Halo Ex-Boss Joe Staten Joins Netflix as 343 Loses Veteran Creative Director Frank O’Connor

Last week we heard that Joe Staten, the industry legend who helped create the worlds of Halo and Destiny before becoming senior creative director at Xbox and head of creative for Halo Infinite, was leaving Microsoft. Staten has basically been Xbox’s troubleshooter, saving more than one project from disaster. While many have criticized Halo Infinite’s post-launch support, the fact that it actually launched in a decent state with a fairly well-received story campaign is largely down to Staten’s late-stage intervention. So yeah, Staten’s departure was a big blow for Xbox, but will be a major boost to wherever he works next.

Well, about that – today Staten revealed that he’s joining Netflix to help them make their first AAA title. The game will be a new IP and will come to multiple platforms.

“In my work life, there’s nothing I love more than collaborating with others to build worlds filled with iconic characters, deep mysteries, and endless adventures. So today, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve joined Netflix Games as Creative Director for a brand-new AAA multiplatform game and original IP. Let’s go!”

Big tech and entertainment companies trying to break into the world of gaming isn’t always a recipe for success, but if there’s anybody who can pull it off, it’s Staten.

Meanwhile, evidence continues to mount that things aren’t going well at Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries. In addition to Staten and numerous other major names, today it came out that longtime Halo creative director Frank O’Connor is leaving the studio.

This was first discovered by fans looking through O’Connor’s LinkinIn page, which now lists him as creative director at a new, unnamed studio. Axios’ Stephen Totilo has since confirmed that O’Connor has left 343, with Microsoft providing the following brief statement.

“We thank Frank for his numerous contributions to the Halo franchise and wish him well going forward.”

Halo Infinite can be played on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. What do you think? Is there any turning things around at 343 or is the bleeding likely to continue? What do you think Staten and O’Connor are doing now that Master Chief is in their rear-view mirrors?