Uncertainty circles Halo after a major shakeup at Microsoft that has seen hundreds more Xbox employees laid off, including many developers at Halo Studios, and the Halo IP moved to Activision. Former Blizzard president Mike Ybarra, at least, seems thrilled by this, calling the move “the best news in a decade plus” for fans of Xbox’s most recognizable series.
Ybarra shared a post highlighting key details from the latest chapter of the ongoing Xbox reset. That post, from game news hound Shinobi602, first notes that “268 roles are being eliminated across Halo Studios, Xbox Game Studios management and other first party teams,” adding that Halo Studios has been reduced to a “small team” supporting the series’ community as Activision takes the reins of the next Halo game.
Ybarra seems to think this is very good news. “Rob Kostich, Dave Stohl, Pat Kelly and team at Activision are rock star, old school game developers,” he says. “Non-political, no bullshit – just flat out Halo at its best.”
Kostich is president of Activision, (David) Stohl is its executive vice president and head of development, and (Patrick) Kelly is head of creative for Call of Duty.
It’s not at all clear what political boogeyman Ybarra saw in the handling of Halo up to this point, nor does he clarify what political issues have been swerved through this change at Xbox. We may find some context in Ybarra’s response to a misquote credited to Ed Sheeran, a musician currently facing backlash and boycotts for maintaining a fence-sitting stance on the Israel and Palestine conflict after rapper Macklemore was dropped from his upcoming show following a public show of support for the movement to “free Palestine.”
Days ago, Ybarra wrote: “People just want to have fun at concerts and escape from the bullshit we hear every day re: politics. Keep the BS out of concerts, let people escape, and have fun with less worrying. The same can be said about video games. No one wants to hear others viewpoints – they want to escape reality for a little bit of sanity.”
Indeed, who wants to deal with politics in Halo, a series known for such apolitical topics as militarism, weapons of mass destruction, religious extremism, genocide, and child soldiers, just to name a few.
On Halo’s new apparent shepherds, Ybarra adds: “They are not afraid to take risks and deliver a Halo experience that blows people away and sets the stage for the next 10+ years. Props to Xbox for making this decision. LFG!”
Xbox CCO Matt Booty says the Activision-run Halo will be overseen by “a new, purpose-built team that is separate from ongoing development and plans for Call of Duty.”
In a statement to GamesRadar+, Activision says, “Our goal is clear: make the greatest Halo game ever, worthy of its universe and legacy, while staying true to what made players love it in the first place. It is a bold ambition, one that this franchise deserves.”
This Xbox reshuffle, which also saw Fallout: New Vegas studio Obsidian swept under Bethesda’s control, has been criticized as the latest example of companies and executives treating game developers as replaceable, if not irrelevant, resources detached from how games are made. If Microsoft was looking to prove that it can run a studio and get some games made, closing more studios, laying off hundreds, rearranging brands, and saddling independent and once-vibrant teams with new overseers – after purportedly pushing to simplify the company’s mangled management pipeline – sure is one way to do it.