“Halo and Master Chief are here to stay,” said the 343 Industries studio head

343 Industries issued a brief statement to address concerns about Microsoft’s flagship franchise, Halo.

In a brief note, studio head Pierre Hintze said that Halo and Master Chief “will stay here” and that the 343i team will “continue to develop Halo now and in the future.”

“Halo and Master Chief are here to stay,” Hintz said.

“343 Industries will continue to develop Halo now and into the future, including epic stories, multiplayer and more of what makes Halo great.”

The statement comes after a series of high-profile departures — including Tom French, Halo Infinite multiplayer creative director, and Joeseph Staten, Halo developer at Bungie and 343 Industries — and Microsoft’s massive round of layoffs that affected multiple Xbox studios, including Halo Infinite -Campaign of 343 crew.

Other recent departures include David Berger, who served as lead developer on Infinite’s ambitious Slipspace engine technology, and 343 CEO Bonnie Ross, who announced her own departure from the company after 15 years.

As you might expect, the statement has reassured some, but only worried others more, with the 1900+ comments accompanying the statements Reddit post Split: Half support while the other half seem frustrated that the franchise isn’t moving to another studio.

The next major Halo Infinite update is Season 3: Echoes Within, which is expected to go live in March 2023.