Joseph Staten, head of creative on Halo Infinite and cinematic director on the first three Halo games, is leaving Microsoft, the company has confirmed to IGN.
In its message, Microsoft did not say where Staten was headed next, nor the reason he was leaving Microsoft after nine years.
“We’re grateful for Joseph’s contributions to the Halo franchise and Xbox as a whole,” the statement from a Microsoft spokesperson reads. “We wish him all the best in his new adventure.”
Staten himself took to Twitter to comment on IGN’s report, saying, “Hey folks, I am indeed leaving Microsoft. I’ll have more info to share soon, but for now, I’d just like to thank all my Xbox colleagues for all their understanding and support as I embark on a new adventure.”
Staten has long been one of the best-known names behind the Halo franchise, having been cinematic director on Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3, and having served as lead writer on Destiny while with Bungie.
He eventually left Bungie for Microsoft and served as a senior creative director, initially avoiding working on 343’s Halo to focus on shaping franchise strategy for Microsoft Studios titles. He returned to the franchise in 2020 as campaign project lead and later head of creative, overseeing Halo Infinite. He then rejoined Xbox Publishing earlier this year at the same time that Microsoft announced the layoffs of 10,000 employees, including employees of 343. Staten has also written a number of Halo universe novelizations.
Rebekah Valentine is a news reporter for IGN. You can find her on Twitter @duckvalentine.