Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty has commented on the many changes to senior leadership on the Halo Infinite development team, saying turnover is natural in an area like game development. He also suggested that some of the developers who left the team might have had a vision for Halo Infinite that went against what others wanted.
Speaking to The New York Times, Booty discussed the departures of Creative Director Tim Longo and Executive Producer Mary Olson, as well as former FPS Studio Head Chris Lee.
“There will always be a change of leadership — it’s inevitable,” Booty said. He added that sometimes “the momentum of the project goes one way, and this person has a vision that goes the other way.”
Booty’s commentary is intriguing, but it doesn’t include details of a different direction for Halo Infinite that might have been considered during development. GameSpot has followed up with Microsoft to try to get more details.
Microsoft veteran Joseph Staten stepped in to lead the Halo Infinite development team after Lee left. After Lee left, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said he believed revenue in a creative field like game development was actually a good thing. “I don’t have any particular concerns about 343. I actually think in the long run turnover is a healthy thing because we want people who are really motivated by the things they’re working on,” said Spencer.
The Halo Infinite Multiplayer Beta released on November 15th and has been received very positively so far. The campaign is slated for release on December 8 and will be available on Game Pass.
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