Activision is building the next Halo.
Xbox confirmed that on September 22. Halo Studios is not.
Matt Booty, Xbox chief content officer, put it in the “Continuing Our Reset” memo.
Activision develops the next Halo title with a new, purpose-built team kept separate from Call of Duty.
A small crew at Halo Studios stays on the community and games already out — Halo Infinite and Halo: Campaign Evolved, which shipped in July.
The same note cut 268 roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and Xbox Game Studios management.
Rare and World’s Edge (Age of Empires) moved under Activision in the same pass.
Activision president Rob Kostich’s line, given to Kotaku and Game File: “For Halo, our goal is clear: make the greatest Halo game ever, worthy of its universe and legacy, while staying true to what made players love it in the first place.”
He said they have already started assembling that team.
The Hollywood Reporter described the project as a full-feature, mainline installment.
No subtitle, no engine confirmation, no date.
This ends the plan Halo Studios laid out when 343 Industries was renamed in October 2024 and pointed at multiple Unreal Engine 5 Halo games.
The studio had a leadership overhaul and earlier layoffs before this cut.
What is left is support, not a new campaign.
One earlier report is still only a report. Last month, Sledgehammer Games was said to have pitched Microsoft a Halo multiplayer game, and Xbox was said to be exploring Activision help on Halo.
The September 22 note does not name Sledgehammer, Infinity Ward, or Treyarch.
It says a purpose-built team, separate from Call of Duty.
