{"id":2157491,"date":"2026-09-22T14:18:59","date_gmt":"2026-09-22T11:18:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2157491"},"modified":"2026-09-22T14:18:59","modified_gmt":"2026-09-22T11:18:59","slug":"confirmed-microsoft-hands-halo-to-call-of-duty-developer-activision-as-part-of-seismic-xbox-studios-shakeup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2157491","title":{"rendered":"CONFIRMED: Microsoft Hands Halo to Call of Duty Developer Activision as Part of Seismic Xbox Studios Shakeup"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Microsoft has today confirmed that the next mainline Halo game will be developed by Call of Duty maker Activision, with mass layoffs hitting Halo Studios amid a significant restructure of its Xbox studios setup.<\/p>\n

Xbox announced 268 layoffs today “across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and the XGS management and central functions layer” as part of the ongoing cuts first announced in July<\/a>. The layoffs, the majority of which are at Halo Studios, come as part of new Xbox boss Asha Sharma\u2019s \u201creset\u201d of Microsoft’s gaming business that had already seen 1,600 staff lose their jobs in the summer. At the time, Microsoft said another 1,600 staff on top would also go this financial year.<\/p>\n

“The actions completed since July, inclusive of the studio divestitures, bring us roughly three-quarters of the way through previously announced restructuring,” Xbox Chief Content Officer Matt Booty said in a blog post<\/a>. “I am deeply grateful for what our colleagues have built, and I know how difficult today will be for those leaving and the teams around them.”<\/p>\n

With Halo Studios gutted, Microsoft has handed Halo to Activision. Activision will develop “the next Halo title,” Booty said, “led by a new, purpose-built team that is separate from ongoing development and plans for Call of Duty. A small team at Halo Studios will continue supporting the Halo community and games in-market.”<\/p>\n

Booty did not say when the next Halo game will come out, or if Activision plans to reboot the series or rotate it into its schedule of releases for Call of Duty, which hasn\u2019t missed an annual release for 20 years. <\/p>\n

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The 100 Best Xbox Games of All Time<\/h3>\n