After Microsoft’s plans to cut thousands of jobs were announced, the former multiplayer designer for Halo took to Twitter to slam the tech giant.
in Share on Twitter (Opens in a new tab)Patrick Wren claimed that Microsoft’s “incompetent leadership” caused stress on developers during the making of Halo Infinite and also led to recent layoffs.
“The layoffs in 343 shouldn’t be happening, and Halo Infinite should be in better shape,” Ren wrote. “The reason for both of those things is the incompetence of leadership during the development of Halo Infinite which put enormous pressure on those who work so hard to make Halo the best it can be.”
“The people I worked with every day were passionate about Halo and wanted to make something great for the fans,” Wren continued. “They helped push for better Halo and were laid off for it.”
Microsoft recently announced plans to cut more than 10,000 jobs due to fears of a global economic slowdown. 343 Industries isn’t the only game studio affected by the cutbacks, as Starfield’s Bethesda Game Studios also reported significant layoffs.
More is coming
Even though Halo Infinite launched in November 2021, developer 343 Industries still put time and effort into patching the Master Chief’s latest adventure post-launch. Halo Infinite’s final update of 2022, released in December, was one of the biggest in recent memory and added a new multiplayer Arena map called Empyrean based on the Halo 3 map, The Pit. The close quarters square features two hut-style bases for flags on each side, with opposing turrets for snipers and a center hall in the middle. However, 343 changed some elements of the original map to fit the style of Halo Infinite. Scrap cannons have replaced machine gun turrets on each base, and weapon forks have been updated to use Halo Infinite’s weapon racks.
Along with several new armor core unlocks and new cadet skins, 343 Industries has also implemented network improvements. These updates mean that the damage players deal with and receive is now more consistent and manageable, where in previous versions it was possible for some Spartans to avoid damage by sliding.
While the future of the beloved series remains uncertain following Microsoft’s layoffs, Bloomberg reports that 343 Industries studio head Pierre Hintz reassured colleagues in an email that Halo Infinite’s multiplayer support will continue. What that support will look like, however, remains to be seen.