343 Industries founder Bonnie Ross resigns after leading Halo brand for 15 years
Bonnie Ross has announced her departure from 343 Industries and Microsoft. Her role will now be divided among three people as part of an internal restructuring.
Why did Bonnie Ross leave 343 Industries?
Ross shared the news on Twitter, saying that she is leaving the company due to a “family medical issue.”
“It has been an honor to serve alongside the team for the last 15 years and to be a part of a universe that I love,” the statement reads. “Thank you to everyone in the Halo community for your support. Halo’s future is bright. I cannot wait for all of you to experience what we have in stone.”
Xbox head Phil Spencer thanked Ross for her contribution to the platform and her efforts to “expand the Halo universe with experiences for millions of fans around the world.”
— Bonnie Ross (@PlutonForEver) September 12, 2022
Bonnie Ross started her career at Microsoft in the early 1990s. She worked as a producer on many games published by the company, including Mass Effect, Psychonauts, and Gears of War.
In 2007, shortly after Bungie left the Microsoft family, Ross helped establish 343 Industries to manage the further development of the Halo franchise. She headed the team for the next 15 years, working on multiple games in the series, from Halo 4 and The Master Chief Collection to Halo Infinite.
What is known about 343 Industries’ restructuring?
As reported by Windows Central , Microsoft will split Ross’ role into three parts to better serve Halo’s future growth and cross-media development:
- Pierre Hintze, former production lead, will become studio head of 343 Industries to lead the development of Halo Infinite and future games;
- Bryan Koski, who previously served as head of marketing for Halo, will take on the role of the franchise’s general manager;
- Elizabeth Van Wyck will oversee business and operations connected to the Halo brand.
Who else has left 343 Industries in recent months?
Bonnie Ross’ resignation comes in the wake of other notable departures that occurred at the studio this year.
In July, Halo Infinite art director Nicolas Bouvier left the company after working there for almost 14 years. 343 Industries also lost design lead Jerry Hook, lead writer Aaron Linde, and lead multiplayer designer Andrew Witts.
