Halo franchise executive leaves 343 Industries in latest shakeup

By James On Apr 17, 2023

Just weeks after the departure of Halo creative leader Joseph Staten from Microsoft comes confirmation that another Halo veteran, Halo franchise creative director Frank O’Connor, has left his subsidiary, 343 Industries.

A company spokesperson confirmed in a statement to Polygon on Monday that O’Connor was no longer at Microsoft, saying, “We thank Frank for his numerous contributions to the Halo franchise and wish him well in the future.” The reason for O’Connor’s departure has not been disclosed, but according to his LinkedIn profile, he holds the title “franchise creative director” at a separate unnamed company.

The departure of O’Connor and Staten from Microsoft and the Halo franchise is the latest in a long list of leadership changes for the brand. Longtime head of Halo developer 343 Industries, Bonnie Ross announced her departure from the studio in September 2022, with 343 production head Pierre Hintze acting as studio head.

These departures join similar senior-level shakeups, including Halo’s former multi-player creative director Tom Frenchwho left 343 Industries in December; Halo infinity head of design Jerry Hook, who left 343 Industries last May; And Halo infinity artistic director Nicolas Bouvier, who left 343 last July after 14 years with the company. Another longtime face of the franchise, Kiki Wolfkill, moved from 343 studio head for Halo transmedia and entertainment to head of IP expansion and entertainment at Microsoft. Wolfkill, O’Connor, and Ross all served as executive producers at Paramount’s Halo TV serials.

343 Industries was further hit by layoffs in January when Microsoft announced it was cutting 10,000 employees from its global workforce. The Halo studio was reportedly “hit hard”, losing more than 90 employees and moving to new technology – from the in-house Slipspace Engine to Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 for new projects – and “everything but starting from scratch” after a series of other changes.

With more and more studio changes and old blood leaving, many fans of the franchise are sure to be wondering what’s next for Halo. For now, 343 studio head Pierre Hintze says, “Halo and Master Chief are here to stay.”