Halo Infinite’s head of creative Joseph Staten is reportedly leaving the studio

343 Industries is reportedly losing another member of its senior leadership team.

According to Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier, Halo veteran Joseph Staten is leaving the developer to rejoin Xbox Game Studios Publishing.

Staten previously left the publishing division, which partners with indie studios to create Xbox franchises, in 2020 to help 343 ship the troubled Halo Infinite.

Having previously worked on the very first Halo titles, mostly focusing on story and characters, Staten was made project lead of the game‘s campaign mode.

News of Staten’s upcoming departure coincides with Microsoft’s announcement of mass layoffs which have hit its video game business across both Xbox and Bethesda.

On Wednesday, the US technology giant confirmed plans to lay off approximately 4.5% of its 220,000-person workforce (around 10,000 people).

A report from Lords of Gaming claimed that 343 had suffered a “significant” number of layoffs which are heaviest towards “individuals working on the single-player side of the studio”. Schreier corroborated this claim, stating that several employees had indicated 343 had been “hit hard”.

Staten’s exit follows other recent senior departures from 343 including its multiplayer creative director, its director of engineering, and Bonnie Ross, who was the studio head for 15 years.

Halo Infinite has had a troubled production, suffering various delays and changes of leadership in the years leading up to its December 2021 release and since.

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Following the arrival of the game’s major Winter Update last November, 343 thanked Halo Infinite fans for their patience during a year in which the studio struggled to deliver several highly anticipated features for the game.

“We know it certainly hasn’t been the smoothest or quickest ride, but with the Winter Update we have an opportunity to show our thanks for the community’s dedication and feedback which serves as the north star guiding us to evolve the player experience of Halo Infinite,” wrote community writer Alex Wakeford.

“Your support is greatly appreciated, and we can’t wait to turn this corner with you all in 2023 as we look to shorter seasons, a more regular stream of content, and bigger things to come.”