Staten is a major get for Netflix’s burgeoning games division, as he served as a writer and the director of cinematics on Bungie’s Halo games. After working on Destiny for Bungie, he left the company to join Microsoft proper as a senior creative director, writing the likes of ReCore and Crackdown 3. Microsoft would later bring him on to help 343 Industries ship the long-delayed Halo Infinite in 2020. However, Halo Infinite‘s post-launch support has been rocky, while 343 itself has lost a lot of staff, so it makes sense that Staten was looking elsewhere.
Netflix Games, meanwhile, is very much still in its infancy following a November 2021 launch. Currently, there are around 55 games on the platform, which offer several mobile titles to Netflix subscribers at no additional cost. Last month, Netflix also confirmed that there are nearly 100 games in development for the platform, with 16, in particular, being made in-house.
As part of those first-party efforts, the company has purchased a handful of studios, including Oxenfree developer Night School Entertainment, while also opening one in Helsinki, Finland. Netflix is also early in development on a cloud service that would bring its game to other platforms its service supports, such as smart TVs. It remains to be seen how Staten will factor into Netflix’s gaming ambitions.
The Halo franchise might not be dead, but it appears support for Halo Infinite will be at least somewhat limited moving forward, with 343 Industries moving on to other projects related to the franchise.
According to a new report from Bloomberg, “at least” 95 jobs, including directors and key contractors, have been cut from the Halo developer. Further, the studio has reportedly switched to Epic’s Unreal Engine following issues with its proprietary ‘Slipspace’ engine for a new project codenamed “Tatanka” currently in development through a partnership with Certain Affinity, a developer with offices in Toronto and Austin, Texas.
Tatanka was initially rumoured to be a battle royale multiplayer title, but Bloomberg‘s report indicates it might “evolve” into something else. The report goes on to say that some developers at 343 Industries are concerned with how Unreal might affect how Halo plays but that Splipspace’s technical issues are too challenging to work through. For example, ‘Assault’ and ‘Extraction,’ two popular Halo multiplayer game types, have reportedly been finished for some time but can’t be added to Infinite because of technical limitations.
The report also mentions that several laid-off 343 Industries developers were working on Halo Unreal prototypes rather than new content for Halo Infinite. The decision to switch to Unreal was reportedly made after studio lead Bonnie Ross and engine head David Berger left 343 Industries in late 2022. Moreover, Pierre Hintze, the studio’s new head, wants the company to focus on “greenlighting,” while still expanding Infinite, though it’s unclear how much of a priority the latter is moving forward. It’s worth noting that several former 343 Industries developers have criticized the studio’s leadership on Twitter.
While Halo Infinite‘s core multiplayer mechanics remain extremely solid and the best the series has offered since arguably Halo 2/Halo 3, new content has been sparse, and the game still doesn’t even feature an overarching progression system. 343 Industries also has a history of botched releases, with Halo: The Master Chief Collection being the most notable example beyond Halo Infinite.
Following widespread reports of layoffs at Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries and Halo veteran Joseph Staten leaving the studio to rejoin Xbox’s publishing team, a former developer has criticized the studio’s leadership.
Patrick Wren, a former senior multiplayer designer on Halo Infinite who is now working on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor at Respawn, doesn’t cite specific leaders in his tweet but has harsh words for the developer’s top management.
The layoffs at 343 shouldn't have happened and Halo Infinite should be in a better state. The reason for both of those things is incompetent leadership up top during Halo Infinite development causing massive stress on those working hard to make Halo the best it can be.
Wren goes on to remind fans to be kind to the remaining developers working on 343 Industries, highlighting those who pushed “for a better Halo” were laid off for it.
The people I worked every day with were passionate about Halo and wanted to make something great for the fans. They helped push for a better Halo and got laid off for it.
Devs still there are working hard on that dream. Look at Forge. Be kind to them during this awful time.
Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier first reported that Joeseph Staten, the game’s creative lead, is leaving 343 Industries to return to Xbox Publishing. Back in 2020, Staten was brought in to solve many of Halo Infinite’s key issues, including the game’s lack of online co-op, new multiplayer content and poor communication from the studio to fans.
While Halo Infinite’s situation has improved drastically over the past few months — online co-op is finally available, Forge launched and content updates are arriving at a faster pace — the game still doesn’t offer what most would consider a “live service.”
According to Schreier, 343 Industries was “hit hard” with layoffs, though it remains unclear exactly how many employees have been cut from the studio. Starfield developer Bethesda also suffered layoffs. Microsoft announced that it will cut 10,000 jobs over the next two months, slashing roughly 5 percent of its total workforce.
It’s no secret that I’ve played Halo Infinite a lot over the past year and a bit, so this news is disappointing to me. The game suffers from undeniable issues related to a lack of new content, but the underlying multiplayer mechanics and single-player campaign are the best in the series since 2007’s Halo 3.
It’s unclear what these layoffs and Staten leaving the studio mean for the future of Halo Infinite, but the situation doesn’t look good.
NetEase Games is acquiring B.C.-based SkyBox Labs.
The video game developer has worked alongside Xbox Game Studios and Electronic Arts and is currently co-developing Halo Infinite, among other projects.
