343 Industriesfounder and studio head Bonnie Ross is leaving the company and theHalofranchise.Bonnie Rosshas been in charge of 343 Industries since the studio’s formation in 2007, helping lead the charge on theHalofranchise after Bungie’s split from Microsoft. Ross, who has worked for Microsoft in varying capacities since the mid-90s, confirmed her departure in a recent tweet.
According to Ross, she is leaving 343 Industries and Microsoft due to an undisclosed “family medical issue.” Originally, Ross wanted to stay with 343 untilHalo Infinitereleased its big Winter Updateon November 8, but she has decided to leave 343 sooner than expected. In her tweet, Ross thanked theHalocommunity and said she is proud of the work that everyone has done on games likeHalo InfiniteandHalo: The Master Chief Collection, as well as projects like theHaloTV series on Showtime.
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343 Industriesis shaking up its leadership in the wake of Ross' departure from the company. As revealed in a report by Windows Central, Pierre Hintze is 343’s new studio head. Bryan Koski and Elizabeth Van Wyck have also been promoted to new roles, with Koski now the GM of Franchise and Van Wyick overseeing business and operations.
Head of Xbox Phil Spencerhas commented on Ross' departure from 343 Industries. In a tweet, Spencer thanked Ross for her contributions to the Xbox brand and helping to expand theHalouniverse during her time with the studio. Rod Fergusson, who is currently overseeingDiablofranchise development at Blizzard but previously worked with The Coalition on Xbox’sGears of Warfranchise, also chimed in, describing Ross as “a great leader and a better person.” The Game Awards and Summer Game Fest host Geoff Keighley responded to Ross' tweet by giving his best to her and her family.
Ross' departure from 343 Industries is unlikely to have an immediate impact on franchise plans. After all, 343 already detailedHalo Infinite’s big Winter Update, which includes the long-awaited introduction of campaign co-op andForge mode, and it has also revealed its Season 3 roadmap. Unless plans change, fans can count onHalo InfiniteSeason 3 kicking off in 2023 with the content that has already been revealed in the roadmap. Considering this, it may be a year or more before Hintze’s vision forHalo Infiniteand theHalobrand in general become more apparent.
