Oh How The Once Mighty Have Fallen...
The once mighty Halo series, a flagship of gaming history and the golden goose of Microsoft's Xbox, has found itself in a strange position in recent years—struggling to recapture the magic that made it a phenomenon. And now, the latest move from the developers— (originally) 343 Industries —suggests desperation rather than genuine progress...
They released a video announcing they are rebranding to "Halo Studios," supposedly heralding a fresh start for the beloved franchise. One employee summed up their rationale by saying, "We knew we had to make a change in order to take us into the future." But what does this change really mean? Not much, apparently. They kept the exact same employees and simply slapped a new label on the studio, as if a name change alone could save the Halo we once knew.
But wait, they’re also using Unreal Engine now! The announcement was made with a flourish, as if this single decision would magically solve everything that has gone wrong over the years. It came across as 'Look, guys, we’re using Unreal Engine now!'—the sarcasm practically wrote itself.
They can put a new coat of paint on something rotten, but it still smells like the same old crap. The truth is, the people make the game, not a new engine or a rebranded studio name. The root of the problem is more systemic, and it’s disheartening to see the real issues go unaddressed, not that we're really surprised...
Let's face it, Halo's reputation has taken a nosedive, and the perception online is overwhelmingly negative. It doesn’t hold a candle to the behemoth it once was. The decline isn't just about the decline in quality of the games—it’s about the direction and the people at the helm. Sure, there are talented developers there, but over the years, it’s become obvious that 343 (now "Halo Studios") has been plagued by an internal culture that doesn’t align with what made the original Halo games great.
This has included developers openly expressing disdain for the core aspects of Halo. As I covered in a previous video, one developer even admitted they "felt wrong" making weapons for the game, as if working on the franchise's iconic arsenal was some kind of moral issue.
If the team creating Halo is uncomfortable with its core mechanics, it’s no wonder the game itself has felt like a pale shadow of its former self. Then there’s Melissa Boone, the chief of staff—rainbows, purple hair and all!
Typically, a chief of staff is someone who ensures that the team functions smoothly, a role vital in any large organization. But when you look at Boone's background, it becomes even harder to understand how it relates to Halo.
She holds a PhD in social psychology, focusing on AIDS and HIV, and I struggle to see what this has to do with a sci-fi shooter franchise. It's not that someone with these qualifications can’t work in gaming, but when it comes to leading a team tasked with delivering on a series about heroism, alien worlds, and intense battles, the connection seems more than a stretch...
Add to that her insistence on using terms like "Latinx," a label widely rejected by the community it claims to represent, and it’s clear that this is someone whose priorities just don't align with making a great Halo game...
Many people are rightfully worried about the chief of staff at Halo Studios, Melissa Boone, and her obvious ideologically driven activism. However, she's not alone in this push- The laundry list of questionable employees goes on and on and on.
Huge shoutout to Tebow at Minimal Effort Podcast/Gaming for the additional research - give him a sub - He's closing in on 10k and a great channel for news.
Executive producer Casey Wu and COO Elizabeth Van Wyck are also bringing their own activist agendas to the table, which raises serious questions about the direction of the studio...
Casey Wu, for instance, was on a panel back in 2019 called "Open Worlds: Women and Diversity in Gaming" where they were pushing the dubious claim that "45% of gamers are women." This type of narrative is an obvious attempt to reshape the industry based on misleading statistics rather than catering to the ACTUAL player base that built franchises like Halo.
Such ideologically driven priorities, which seem to be more about making headlines than making great games, are part of what has led to the decline in the quality of the series...
Then we have Elizabeth Van Wyck, the COO, shares a similar pattern of activism. Elizabeth has been a Microsoft employee for many years and she's been involved in various activist circles, including sitting on a panel for AnyKey, a group that prioritizes activism and social justice in gaming.
While I always stand by that representation and inclusion are important, it has to be natural and not forced. The fact that these individuals are all heavily involved in advocacy outside of their core responsibilities raises questions about whether their focus is truly on revitalizing Halo or.. More likely, if it's about pushing an agenda that ultimately does not resonate with most players.
The decline of the Halo series can be traced back to decisions influenced by people who seem disconnected from the essence of what made the franchise great in the first place—those who care more about making a statement than about making a quality game that honors its legacy.
Hiring the right people is crucial, and that starts and ends with leadership. Unfortunately, the gates have been opened at "Halo Studios" for individuals who appear to be more interested in pushing an agenda than in keeping the Halo spirit alive. This isn’t the Halo we grew up with—crafted by passionate developers who loved the game they were making. This new version is all but dead, replaced with a soulless iteration that struggles to understand what made Halo so special in the first place.
The original team at 343 Industries that created the Halo Master Chief Collection:
...Compared to what it looks like these days over there. I can't help but see bloat:
The name change, the Unreal Engine adoption— all of it just feels like generic window dressing. Without addressing any of the REAL issues from within the studio—the people and the culture—it’s unlikely that anything will actually change moving forward.
Halo deserves better than this, but as long as those in charge keep focusing on the wrong things to distract from the actual issues, the franchise will continue to fall short of what it could have been.... and you know it's Joever when Kotaku activists start running damage control on it...
While we'll always have the memories of yesteryear... The future of Halo has fallen.
~Smash
