Halo Studios Hit by Layoffs Days After Campaign Evolved Launch
▼ Summary
– Halo Studios laid off multiple employees, including producer Nick Treitman and Scrum Master Paul Morris, shortly after the launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved.
– Halo: Campaign Evolved’s development was troubled, consuming more resources than planned and leading to the cancellation of other projects like a Halo multiplayer game.
– The game used a modified Blam engine with Unreal Engine 5 visuals, which complicated development and caused third-party studio Abstraction to be removed from the project.
– Abstraction’s work was scrapped, forcing Halo Studios to rebuild assets in the Blam engine, mirroring the troubled development of Halo: Infinite.
– The layoffs align with Microsoft’s confirmed plan to cut 3,200 jobs, with 1,600 already made in July.
Just days after the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved, Microsoft has already begun trimming staff at Halo Studios, with several developers confirming their departures on LinkedIn. The news, first reported by Insider Gaming, signals a swift post-launch restructuring for the team behind the iconic franchise.
Among those affected is Nick Treitman, a producer at Halo Studios, who shared his experience on the platform. Treitman wrote, “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.” His sentiment echoes a broader unease across the sector.
Paul Morris, who served as a Scrum Master, also confirmed his position was eliminated. “Today, I learned my time at Halo Studios will be coming to an end following the successful launch of our latest game, Halo: Campaign Evolved. I know this is one of the most challenging job markets our industry has seen, and I know the road ahead won’t be easy,” he stated. Additional employees have updated their profiles to indicate they are open to new opportunities.
The timing of these cuts is notable, as fresh reports suggest that Halo: Campaign Evolved faced a rocky production period. The project reportedly consumed far more resources than anticipated, which ultimately led to the cancellation of other initiatives, including a planned multiplayer Halo title. While Halo Studios had publicly committed to adopting Unreal Engine 5 for future projects to accelerate development, the team opted for a different path with this remake. They built it on a modified version of the Halo: Reach engine, known as Blam, while layering Unreal Engine 5 visuals on top.
That hybrid approach proved problematic. Third-party developer Abstraction, brought in to assist, struggled to hit the deadlines set by Halo Studios and was eventually removed from the project. This forced the internal team to discard much of Abstraction’s output and rebuild assets from scratch within the Blam engine, adding further strain to an already complex workflow.
Observers may find a familiar pattern here. The development saga of Halo: Infinite followed a similar trajectory, with contractors facing intense pressure and the Slipspace Engine, essentially a rebranded Blam, causing its own set of headaches. Now, with layoffs hitting Halo Studios, it appears Microsoft is proceeding with its previously announced reduction of 3,200 positions, roughly half of which were completed in July. For those tracking the industry’s recent volatility, this latest round of cuts reinforces a sobering trend that continues to reshape the workforce.
(Source: Windows Central)
