Halo franchise and Xbox as a whole,” Microsoft told IGN. “We wish him all the best in his new adventure.”

The news came after the 343 Industries studio was hit by Microsoft’s global job cuts to its 10,000 employees. This caused the fans to doubt the future of the Halo franchise the studio is managing. Nonetheless, 343i and Xbox head Phil Spencer himself reassured everyone that the franchise still has a future.

“What we’re doing now is we want to make sure that leadership team is set up with the flexibility to build the plan that they need to go build,” Spencer said that time. “Halo will remain critically important to what Xbox is doing, and 343 is critically important to the success of Halo.”