Microsoft’s post-layoffs Halo studio is smaller and switching to Unreal Engine

Hello Developer 343 Industries has lost at least 95 people to Microsoft’s recent layoffs. The studio appears to be switching from its own Slipspace engine to Epic Games’ widely used Unreal Engine for future games. bloomberg report.

the future of Hello It’s been somewhat up in the air since the layoffs announced on January 18th. Halo Infinite had a strong launch in the second half of 2021, but as time went on, fans grew frustrated with multiplayer progression, frustration with network campaign co-op and planned plans like the Forge (eventually launching in November). Repeated delays in new features and new campaigns were imminent.

343 has publicly confirmed its commitment to the franchise following layoffs. “Halo and Master Chief will stay here,” said studio head Pierre Hinze, who took over the role in September, in a statement from Twitter. Hello account January 21st“343 Industries will continue to develop Halo now and in the future, including the great things about Halo, including the epic story, multiplayer, and more,” said Matt Booty, head of Xbox Game Studios. said like this. bloomberg In an interview, he said, “343 will continue to work as an in-house developer. Hello and as home Hello.”

However, it’s unclear when the next game in the series will come out, so it’s difficult to know exactly how 343 will be involved in the upcoming franchise. In collaboration with a certain affinity, it was codenamed Battle Royale Game. Tatankabut that game “could evolve in another direction” bloomberg report.

Tatanka It seems that it will also be developed in Unreal Engine, but in the future Hello The game also says, “Explore using Unreal. bloomberg Say. If true, this change also marks another major game developer’s move to his Unreal. witcher When cyber punk Developer CD Projekt Red announced a “multi-year strategic partnership” to use Unreal with Epic Games in March, and in November Epic announced that more than half of all announced next-gen games will be I mentioned it was made in Unreal Engine.

343 doesn’t seem to be creating new story content either. Hello infinitewhich is amazing for games charged once Titled “The Beginning of the Next Halo Decade”, well, infiniteInstead, the developer “was prototyping in Unreal Engine and proposing new ideas. Hello game,” bloomberg Say.Personally disappointing to read it as I was really enjoying it Unlimited We ran a campaign and expected a lot more.

We’ve reached out to Microsoft for comment. Bloomberg’s report. Epic declined to comment.