Leadership at Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries appears to be in flux as another lead member of the development team reportedly departs from the studio. The departure comes just days after co-founder Bonnie Ross announced her own departure from the Halo Infinite development studio.
A new report by Windows Central reveals David Berger, the lead developer for Halo Infinite's Slipspace Engine, is leaving 343 Industries. Berger led technical development in the mainline Halo series for several years including Halo 4, Halo 5, and Halo Infinite. Berger also worked on classic Xbox titles such as Mechwarrior and Too Human. Although the departure has not been directly confirmed by Microsoft or 343 Industries, sources close to Windows Central claim Berger's departure is accurate.
The report of Berger's departure from 343 Industries comes roughly two days after former boss Bonnie Ross left the company. Ross departed Microsoft after 27 years to attend to family matters at home, and 15 years of her tenure at the company focused on leading efforts for the Halo franchise. The staff departures come two weeks after 343 Industries announced its updated Halo Infinite roadmap, which includes the cancellation of the local split-screen feature for campaign co-op. As a result, some of the Halo community has been criticizing Microsoft and 343 Industries for its lack of direction and slow pace of development for Halo Infinite.
Following the departure of Bonnie Ross from 343 Industries, three new leadership positions were created according to Windows Central. 343 Industries is restructuring with Pierre Hintze as the new studio head, Elizabeth Van Wyck leading business and operations, and Bryan Koski taking over as general manager of the Halo franchise. The restructuring could have resulted in the departure of Berger, but Microsoft has not directly confirmed anything regarding the Halo Infinite technical developer yet.
Halo Infinite's current state reflects 343 Industries and its struggles to compete in the live-service space. Although the game launched to critical acclaim, Halo Infinite's player base continues to dwindle due to a lack of content and consistent updates. Matured free-to-play shooters such as Fortnite and Call of Duty: Warzone continue to provide updates and content at a steady pace, which promotes growth and encourages both player bases to come back for more.
The restructuring at 343 Industries could affect its new Halo Infinite roadmap for the winter update and Season 3. The winter update is expected to add the highly anticipated Forge Beta, but the cancellation of Halo Infinite split-screen co-op became a glaring problem for many active players and fans online.
Halo Infinite is currently available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Windows Central
