Joseph Staten, Creative Head Behind Halo Infinite, Departs from Microsoft

Joseph Staten, the creative mind behind Halo Infinite and the cinematic director of the original Halo trilogy, has departed from Microsoft in an unexpected turn of events. After nine years with the company, Microsoft has yet to reveal the cause or Staten's future plans. A Microsoft spokesperson expressed gratitude for Staten's significant contributions to the Halo franchise and Xbox as a whole, while also conveying best wishes for his future endeavors.

Staten played a vital role in the development of the Halo series, serving as the cinematic director for Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3, as well as the lead writer for Destiny during his time at Bungie. Following his move to Microsoft, Staten initially focused on shaping the franchise strategy for other Microsoft Studios titles before returning to the Halo universe in 2020 as campaign project lead and eventually rising to head of creative, overseeing Halo Infinite. Earlier this year, he returned to Xbox Publishing around the same time Microsoft announced layoffs affecting some members of the 343 Industries team.

Staten tweeted this in regards to his depature stating he does have future plans but is not looking to reveal them quite yet.

As a huge fan of the Halo franchis and Staten himself, I eagerly anticipate seeing where his creative talents take him next and wish him all the best in his future pursuits.

How do you feel about the future of Halo with Joseph Staten leaving? Let me know on Twitter @Suttledge.