Halo Infinite -- Xbox Boss Discusses High-Level Staff Departures

Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty has commented on the many changes to senior leaders on Halo Infinite's development team, saying turnover is natural in a field like game development. He also suggested that some of the developers who left the team might have had a vision for Halo Infinite that ran counter to what others wanted.

Speaking to The New York Times, Booty discussed the departures of creative director Tim Longo and executive producer Mary Olson, as well as former studio head for FPS, Chris Lee.

"There's always going to be turnover of leaders--it's inevitable," Booty said. He added that sometimes "the momentum of the project is going one way, and that person has a vision that's going the other way."

Booty's comment is intriguing to think about, but it doesn't include any specifics about a different direction for Halo Infinite that might have been considered during development. GameSpot has followed up with Microsoft in an attempt to get more details.

Microsoft veteran Joseph Staten stepped in to lead the Halo Infinite development team after Lee left. Following Lee's departure, Xbox boss Phil Spencer said he believes turnover in a creative field like game development is actually a good thing. "I don't have any specific concern about 343. I actually think in the long run, turnover is a healthy thing because we want people who are really motivated by the things that they're working on," Spencer said.

Halo Infinite's multiplayer beta was released on November 15, and it's been received very positively thus far. The campaign is scheduled to release on December 8, and it will be available on Game Pass.

GameSpot recently played some of Halo Infinite's early story missions, and you can watch the video above and read our Halo Infinite campaign impressions to learn more.