Halo Director Promoted Monday, Laid Off Tuesday in Xbox Studio Restructure

Josh Daniels, a cinematic director at Halo Studios, was promoted on Monday before being laid off by Xbox the next day. The 11-year Xbox veteran announced his departure on social media Tuesday, calling the timing unusual. "Promoted and laid off in the same week is pretty wild," Daniels wrote. "I'm one of the many hit by the Halo Studios layoffs."

Daniels had joined Halo Studios in 2024 after working at Turn 10 on the Forza Motorsport series from 2015. He expressed openness to new opportunities in cinematic direction and production roles.

The layoffs coincided with a significant organizational change. On Tuesday, Xbox announced that the next Halo game will be developed at Activision rather than Halo Studios. The studio did not specify whether Halo Studios would be absorbed, closed, or continue operating in a reduced capacity.

According to reports, Activision's new Halo project is planned as a full, mainline installment for the franchise. One report indicates a prototype already exists pending Microsoft approval, though this has not been confirmed by the publication's sources. No release window has been announced.

The restructuring reflected Xbox's broader reorganization. The company moved Rare under Activision's umbrella and transferred Obsidian Entertainment to Bethesda as part of what leadership described as a company "reset."