Joseph Staten, the head of creative on Halo Infinite and cinematic director on the first three Halo games, is leaving Microsoft after nine years with the company. Microsoft confirmed the news to IGN, but did not provide any details on Staten’s next move or the reason for his departure.
Staten is one of the most well-known names in the Halo franchise, having worked on Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Destiny while with Bungie. After leaving Bungie, he joined Microsoft and served as senior creative director, eventually returning to the Halo franchise in 2020 as campaign project lead and later head of creative. He also wrote a number of Halo universe novelizations.
Microsoft released a statement, saying, “We’re grateful for Joseph’s contributions to the Halo franchise and Xbox as a whole. We wish him all the best in his new adventure.”
Joseph Staten has been part of the Halo franchise for almost two decades, and his departure marks the end of an era. As we bid farewell to Staten, we can only hope that the Halo games will continue to deliver the same level of quality and entertainment that we have come to expect from the franchise. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.