What you need to know
- 343 Industries' Head of Design Jerry Hook has announced his departure from the studio, Halo, and Microsoft.
- Hook was a key member of the Halo Infinite development team, helping shape the design of many of the game's core systems.
- This news follows the recent departure of Halo Infinite multiplayer lead Andrew Witts, as well as the launch of Halo Infinite Season 2.
343 Industries' Head of Design, Jerry Hook, has parted ways with the Redmond-based development studio. This news follows the recent launch of Halo Infinite Season 2, which introduced several new game modes to the multiplayer experience and improved the game's Battle Pass progression with easier challenges, more exciting rewards, and opportunities for players to earn credits that can be used in Halo Infinite's microtransaction store.
Hook announced his departure on Twitter, stating that his journey "creating new worlds, platforms and products" has been done while "working alongside some of the most passionate and driven people in the industry." Responsible for the design of many of Halo Infinite's core systems, Hook helped shape the game into an engaging title that reached over 20 million players. Hook also helped build and maintain Xbox Live during the early days of Xbox, giving countless players around the world a way enjoy games like Halo together online.
Halo Infinite and 343 Industries have seen many significant departures both before and after the game's launch; recently, the game's multiplayer lead Andrew Witts left the studio, and Studio Head Chris Lee, Creative Director Tim Longo, and Lead Producer Mary Olson all parted ways with the developer in the years leading up to Infinite's release. Currently, Joseph Staten leads 343 Industries as the studio's Head of Creative on Halo Infinite. Right now, it's unclear who will replace Hook as the game's Head of Design.
The news comes as Halo Infinite fans continue to voice concerns over poor communication and a general lack of satisfying post-launch content, though the state of Microsoft's flagship Xbox shooter has improved considerably with the content additions and quality-of-life changes introduced with the launch of Halo Infinite Season 2.
Halo Infinite promises fans the most expansive Halo experience to date, featuring a fantastic campaign with a dynamic open world and an excellent story as well as an exciting free-to-play multiplayer with strong core gameplay and plenty of awesome cosmetic unlocks.
