Report: Massive Layoffs Hit 343 Industries

According to sources who spoke to Lords of Gaming on the condition of anonymity, significant layoffs were announced today at 343 Industries. The studio was handed the reins of the Halo franchise back in 2007.  Since then they have released multiple games. These most notably include Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians, and Halo Infinite to varying degrees of acclaim.

According to our source, at least 60 people at 343 Industries have been laid off this morning from the Redmond, Washington-based developer. This is a significant portion of the workforce which at its peak employed over 450 people. The layoffs are said to be across the company. However, they are heaviest towards individuals working on the single-player side of the studio.

343 Industries has had some difficulties in returning the Halo franchise to the heights it enjoyed under Bungie’s control. Halo Infinite launched to widespread acclaim but struggled to keep pace as a live service game. The studio had difficulty managing the kinds of perpetual content drops popularized by rivals in the space like Fortnite and Destiny.

Last September saw the departure of founder Bonnie Ross and Director of Engineering David Berger from the studio. Today’s layoffs continue to show that the studio is in a transition story period. These layoffs are part of a larger round of layoffs at Microsoft which will include a workforce reduction of as many as 10,000 employees. This according to a memo from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.  What other studios are experiencing layoffs is unknown at this time.  More on this story as we uncover it.