In November, the original Xbox and Halo: Combat Evolved turned 25 years old. Xbox Game Content and Studios President Matt Booty decided to congratulate fans on the anniversary:
25 years ago, Xbox launched alongside Halo. A lot has changed since then: the games themselves, how and where we play, and the Xbox family itself, which now includes teams and franchises we could only dream of back in 2001.
Some developers who previously worked at 343 Industries responded to his post. For example, former art director Glenn Israel spoke out:
Maybe for the 25th anniversary of Halo you could explain how and why you covered for Pierre Hintze while he unethically and illegally drove the franchise and studio into the ground. You knew for years about multiple infractions, contract breaches, and the rapid collapse of team morale. People came to you directly, and you did nothing. Why should we trust you now?
His former colleague Justin Dinges supported him, criticizing the layoffs at Halo Studios:
Didn't you just lay off most of the staff at Halo Studios not too long ago?
Earlier this year, Xbox laid off 268 employees, including part of the staff at Halo Studios.
Recently, the current developers announced that a co-op mode is in development for Halo: Campaign Evolved.