Following the delay news that Halo Infinite will no longer be a launch title, it has been confirmed that 343 Industries director and studio head Chris Lee has departed the company. While he is no longer on the 343 side, he is still currently an employee of Microsoft.
In a new report from Bloomberg, Chris Lee oversaw the production of Halo Infinite while attached to 343 Industries. His departure from this role was confirmed to the site after being a part of Halo Infinite for the last two years as a director.
“I have stepped back from Infinite and I am looking at future opportunities,” Lee told the site. “I believe in the team and am confident they will deliver a great game and now is a good time for me to step away.”
While the news of his departure from 343 may be a shock, he is still at Microsoft working with other projects outside of Halo. “Chris Lee remains a Microsoft employee and while he has stepped back from Halo: Infinite right now, we appreciate all he has done for the project to date,” a Microsoft rep added.
Halo Infinite was meant to be a launch title for the Xbox Series X and S but a delay was announced following massive backlash surrounding the official gameplay reveal of the game. Many felt that the graphics looked dated for something meant to be representative of the “true power” of the next generation of Xbox, a reception that caused the team to take a step back and re-evaluate the experience they want to deliver to fans.
Halo Infinite is back to having no firm release date at this time, though hopefully, that will be changing soon as we head into the next generation of gaming.
What do you think about Chris Lee’s departure from 343 Industries? Thoughts on how Halo Infinite is being handled so far? Sound off in the comment section below and be sure to check out our Halo hub here to learn more about the upcoming game.