Frank O'Connor Outlines Three Paths for Activision's Halo
Former Halo franchise director Frank O'Connor has proposed three strategic directions for Activision's upcoming Halo game, while urging the hiring of
Frank O'Connor, the former Halo franchise director, has outlined three potential strategies for Activision to revive the iconic series. He emphasized that none of the paths are easy, guaranteed, or necessarily viable. His commentary arrives as Activision takes control of the franchise, promising to deliver 'the greatest Halo game ever', but without a development team yet assembled.
O'Connor's first proposed path is a 'classic' Halo experience. This would focus on familiar heavy movement and a chaotic sandbox, tailored to the core audience but scaled to attract a broader player base. He noted that Halo multiplayer is better with more players, by mathematical default.
The second path involves a modernized and substantially different reinvention of the Halo universe. O'Connor suggested this could be a new take on the first-person shooter genre or an action RPG. Such a project would get a small head start based on player curiosity or loyalty, though the idea of a full lore reboot has not been universally popular with fans.
The third strategy would translate the Halo IP into Activision's established comfort zone. This could involve using player progression and business models proven in the Call of Duty series. The result might be a big annual or semi-annual spectacle with constant content updates. O'Connor warned against abandoning Halo's foundational sandbox elements in any approach.
Context of O'Connor’s departure and Halo’s current state
O'Connor's insights follow his own exit from 343 Industries during an internal shakeup in 2023. He is an industry veteran with nearly 20 years of work on Halo, starting at Bungie in the early 2000s before becoming the series' development director at 343.
After his departure, 343 Industries rebranded to Halo Studios. That studio has since been gutted amid wider Xbox layoffs. Microsoft's plans to cut 3,200 employees at Xbox are still in action, with 268 affected earlier this month. Matt Booty, chief content officer at Xbox, said role eliminations were focused across Halo Studios, other first-party studios, and management layers.
Challenges and realities facing Activision’s Halo effort
Despite the ambitious promise, the project faces significant hurdles. O'Connor stressed that Activision's Halo is still likely years away due to the lack of a team. He also advised avoiding past missteps, such as tying the game to a hardware launch cycle or forcing it onto aging platforms, referencing Halo Infinite's Xbox One version as an example of what to avoid.
O'Connor concluded with a direct recommendation for staffing. Frank O'Connor said: "Hire Bungie, Halo Studios and other laid off folk who are bursting with talent and ideas that got nerfed or shut down over the years." His post referenced industry talent displaced by recent cuts, including a Halo cinematic director reportedly promoted and laid off in the same week. Activision has not yet assembled a new team for the Halo project.
