How many people were laid off at Halo Studios?

The exact number remains unknown. Three names have been publicly confirmed: Nick Treitman (producer), Paul Morris (contract scrum master), and Caleb Lawrence (engineer), but other people have also announced their departure on LinkedIn.

Why is this timing problematic for Halo Studios?

The layoffs come barely a week after the launch of Halo: Campaign Evolved, the first Halo title ever released outside the Xbox ecosystem. It's a bad signal after a game that isn't critically overperforming (82 on OpenCritic).

How did Nick Treitman react to his layoff?

He confirmed his departure on LinkedIn, saying he still holds "a lot of love" for his former colleagues. He is actively looking for a producer or project manager role in Seattle.

Is this a first wave of layoffs at Microsoft?

No. A month earlier, Microsoft had already carried out a massive wave of cuts, affecting Bethesda and id Software studios, without slowing down The Elder Scrolls 6.

Halo Studios lays off staff after the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved

A month after a wave of massive layoffs at Microsoft, Halo Studios is cutting its workforce again. And this time, it comes just one week after the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved.

Several former employees have confirmed their departure on LinkedIn. Producer Nick Treitman, who had been with the studio for more than six years, announced his layoff while saying he still holds "a lot of love" for his former colleagues. He says he's open to a new producer or project manager role in the Seattle area. Scrum master Paul Morris, employed on contract for two years, and engineer Caleb Lawrence are among the other people affected. The exact number of positions cut remains unknown.

The timing raises questions. Halo: Campaign Evolved nonetheless marks a first for the franchise: it's the very first Halo title to launch outside the Xbox ecosystem, with a port to PS5. Critical reception has been decent, but not outstanding: 82 on OpenCritic and an 86% recommendation rate, a score lower than Halo 5: Guardians (84). Not a flop, but not the strong comeback the franchise was hoping for either, to justify this multiplatform shift.

These cuts are part of a broader purge at Microsoft, which already slashed jobs at Bethesda and id Software this summer, without slowing down development on The Elder Scrolls 6. Same logic at EA, just acquired by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's PIF fund, which plans to cut $700 million in annual costs. One more signal: even studios that deliver games are no longer safe.