Yes—Xbox has confirmed that Activision will develop the next Halo game. The September 22, 2026 announcement does not say that every Halo Studios employee moved to Activision or that Halo Studios vanished. Instead, Xbox assigned the next title to a new, purpose-built Activision team, while a smaller Halo Studios group continues supporting Halo Infinite, Halo: Campaign Evolved and the wider existing community. The same reset eliminated 268 roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios and Xbox’s management and central-functions layers. No release date, final game name, platform list or Activision team roster has been announced.
Is Halo moving to Activision?
For the next mainline game, yes. Xbox’s official employee memo, published by Matt Booty on Xbox Wire on September 22, 2026, says Activision will develop the next Halo title with a new purpose-built team. That is a transfer of development responsibility inside Xbox, not a statement that the entire Halo organization was absorbed into Activision.
The wording matters because “Halo is moving under Activision” can imply that every developer, support function and existing game changed hands. The confirmed arrangement is narrower: Activision is responsible for building the next title, while Halo Studios retains a small team to support games already in market and the Halo community.
What was confirmed, and what was not
| Question | Confirmed position |
|---|---|
| Who is making the next Halo? | Activision, through a new purpose-built team. |
| Did all of Halo Studios move? | No. Xbox says a small Halo Studios team remains in a support role. |
| Is the new group part of Call of Duty development? | No. Xbox says the Halo team is separate from ongoing Call of Duty development and plans. |
| Has a launch date been announced? | No. |
| Has the final title, platforms or staffing list been announced? | No. |
How did the rumor become an official announcement?
The story developed in two stages: an insider claim during Xbox’s restructuring, followed by Microsoft’s confirmation.
September 22: the unconfirmed report
VICE reported NateTheHate’s claim that Halo would move under Activision Blizzard during a broader Xbox reorganization. At the time, Microsoft had not confirmed the report. NateTheHate also said that more than Halo would move under Activision Blizzard, placing the claim in the context of wider changes rather than a single-franchise decision.
Layoff context
Insider Gaming connected the rumor to a second wave of Xbox layoffs and studio consolidation. Its coverage cited 1,600 employees laid off in a June wave and the claim that additional Xbox responsibilities would move under Activision Blizzard. Those figures described the wider restructuring, not a Halo-only headcount.
Xbox’s official memo
Xbox Wire then published Matt Booty’s employee memo. It confirmed that Xbox eliminated 268 roles in the reset and that Activision would develop the next Halo title with a new team. The memo also established the continuing support role at Halo Studios, turning the central part of the rumor into an official organizational change while narrowing what “moving” means.
Did Xbox shut down Halo Studios?
No. Xbox did not announce that Halo Studios was closed. The official wording says, “A small team at Halo Studios will continue supporting the Halo community and games in-market.” That leaves Halo Studios with an ongoing, though reduced, function rather than its previous responsibility for the next flagship installment.
The distinction is important for players. Existing services and released products still have a named support group, but the people developing the next mainline game will be organized through Activision. The announcement does not provide a complete list of who stayed, who left or who joined the new Activision team.
What the 268 eliminated roles represent
The 268 roles were spread across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and the Xbox Game Studios management and central-functions layer. The announcement therefore does not establish that 268 Halo developers were dismissed, nor does it publish a Halo-specific reduction. Treating the entire number as a Halo headcount would overstate what Xbox disclosed.
Who is making the next Halo game?
Activision is making it through a new purpose-built team. Xbox specifically separates that group from Call of Duty development and plans, so the announcement does not describe the project as a Call of Duty team assignment or a simple addition to an existing production unit.
What “purpose-built” tells us
Purpose-built indicates that Xbox intends to assemble a team for this Halo project rather than merely hand the game to an already named Call of Duty production group. It does not reveal the team’s studio location, leadership, engine, size, hiring status or which former Halo developers may participate.
Information still missing
- No release window or launch date.
- No final title or subtitle.
- No announced platforms, including whether the game will launch on Xbox consoles, PC or other systems.
- No gameplay format, setting, story details or multiplayer plan.
- No staffing list, creative leadership or development milestone.
Until Xbox or Activision supplies those details, statements about a launch year, a particular team or a specific technology are speculation rather than part of the September confirmation.
What happens to Halo Infinite after the layoffs?
Halo Infinite remains one of the existing games covered by the continuing Halo Studios support function. The Verge’s report on the reset also names Halo: Campaign Evolved as an in-market title that remains supported. Xbox has not announced that the organizational change ends service updates, community support or maintenance for either game.
Support responsibility is not the same as announcing a schedule. The memo does not provide a roadmap, update cadence, content list or end-of-service date for Halo Infinite. Players should therefore distinguish the confirmed existence of a support team from assumptions about specific future patches, seasons or features.
