Published , by TJ Denzer
Published , by TJ Denzer
It looks like 343 Industries is continuing to shed some top talent this week. Tom French was the creative director on Halo Infinite’s Multiplayer mode and, after over a decade of work at 343 Industries, he is stepping down from the role and leaving the studio. It is unknown where French is going after 343 or if he will stay in the video game industry at this time.
Tom French announced his departure from 343 Industries on his personal Twitter on December 5, 2022.
“After over 11-and-a-half years on Halo, I step out of my Spartan armor for the last time today to head off to new adventures,” French’s tweet states. “It's been a massive honor to have been part of a game I loved so much as a player and admired so much as a developer. I couldn't be more proud of my time at 343.”
Halo Infinite started off strong and began to win fans over with its initial launch in December 2021. However, the game has been on a rollercoaster since, at times performing well, and at other times frustrating players with questionable balancing, content delays, and bugs that have dragged the overall experience down. We enjoyed it in our Shacknews review, but the problems since launch (and arguably before) have made it hard to keep loving Halo Infinite.
The company has also shed top talent as it has continued to try to maintain Halo Infinite. 343 Industries studio head Bonnie Ross left in September 2022 to tend to family emergencies. David Berger, who worked on the game’s Slipspace Engine has also exited as Halo Infinite reportedly shifts to Unreal Engine 5.
It is unknown where French goes from here, but as a longtime familiar face in the Halo scene, we at Shacknews wish him the best in upcoming endeavors inside or outside the gaming industry.