“Leadership Is Cancer,” Says Former Employee on Halo Studios

After 343 Industries rebranded to Halo Studios, a former animator came in to say this will not lead to better Halo games in the future.

343i Becomes Halo Studios

The big news in the Halo world over the past week has been 343 Industries’ transitioning to Halo Studios, a restructured team responsible for the future of the popular Xbox franchise. Many fans hope that these changes will bring about a new era of Halo, as news for the upcoming title in the series also surfaces. This, alongside the move to Unreal Engine 5, away from their in-house Slipspace Engine, for future project development, opens the possibilities of new horizons for the franchise.

However, these changes were met with some controversy as not everyone is convinced things will change for the better. The Halo franchise has been struggling over the past years and some fans don’t seem to have high hopes for what’s to come next. Unfortunately, some industry professionals also seem to think the change won’t lead to anything better.

One prominent voice is that of Will Waltz, who worked as an animator and was part of 343i for over a decade. He was part of the team that developed the critically acclaimed Halo: Reach and later collaborated on the creation of Halo 4 and Halo Infinite. It’s safe to say he is intimately familiar with the franchise and how the industry works, so it’s concerning when he says things won’t go well for Halo Studios.

What Does Waltz Think About Halo Studios?

In a recent post on LinkedIn, Waltz heavily criticized 343i and said the rebranding won’t really bring anything good. He also said developers and other video game industry professionals should avoid working with the Microsoft studio. “Steer clear and stay safe out there, they are not worth it,” he said.

It should be noted that Waltz praised most of the employees themselves and acknowledged that the pay was good. However, his criticisms were mostly directed at the leadership of the company, saying it’s “cancer” and it limits creativity. “I have no doubt that even though the execs finally gave in to switching to Unreal they will find a way to organizationally make it un-fun to work there,” Waltz further explained.

Is There No Hope for The Franchise?

Waltz’s words may be rather harsh and damning and it should be noted that many other former employees have come out with similar experiences. Essentially, the staff is good, but the 343i’s problems often lie in the management. Many fans have also often expressed the same opinions on the matter.

Speaking of fans, it seems many of them have already moved on to different things. Many consider Halo Infinite to be a dead game as the current flagship title sees a huge decrease in its player base, compared to when it was first launched.

With all of this being the case, the rebranded 343 Industries has some huge obstacles to overcome. Not only will the studio have to make a better product, but also fix the controversial reputation it has gained over the past years. Of course, creating a great Halo title would be a great way to do that.

For now, the only thing fans can do is sit back and hope for the best, although they have done so before, and Waltz’s words don’t seem to help the situation.