343 Industries/Microsoft
Microsoft’s recent mass layoffs seem to have had a significant impact on 343 Industries and its Halo franchise. Bloomberg has learned from sources that 343, which has lost “at least” 95 employees, including directors and some key contractors, has decided to “start from scratch” on Halo development. After a high-level reshuffle and the decline of its own platform Slipspace, the studio is rumored to be turning to Epic’s Unreal Engine, and may even break with its familiar approach to story-driven games.
Sources say 343 will be using Unreal Engine in an unannounced game codenamed “Tatanka,” which is being developed with the help of longtime studio ally Certain Affinity. It is said that “Tatanka” was originally a fighting game, but it may “evolve” into another form in the future. While there were concerns within 343 that Unreal Engine might ruin the feel of Halo, it’s undeniable that Slipspace’s glitches and development difficulties have severely hampered Halo’s development (Infinity’s multiplayer features What a mess).
Many of the employees who were laid off this time had already started using Unreal Engine to make game prototypes before leaving, but they did not create new tasks for “The Last Battle: Infinite”. According to insiders, 343 has been considering changing the game engine for the past 10 years, but it was not until the departure of studio head Bonnie Ross and engine lead David Berger late last year that the company committed to making changes. It is said that Pierre Hintze, who succeeded Ross, will push 343 to “release” the new technology, and will continue to expand the content of “Infinity”.