As a result of Microsoft's recent round of layoffs, Halo developer 343 Industries has been hit with a number of job losses in what sounds like a fairly major restructuring of the company moving forward. The team has since put out a statement to say it will continue developing Halo in the future, but a new report suggests the overall situation is still developing.
IGN reports that "significant cuts" have been made to the Halo development team, and that the whole restructure is still being figured out over at 343 Industries. The outlet then claims to have heard from one source that "about a quarter" of the team lost their jobs, although the report is keen to point out that the figure is an estimate from the source and not a firm number.
"IGN has learned that significant cuts have been made to 343's Halo development team. One former 343 employee impacted by the layoffs estimated about a quarter of 343's staff was impacted, although that's not a firm statistic.
We've also learned that around 30 people were let go from 343's art department alone, with former employees saying 343 Industries was hit 'hard with positions impacted across all disciplines."
The report goes on to share that a "senior-level source" with ties to 343 believes that the current Halo developer could become a "publishing team" instead of the series' core developer. However, the outlet understands the situation to be "ongoing" and the future undecided at present.
Right now, the info from this report is unconfirmed, and it's worth paying attention to what 343 is saying in an official capacity more than anything else. Major changes could well be afoot for Halo, but right now, the series and its developer "are here to stay".