What players can reasonably expect from the announcement
- Halo Infinite and Halo: Campaign Evolved continue to have an identified support function at Halo Studios.
- The next flagship Halo project is being developed elsewhere within Xbox’s structure.
- Future update details remain subject to separate announcements.
How large was the Xbox restructuring?
The September reset was part of a larger sequence of cuts. The figures below come from the official memo and contemporary reporting, and they refer to different stages of the restructuring.
| Figure | What it refers to | Source context |
|---|---|---|
| 268 roles | Roles eliminated in the September reset across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and Xbox management and central functions. | Matt Booty’s Xbox Wire memo, September 22, 2026. |
| 1,600 employees | Employees reported laid off in Xbox’s June wave. | Reported by The Verge and Insider Gaming in coverage of the reorganization. |
| 3,200 roles | Total restructuring figure announced for the broader process. | Microsoft/Xbox figure reported by The Verge. |
| Nearly 1,900 roles | The Verge’s reported total after the 268 September cuts were added to earlier reductions. | The Verge’s September 22 report. |
| More than 1,000 roles | Roles The Verge reported were still to be announced within the broader restructuring. | The Verge’s September 22 report. |
These numbers should not be added together as separate, cumulative layoffs without checking the scope of each figure. The 1,600, nearly 1,900 and 3,200 figures describe different points or categories in the broader restructuring, while 268 is the specific September reduction detailed in Booty’s memo.
What other Xbox studios changed in the same reset?
The Halo decision was one part of a wider redistribution of responsibilities. Xbox said Activision’s remit would also expand to World’s Edge and Rare. Bethesda’s remit would expand to Obsidian, and King would take responsibility for Microsoft Casual Games. Playground and Turn 10 would come together around Forza and Fable.
Xbox also began consultation on a proposed Ninja Theory closure after two separate agreements fell through. That consultation is a separate organizational development; it is not evidence that Ninja Theory is involved in the new Halo team.
What does the change mean for Halo’s development future?
The practical effect is a split between franchise continuity and new-game production. Halo Studios retains community and existing-game support, while Activision takes responsibility for creating the next flagship release. That arrangement could allow the new team to form around the project without immediately disrupting live support, but Xbox has not described its production schedule or transition plan.
Development responsibility
The next title now sits with Activision’s purpose-built group. This is the clearest change from the previous arrangement and the only future-game staffing decision Xbox has formally identified.
Existing-game stewardship
A smaller Halo Studios team remains attached to the games already in market. Its continued role is confirmed, but its size, internal structure and planned work are not.
Call of Duty separation
Xbox explicitly says the Halo team is separate from Call of Duty development and plans. That clarification rules out describing the project as being developed by the Call of Duty organization itself, even though both responsibilities sit within Activision’s broader structure.
Is there a release date for Activision’s Halo?
No. Xbox’s announcement contains no release date or release window. It also omits the final name, platforms and detailed roster, so any date circulating beyond the September 22 confirmation is unannounced information rather than an Xbox commitment.
The absence of a date is especially significant for a purpose-built team: forming or staffing a new group does not establish how far production has progressed. Readers should wait for an official project announcement before treating a year, console generation or launch plan as confirmed.
How should players interpret the layoffs and the studio change?
Use the official scope rather than the most dramatic version of the rumor. Xbox eliminated 268 roles in the September reset, but it did not identify a Halo-only layoff total. Halo Studios was reduced to a small support team, not declared gone. Activision received next-game development responsibility, but Xbox did not publish the team’s names or production details.
This leaves three facts that can be stated confidently: Activision is developing the next Halo; Halo Studios continues supporting existing games; and the September reset eliminated 268 roles across several Xbox layers. Everything beyond those points needs a later announcement or a clearly identified source.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will Halo Infinite still receive updates after the Activision move?
Xbox says a small Halo Studios team will continue supporting games in-market, and The Verge specifically identifies Halo Infinite. The memo does not promise a particular update schedule, content roadmap or end date.
Is Activision using the Call of Duty team to make Halo?
No. Xbox says the new Halo team is separate from ongoing Call of Duty development and plans. It has not named the team’s members or operating studio.
How many Halo developers were laid off in September 2026?
Xbox announced 268 eliminated roles across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and Xbox management and central functions. It did not publish a Halo-only layoff number.
Is Halo: Campaign Evolved being cancelled?
No cancellation was announced. The Verge reported that Halo: Campaign Evolved remains among the in-market games supported by the continuing Halo Studios team.
When will the new Activision-made Halo be released?
There is no announced release date or window. Xbox has also not revealed the final name, platforms, gameplay details or staffing roster.