Halo Studios laid off multiple employees about a week after the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved, a game that received positive critical reviews and solid sales across platforms. Key figures among those affected include Nick Treitman, a producer on the game and product owner of Halo Infinite's social multiplayer, and Paul Morris, a scrum master at the studio. Treitman said, "After 6.5 years working on Halo and dodging just as many rounds of layoffs - it has finally caught up to me. I have nothing but love for Halo and the folks at the studio, this is just a tough reality in the gaming industry right now" [1]. Morris added, "I know this is one of the most challenging job markets our industry has seen, and I know the road ahead won’t be easy" [2].
Caleb Lawrence, a software engineer on Campaign Evolved, also indicated he was looking for new work, implying impact from the cuts [1]. The exact number of layoffs at Halo Studios remains unclear. Some sources say full-time staff were affected, including producers and engineers [1, 2], while others suggest the layoffs primarily involved contract workers whose agreements were not renewed after the game’s launch [3].
Halo: Campaign Evolved sold approximately 212,000 units on Steam, about 900,000 on Xbox (console and PC combined), and around 351,000 units on PlayStation, according to Alinea Analytics estimates [2]. The reception was largely positive despite the layoffs [1, 2].
The layoffs at Halo Studios followed a broader Xbox announcement in early July 2026 that it would cut roughly 3,200 employees across its various gaming studios [1, 2, 3].
With the release and associated staffing changes now behind it, Halo Studios faces the near-term challenge of adjusting its workforce while continuing to support its flagship titles and future projects.
