343 Industries has gone through some major changes this year. A round of layoffs at Microsoft in early 2023 saw the majority of the campaign team let go and other major studio leads have also departed the studio in recent months. Now, Frank O'Connor, the franchise director for Halo, is also leaving. 

In an update to O'Connor's LinkedIn page, as spotted by Windows Central, we can see that his time as Franchise Director of Halo came to an end at the start of April. This is the latest in a series of high-profile exits, with leads like Kiki Wolfkill, Bonnie Ross, Tom French and Joseph Staten all leaving 343 Industries following Halo Infinite.

While Halo Infinite was supposed to set up ‘the next 10 years of Halo', the game ultimately fell flat at release. While the multiplayer and campaign direction had promise, 343 was not prepared for the pace and speed at which new content has to be developed to keep up a live service model. Despite rumours that campaign expansions would arrive down the line, no work on story DLC is said to have taken place.

While Halo Infinite did let us down in some key areas, the game's Forge mode has led to some incredible community creations. Unfortunately, Forge arrived a year after launch, which was too late for a lot of people.

Microsoft has not formally announced a new franchise director for Halo. Chances are, the studio will stay small for a while until it is ready to really ramp up on its next game.

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KitGuru Says: A lot has changed at 343 Industries over the past six months. Do you think new leadership could help turn Halo around? 

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