Microsoft Gaming Restructuring: Halo, Hellblade, & More — Full Breakdown & Transcript

[00:00] What's up everybody, Damian here with your Fix of Gaming News. Another major shakeup is happening at Microsoft, affecting both the Halo and Hellblade franchises, and an update for the blood of Don Walker could remove... combat. This is your Daily Fix.

[00:22] Microsoft has confirmed it's handing the reins of the next mainline Halo game to Activision. This also means mass layoffs have hit Halo Studios as part of a significant and ongoing restructure. 268 positions across Halo Studios and other first-party studios are part of the great reset of Microsoft's gaming business,

[00:37] which has already seen 1,600 staff lose their jobs earlier this summer. And unfortunately, it's not over. Microsoft said another 1,600 staff would also go this financial year. Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty addressed the layoffs in a blog post today, saying, quote,

[00:50] The actions, completed since July, inclusive of the studio divestitures, bring us roughly three quarters of the way through previously announced restructuring. I am deeply grateful for what our colleagues have built, and I know how difficult today will be for those leaving and the teams around them."

[01:03] Booty also touched on the future of Halo, confirming that Activision will be developing the next game with, quote, "...a new, purpose-built team that is separate from ongoing development and plans for Call of Duty. A small team at Halo Studios will continue supporting the Halo community and games in market."

[01:16] Nothing else was mentioned about other Halo-related projects, like Project Foundry, which was designed to showcase Halo built in Unreal Engine or the other games teased by Halo Studios. Moving on, Halo may get to live on at Activision, but another Xbox property that unfortunately is getting the axe is Hellblade.

[01:32] Its developer Ninja Theory will likely be closing down after attempts to find a buyer have all fallen through. In that same blog post discussing Halo, Matt Booty said of the Ninja Theory deal, quote, Unfortunately, two separate agreements for Ninja Theory fell through.

[01:44] We will now begin consultation with employees on a proposed closure while continuing to explore other paths forward Xbox had just announced a new game in the Hellblade franchise simply titled Senua at this summer showcase If Ninja Theory does close it unclear what will happen to the Hellblade series whose IP rights belong to Microsoft

[02:00] Developers Double Fine and Compulsion Games, both formerly part of Xbox Game Studios, did manage to become independent and bring their IP with them. And finally, the first major Blood of Dawnwalker update will be dropping in October, and it will cater to those pacifist players out there.

[02:15] out there. Via Eurogamer developer Rebel Wolves game director Konrad Tomaskiewicz, he's the coming changes with reworked difficulty options and other gameplay tweaks. Tomaskiewicz said quote we will introduce an additional difficulty level but an easier one because

[02:29] many people are asking for a more easy difficulty. The story mode which we have right now will be a different difficulty we will call it demanding or something like this and we'll add a new story mode which will be even easier for people who don't want to experience the combat they just want to

[02:41] want to learn the story and go through the game without this gameplay challenge. How exactly the blood of Don Walker will tackle an easier difficulty mode is unclear. The game director's comments suggest it will cater to those who want to skip combat altogether, though how this will be achieved is not exactly clear.

[02:55] There's no release date for the update just yet, but with its launch set for early October, we won't have to wait too long. And that is your Daily Fix for today, Tuesday, September 22nd. September is a big month for many reasons, and this September is even bigger because

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