Halo Studios, the developer behind the Halo franchise, has been hit by layoffs roughly one week after the release of its latest game, Halo: Campaign Evolved, according to developers posting on their personal LinkedIn accounts. Eurogamer reported the news on 6 August 2026, attributing the details to the developers' own social media posts rather than a company statement.

Producer Nick Treitman wrote on LinkedIn that after six and a half years working on Halo — and surviving several prior rounds of layoffs — he had been let go. "Scrum master" Paul Morris, a role focused on keeping development teams organised and on schedule, said his time at the studio would end following the launch of Campaign Evolved. The full extent of the job cuts was unclear at the time of reporting, and Xbox did not immediately respond to Eurogamer's request for comment.

Windows Central published its own reporting a day earlier, on 5 August 2026, saying that a number of developers formerly employed at the studio had confirmed the layoffs in LinkedIn posts. That report also indicated the layoffs came amid reports revealing troubled development of Campaign Evolved. Windows Central

The layoffs follow a much larger wave of cuts across Xbox. In the previous month, Xbox announced 3,200 job cuts across itself and the studios it owns, with 1,600 roles eliminated immediately and the remaining 1,600 to be cut during the financial year. Xbox president Phil Spencer later commented that over 9,000 employees were laid off from the company during the summer, describing the reductions as difficult but part of managing the business. Eurogamer

For Halo Studios, the cuts arrive at a complicated moment. Halo: Campaign Evolved — the first major release since the studio's 2024 rebrand from 343 Industries — was reviewed largely positively by critics. Sales data from Alinea Analytics, an industry tracking firm, estimated the game sold through roughly 212,000 copies on Steam (PC), around 900,000 on Xbox across console and PC, and approximately 351,000 on PlayStation, where it had a notably slow start. The game is also available on Game Pass, Xbox's subscription service that gives members access to a library of titles for a monthly fee. Eurogamer

The studio's recent history adds context to the timing. Halo's previous mainline entry, Halo Infinite, did not meet expectations and contributed to the circumstances around the studio's rebrand. Halo Studios ended active development on Halo Infinite after four years, following mass layoffs at Microsoft in 2025. Eurogamer

What stands out is the rhythm of it: a studio ships a well-reviewed game, and within days the people who made it are posting goodbye messages. The games industry has weathered wave after wave of layoffs since 2023, but the proximity here — launch one week, layoffs the next — gives it a particular edge. Halo Studios has not publicly detailed which teams or projects are affected, and no official headcount has been confirmed.