Former Halo director urges Activision to hire laid-off staff as it takes over series
Halo's former franchise creative director wants Activision to hire the developers let go in Xbox's latest round of cuts.
Frank O'Connor made the plea as Activision prepares to take control of the long-running science-fiction shooter series. Activision will run Halo going forward with a new, purpose-built Halo team organised separately from Call of Duty development and plans. Halo Studios will be reduced to a small team to support existing games, Video Games Chronicle reported on 30 September 2026.
O'Connor worked on Halo for nearly 20 years, first as a writer and later as franchise creative director. He knows the series well. His remarks were covered this week by IGN and Video Games Chronicle.
The change follows a difficult month for Xbox. On 22 September 2026, Microsoft cut hundreds more jobs in an Xbox overhaul and shifted development of the next Halo game to Activision, GeekWire reported. That round included 268 roles at Xbox, a figure reported by Game Informer in connection with the announcement that Activision would develop the next Halo.
O'Connor urged the new custodians to recruit staff laid off from Bungie, Halo Studios and elsewhere. He described them as bursting with talent and ideas that had been nerfed or shut down over the years, meaning weakened or stopped before they could grow.
He then set out three options for Halo's future. The first is a classic Halo, built around familiar movement, shooting and sandbox play, the open-ended combat system where players mix weapons, vehicles and tactics. The second is something new that reinvents the game and its universe. The third is to translate Halo's characters and sandbox into Activision's comfort zone.
He also gave three warnings. Do not tie Halo to hardware or services launch cycles. Do not force it into a shape it cannot fit. And do not abandon sandbox.
For players, this means the next Halo will come from a different studio, but with a direct call from its former leadership to keep experienced hands on the project.
