A Microsoft spokesperson told PC Gamer that "Halo" franchise director Frank O'Connor has left Microsoft. O'Connor's departure was first reported by Windows Central (opens in new tab) over the weekend, and his LinkedIn (opens in new tab) has been updated to reveal that he is leaving Microsoft to take a new role at an unspecified company.

O'Connor began working on Halo at Bungie in 2004, writing the "Bungie Weekly Update," a precursor to the ongoing Destiny bulletin "This Week at Bungie." O'Connor moved to Microsoft in 2008 after the release of "Halo 3" and held the senior position of franchise creative director overseeing 343 Industries and other studios working on various multimedia projects. O'Connor is also credited as executive producer of the "Halo" TV series.

O'Connor is the latest senior developer and executive working on "Halo" to leave Microsoft and 343. Just two weeks ago, "Halo" creative lead and fellow Bungie veteran Joseph Staten (open in new tab) left Microsoft after nine years with the company; 343 founder Bonnie Ross stepped down as head of the development company (open in new tab) in September; and in 2022 The lead multiplayer designer, lead narrative designer, and multiplayer creative director (opens in new tab) for Halo Infinite also left the company.

Additionally, the game's creative director and project director left 343 during the development of Infinite. To make matters worse, a significant number of 343's salaried and contract developers appear to be part of the wave of 10,000 employees that Microsoft (opens in new tab) laid off in January.

Kiki Wolfkill, one of the last big names at 343 until late 2022, is no longer part of the Halo brain trust; Wolfkill left the studio in November for a role as "head of Xbox IP expansion and entertainment." The big meeting with Pierre Hienz, who succeeded Bonnie Ross as head of the studio, must look almost different than it did a year ago. O'Connor's successor, Corinne Robinson, has been involved with Halo since 2009, though she has been "franchise manager" for the past nine years.

While things seemed to be looking up for "Infinite" immediately after launch, the first year live was rough (opens in new tab) and was marred by delays in new multiplayer content and highly anticipated features like campaign co-op, while further single-player elements were not heard from. With the studio suffering layoffs and senior-level departures, one even wonders who will end up working on "Halo"; "Infinite" was supposed to be the start of a new chapter for "Halo," but what comes next will truly be the dawn of a new era.