The creators of Halo: Combat Evolved laid off some employees shortly after the game's release
Halo Studios recently faced a reduction in staff. This was reported by Insider Gaming, citing posts by the studio's former employees on LinkedIn.
Halo: Campaign Evolved
The exact scale of the layoffs at Halo Studios is unknown, but it appears to be relatively small. At the time of writing, only about a dozen specialists indicated on LinkedIn that they were seeking new employment. The total staff of the studio numbers over 300 people.
It is worth noting that at least some of the departing Halo Studios employees worked with the studio on a contract basis. It's possible that their contracts simply expired and were not renewed by the management.
Shortly before the layoffs, Halo Studios released their new game — Halo: Campaign Evolved. Official sales figures have not yet been disclosed, but it is speculated that the launch was not particularly loud for a project of this caliber. According to estimates from Alinea Analytics, by early August, Halo: Campaign Evolved sold 1.4 million copies, including upgrades for the Game Pass version. These results might have contributed to the staff reduction.
There is also a possibility that this is part of the announced layoffs a month ago across Microsoft's entire gaming division.
Halo Studios itself has not publicly announced the layoffs.