Halo Infinite project director Chris Lee is no longer working on the game. He is still employed with 343 Industries but is looking for other things to do.
According to confirmation with Bloomberg, Lee “stepped back from Infinite.” Halo Infinite has lost quite a few of its leads throughout the project. The details of these changes seem to prop up due to the laborious dev cycle for the game.
Lee among two other leads to step down in two years
According to his interview, Lee confirmed his stepping down last Wednesday, becoming the second director to leave in two years.
Before him, creative director Tim Longo stepped down in 2019. This came from the executive shakeup for that year.
As Tim Longo stepped down, Mary Olson received the lead producer position. This situation did not deter Olson from leaving the company. She packed her bags a few months later in October 2019.
“I believe in the team and am confident they will deliver a great game, and now is a good time for me to step away,” said Lee, who has been a part of 343 Industries since 2008.
Even with Lee stepping down, he is not moving on to a different company. He is still the partner studio head for 343 Industries, a title he held since 2016.
“Chris Lee remains a Microsoft employee, and while he has stepped back from Halo: Infinite right now, we appreciate all he has done for the project to date,” Microsoft said in a statement.
Infinite’s dev cycle is problematic, tumultuous
The development for Halo Infinite has stayed tumultuous throughout its entire dev cycle. 343 propped Chris Lee as a “stabilizing influence,” noting that “the overall creative vision and production of the game remains led by Chris Lee, studio head of Halo Infinite.”
This apparent influence is not enough to keep Chris sitting on the project. The studio reassured the community a year ago that there is no creative issue within the company.
“I’d like to reassure everyone that the entire Halo Infinite team is rallying behind the game and is working hard to make sure we can execute on its vision,” said community manager John Junyszek in his Reddit post. “There is no creative dilemma inside the studio, and there’s no writing on the walls.”
Infinite delayed beyond its original November window due to criticisms on the game’s original trailer. This harmed Microsoft’s launch titles for the Series X. Players were unhappy with the results, making them go back to the drawing board.
Halo Infinite will now come sometime in 2021. Additional information about Chris Lee’s stepping down will likely come in the days to come.
Featured image courtesy of Halo/Youtube Screenshot