After massive layoffs across Microsoft, Xbox chief Phil Spencer confirms 343 Industries is important to the Halo franchise.

In the wake of mass layoffs at Microsoft, which saw the company cut 10,000 jobs across multiple divisions, Xbox chief Phil Spencer said in a recent interview that 343 Industries remains “critically important” to both the Xbox and Halo franchises. for. In the days following the layoffs at Microsoft, there were rumors that 343 Industries had withdrawn from active development of Halo titles, leading some gamers to worry about the long-term future of the franchise.

Formed by Microsoft in 2007 to lead the Halo franchise after original developer Bungie spun off the company, 343 Industries’ creations in the popular shooter series have often sparked controversy among fans of the franchise. While their work on Halo 4 and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary was well received by many players, the ongoing technical issues that plagued both Halo: The Master Chief Collection and 2021’s Halo Infinite have led some players to to question whether 343 is the right studio to helm such an iconic franchise. Following rumors that the studio would no longer lead the IP, it recently clarified on Twitter that 343 is still developing Halo games and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

In his extensive interview with IGN< /a>, in which he discussed the changes at Microsoft and Xbox and the company’s plans for how to move forward after the recent layoffs, Xbox chief Phil Spencer confirmed that 343 Industries will play an important role in In the Halo franchise. Spencer made it clear that “Halo remains critical to what Xbox does, and 343 is critical to Halo’s success.” When asked about the rumored bringing of supporting studios to the development company to help with future Halo titles, Spencer stated that while supporting studios may be involved, “the heart and soul of Halo is at 343.”

Despite Xbox chief Spencer’s praise for the studio that has overseen the Halo franchise for more than 15 years, some former 343 Industries employees have not painted a rosy picture of the working relationship between the two companies in recent days. In a series of Twitter posts following the layoffs at 343, several former Halo Infinite developers criticized Microsoft for both the layoffs and alleged ineffective leadership during the shooter’s beleaguered development. Although these developers are no longer working at 343, their statements suggest that there may have been more friction between the developer and Microsoft than players previously thought.

Whatever the future holds for Halo, it seems clear that Phil Spencer wants 343 Industries to be a part of it. And while players wait to see what’s next for the legendary franchise, they can at least pass the time by attending Halo Infinite’s Joint Fire Event in the coming days.

Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

Source: IGN