Halo Studios' next game was years out before Microsoft handed franchise to Activision
According to a report by IGN, the next mainline Halo game from Halo Studios was still multiple years away from launch before Microsoft pulled the plug this week. The company has gutted the studio, leaving a small team to manage existing titles like Halo Infinite and Halo: Campaign Evolved.
Instead, Microsoft has placed the future of the Halo franchise in the hands of Activision, the publisher behind Call of Duty. Per IGN, Activision is forming a brand-new, dedicated team to build the next major Halo game, separate from its Call of Duty operations.
As part of the same corporate reshuffle, the developers behind Sea of Thieves and Age of Empires have also been moved under Activision's oversight. The Verge reported that the Halo Studios project was canceled precisely because it was so far from being finished.
PC Gamer cites sources claiming Halo Studios is now down to roughly 30 people. The outlet's report paints a picture of a studio with ambitious plans but nothing concrete in production, describing its pace as slow and scattered.
Activision President Rob Kostich stated the goal is to make "the greatest Halo game ever." New Xbox CEO Asha Sharma is said to be pushing for more frequent releases from the company's biggest franchises, a strategy Activision has perfected with its annual Call of Duty cycle.
