Joseph Staten, creative lead on Halo Infinite and the cinematic director of the first three Halo games, is now leaving Xbox, Microsoft confirmed.
Microsoft did not indicate what Staten would do next, but did state: “We’re grateful for Joseph’s contributions to the Halo franchise and Xbox as a whole. We wish him all the best in his new adventure.”
Staten wrote on Twitter about his leaving Microsoft, writing: “Hey folks, I am indeed leading 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.”
Joseph Staten has been one of the most well-known names in the Halo franchise. He was the cinematic director on Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3. He was also the lead writer on Destiny when he was with Bungie.
Staten would eventually leave Bungie to join Microsoft and served as senior creative director. He initially avoided working on 343’s Halo and focused on shaping franchise strategy for Microsoft Studio titles. He returned to Halo in 2020 as campaign project lead and then the head of creative.
While head of creative, Joseph Staten oversaw Halo Infinite. He then rejoined Xbox Publishing earlier in 2023 at the same time Microsoft announced that it would be laying off 10,000 employees, including 343 employees.
Staten is now the second-biggest name associated with 343 and Halo Infinite to leave after Bonnie Ross stepped down back in 2022.
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