• Earlier this month Microsoft announced mass layoffs, which impacted those at one of its game studios, 343 Industries.
• It has since thrown the development of future Halo projects into jeopardy.
• Xbox head, Phil Spencer, has since confirmed that Microsoft is committed to both the studio and game franchise.

In recent weeks tens of thousands of people have been rocked by mass layoffs throughout the tech industry. One company that announced layoffs was Microsoft, with an estimated 11 000 employees impacted, and those in the gaming division also impacted. This as 343 Industries, the developer behind the Halo franchise, also suffered casualties in the form of lost jobs.

Since that news broke, rumours have suggested that future Halo projects, along with the fate of 343 Industries itself, also being up in the air.

Looking to allay such fears was Xbox chief, Phil Spencer, who was recently interviewed by IGN following last week’s Developer Direct showcase, which you can watch a recap of at the end of this story.

Speaking to the publication, Spencer noted how important the studio was to the Halo franchise, and therefore any plans Microsoft has for future projects. “The heart and soul of Halo is with 343 and the team’s that there, and I have the utmost confidence in the team that’s there and leading and the plan that they have going forward,” he explained.

“What we’re doing now is we want to make sure that leadership team is set up with the flexibility to build the plan that they need to go build. And Halo will remain critically important to what Xbox is doing, and 343 is critically important to the success of Halo,” he added.

While Spencer would not be pressed on the current fate of Halo Infinite, as well as planned content moving forward, he was quite happy to state that those decisions still lie with 343.

“I’m going to let 343 talk about the plans that they have right now, that people know they have the next season that’s coming up, and they’re excited about that. They’ve got some other things, some rumored, some announced, that they’ll be working on. They’re excited about the plan forward,” he told IGN.

After a successful Developer Direct, as well as the recent interest in Hi-Fi Rush, it looks like Xbox has many irons in the fire that need attention. While the mass layoffs are less than ideal, it still seems like its games, as well as the studios that create them, remain a key focus for the company.