Activision Takes Over Halo Development And Multiple Other First-Party Xbox Teams

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Avinash Jaisrani

At Tech4Gamers, I contribute as a Senior News Reporter, combining my skills and gaming enthusiasm to keep our audience updated on the latest developments.

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Xbox has just announced major changes for its first-party studios as part of the gaming giant’s ongoing reset.

As prior rumors suggested, these changes have seen the gaming giant simplify its first-party portfolio. In particular, the Activision Blizzard umbrella has been expanded with the addition of Halo and multiple other teams.

Why it matters: Activision Blizzard is the newest studio within Xbox’s first-party umbrella, but it seems to have already become its most important.

According to the official update, Activision will now take over teams like Rare and World’s Edge. 

The former is known for Sea of Thieves, while the latter has worked on the Age of Empires franchise. This already marks two big shifts for Activision under Xbox’s leadership, but the biggest change has been made to Halo itself.

Xbox has confirmed that the next big Halo title will be developed by Activision, although further details have yet to arrive. Xbox does say that this development will not interfere with ongoing work on Call of Duty.

As for Halo Studios, it is said that a small team within the studio will continue supporting the community.

Other teams have seen similar mergers, with Obsidian Entertainment now said to be operating under the Bethesda group. Moreover, Xbox is merging Playground Games and Turn 10 as part of broader ambitions for the Forza franchise.

Do note that several hundred developers have also been laid off as part of the ongoing restructuring within Xbox, mainly impacting Halo Studios.

What do you think of the Xbox reset? Do you think these IPs will be handled better under Activision leadership? Let’s discuss in the comments and on the Tech4Gamers Forums.

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Avinash Jaisrani

[Senior News Reporter]

Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than 5 years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.