Halo Studios hit by Microsoft layoffs following Campaign Evolved launch

It looks like Microsoft has hit some of its developers with another round of lay-offs, this time, at Halo Studios, following the recent launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved.

It’s fair to say that since Bungie left the Halo franchise, ending with 2010’s Halo: Reach, the series has failed to live up to its previous heights. 343 Industries took over the franchise, with its first release, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, in 2011, and its first full game was Halo 4 in 2012.

Presumably, despite its best efforts, 343 Industries failed almost every time to replicate that Bungie vibe, and even a desperate attempt to paint over the cracks by rebranding as Halo Studios didn't help its cause either. Shockingly.

LinkedIn suggests Halo Studios lay-offs

As spotted by Insider Gaming, a number of LinkedIn posts allude to layoffs at the Microsoft-owned studio. Perhaps none more prominent than the producer of Halo: Campaign Evolved, Nick Treitman.

“After 6.5 years working on Halo and dodging just as many rounds of layoffs, it has finally caught up to me. I have nothing but love for Halo and the folks at the studio; this is just a tough reality in the gaming industry right now,” reads the post from Treitman.

“I am open to new roles as a Producer/Project Manager working remotely or hybrid in the Seattle area.

“During my time, I have had the honour of supporting multiple amazing teams, ranging from Art, Networking, Localisation, Narrative, and being the Product Owner of Halo Infinite's social multiplayer pillar.”

Other developers seemingly impacted by the Halo Studio’s layoffs include: Paul Morris (scrum master) and Caleb Lawerence (software engineer).

READ MORE: 5 Xbox Studios set for potential closure amid ‘massive’ industry-changing layoffs (this news was later confirmed)

Halo: Campaign Evolved launched to a mixed reception

No doubt, the rebranded Halo Studios would have hoped that the remake of the 2001 original, Halo: Campaign Evolved, would have got the series back on track, appealing to both new and returning fans alike. And to the studio's credit, the remake is very faithful, improves gameplay, visuals and some story beats, and is a fun way to experience the game in a new way.

However, Halo: Campaign Evolved’s mixed reception could have ultimately contributed towards Halo Studios' downfall. At the time of writing, the aggregate website Metacritic scores the remake 81 from critics and 5.7 from users.

Halo: Campaign Evolved, Xbox Game Studios

We scored the remake a 9/10, saying, “The main game was exceptional, and the Remix mode adds so much replay value for both single-player and multiplayer playthroughs. It was only the prequel missions that I found to be a tad disappointing, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say they were bad or unenjoyable. I just wish they were a little bit more.”

Then we have the PlayStation 5 sales to consider, which Halo arriving on a Sony console should have been a huge shift in the industry. A report from Windows Central states that only 1% of PS5 players tried the remake.

What’s more, the SteamDB numbers are also worth considering. Right now, Halo: Campaign Evolved has a low all-time concurrent player peak of just 25,376 at launch. For an indie game, that would be good numbers, but not so much for a property like Halo. Those numbers have also dropped massively since.

Sure, Halo: Campaign Evolved is free on some tiers of Xbox Game Pass, which would contribute to the Steam numbers, but when you consider that The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered, a game that also launched on Xbox Game Pass, achieved an all-time peak of 216,784 during launch, it potentially adds to Halo Studios’ woes.

What else went wrong at Halo Studios?

There could be a number of contributing factors, perhaps beginning with Halo 4, when the developers rewrote the series lore by controversially making the Forerunners a separate species from humans. Halo 4 also had its most forgettable villain with Ur-Didact.

In Halo 4, the seeds were being planted for turning the series hero, Master Chief, into a villain, and in Halo 5: Guardians, this went into full swing. To say that was a very unpopular decision is an understatement, and that’s not even taking into account the whole evil Cortana angle. Some of that damage was attempted to be repaired in Halo Infinite, but it was too little too late for many fans.

Halo: Campaign Evolved could have been the turning point for Halo Studios, because the main campaign itself is a blast. However, it’s the new prequel missions that introduce the insufferable Lt. Williams, is something that many fans would rather forget.

It remains to be seen what will happen to the Halo series going forward, and if it has one last swing, with or without Halo Studios, the series needs a huge win, and that’s putting it mildly.