{
  "id": 9160162,
  "title": "Microsoft guts Halo Studios as Activision takes over making the next Halo game",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/22/microsoft-guts-halo-studios-as-activision-takes-over-making-the-next",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-22T16:24:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "XDA Developers",
    "slug": "xda-developers",
    "url": "https://www.xda-developers.com/microsoft-guts-halo-studios-and-activision-is-making-the-halo-games-now/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "Microsoft has laid off 268 staff members across its Xbox studios, including those working on Halo. According to XDA Developers, this is not the end of the layoffs, with the company stating that only 75% of the cuts have been completed.\n\nThe layoffs are part of a larger restructuring effort, with Rock Paper Shotgun reporting that multiple studios under the Xbox umbrella have been consolidated. The Halo series has been handed over to Activision to develop the next game.\n\nThe Verge, cited by Techmeme, reports that Activision will take over not only Halo but also two other games. Microsoft's gaming division is undergoing a \"reset\", according to Tom Warren. Deals to sell off Ninja Theory had fallen through earlier in the summer.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}