Bonnie Ross, founder and CEO of 343 Industries, is departing the company, according to an announcement made on Twitter.
The ex-head of the Halo franchise made a heartfelt farewell to the community as she cited a family medical issue as the reason for her departure.
Ross’s absence is a major blow to fans, as she was the main guiding force behind the studio’s time with Halo since fully acquiring the series from Bungie in 2012.
In recent times, she had been facing extreme pressure during the development and ongoing support for the company’s latest title, Halo Infinite (2021) for the way it has been handled under the games-as-a-service model.
Pierre Hintze will serve as the new Studio Head. Bryan Koski will become the GM of the Franchise, and Elizabeth Van Wyck will oversee business and operations.
As of now, 343 is challenged with developing the future of Halo without the leadership of Ross. Halo Infinite delayed the release of its third season and also canceled major features that were to be expected, such as local split-screen co-op. Still, Forge is coming and appears very promising. Yet, the larger plans of the franchise after Infinite remain unclear.
Given the efforts to build Halo Infinite under a fresh proprietary engine called Slipspace, and the ability for 343 to deliver essentially endless content via downloads and updates, it’s likely that this game will serve as the framework for all future Halo gaming.
Note: we’re still waiting for Halo 5: Guardians to be ported into the MCC.