Shyang Kong, Derek MacNeil and Steven Silvester founded SkyBox Labs in 2011. Based in Burnaby and Victoria, B.C., it will operate independently under the Chinese tech company’s gaming division.
“We remain committed to growing our presence in Canada, supporting our current and future partners, and co-developing more AAA games for some of the biggest game studios around the world,” Kong said.
NetEase will provide resources and services to help SkyBox Labs develop PC and console titles and grow the company’s presence in Canada.
As a yearly tradition at MobileSyrup, every team member writes a list of their favourite things from the past year. It’s a fun, creative exercise, but it also offers our readers a chance to get to know the team behind the never-ending tech blog posts a little more.
I found it particularly difficult to come up with five things I actually liked from 2022 — not because there wasn’t anything I enjoyed from the year, but because everything post-2019 has blended together in my brain. Still, I enjoyed several things in 2022, though some are repeats from my list last year to some extent.
Just like 2021, by far, my favourite thing of the year is Halo Infinite. The game has undeniably encountered difficulties over the past 12 months, with 343 industries struggling to consistently bring new maps, features and fixes to the title. But underneath its several shortcomings is core gameplay that’s a clear throwback to the Halo 2/Halo 3 glory days of the series’ multiplayer.
This is why after roughly 23 days of in-game time over the past year in Ranked multiplayer (no, I’m not exaggerating), I still come back for more nearly every day. It’s been years since I’ve stuck with a game the way I’ve continued to play Halo Infinite, learning its ins and outs, studying update breakdowns and following the title’s esports scene closely. I even managed to hit Onyx, the game’s highest multiplayer rank, before falling back down to mid-Diamond a few weeks later.
I’m looking forward to what 2023 looks like for Halo Infinite, especially with Forge now available and Season 3 looming on the horizon.
Ioniq 5
This year I entered the wild world of electric vehicles (EVs). With my rapidly ageing 2014 Ford Fiesta on its last legs, I managed to get my hands on Hyundai’s Ioniq 5. So far, I really like the Ioniq 5, especially its futuristic design, though I’m not particularly fond of the ‘Shooting Star Grey’ matte paint that requires hand washing (it looks cool, but it’s also a ton of work).
The rumours surrounding EVs losing a significant amount of range in cold weather are very accurate in my experience, given the car drops about 30 percent of its range in negative-degree weather. Thankfully, the relatively short distances I drive the car and the fact that I installed a Level 2 charger at home make this not an issue for me, but I can see it being a problem for some. My other key issue is the fact that the car doesn’t feature a back wiper, which is a must in Canada’s snowy climate.
Everything else about the Ioniq 5 is stellar, including its awesome Level 2 highway assist driving that maintains speed and the distance between you and the vehicle in front of you while keeping you between the lines (I don’t think I can ever go back), ample trunk space and that EV boost of acceleration and torque you feel as soon as you push the pedal down.
I plan to put together a detailed story (and video) about my experience with the car on MobileSyrup so far at some point in the future.
Blink-182 reunion
Few things are certain in life, but one fact that’s become evident over the past decade or so is Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge will leave the band, only to rejoin again a few years later. As my favourite band, I can’t help but be excited by this latest original reunion lineup, despite feeling sorry for Matt Skiba, DeLonge’s fill-in on California and Nine, who has unceremoniously been kicked to the curb. Everything from my taste in music and clothes to my sense of humour can sadly be traced back to discovering the band in middle school.
The band’s first new single, “Edging,” isn’t amazing, but it’s catchy and a solid sign of what’s hopefully to come when the full album drops later this year. I’m also looking forward to seeing the band live in Toronto in May (I better be given how much the tickets cost).
Hopefully, Blink-182 getting back together is a sign the universe has returned to a good timeline once again.
1883
Why are Yellowstone‘s prequels so much better than the once great, but rapidly becoming awful main TV show? I don’t know the answer to this question, but 1883 remains one of my favourite TV shows that I’ve watched in the last several years.
The western follows the Dutton family as they travel west to establish the ranch that’s featured in the main TV series. Without giving too much away, no character is safe during the perilous journey, and the mini-series takes several surprising twists I didn’t expect over its solid 10-episode run. Given how Yellowstone‘s prequels have been a one-and-done exercise so far, creator Taylor Sheridan has far more creative freedom regarding the story they weave.
I’m not sure if 1923, the Harrison Ford-led prequel-sequel, will live up to its predecessor, but if the first few episodes I’ve watched are an accurate indication, it’s poised to.
iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island
I probably wrote these exact words last year, but this wouldn’t be my list without including an iPhone. While this year’s iPhone 14 Pro isn’t the leap forward I’d hoped for and is very similar to the iPhone 13 Pro, I’m a big fan of the ‘Dynamic Island.’ It’s one of the few truly unique additions to a smartphone in the past several years, despite not working with every app yet. The Dynamic Island holds a tremendous amount of potential, and I’m excited to see where Apple takes it with the iPhone 15 Pro.
Speaking of the iPhone 15 Pro, this year’s smartphone is expected to be the most significant leap forward since the iPhone X, including a subtle redesign, the move to USB-C, solid-state buttons and a periscope lens.
Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries recently announced that the game’s planned splitscreen co-op would not ship. However, a fan has discovered a workaround that’s quite easy to navigate.
A Halo fan on Twitter released a video demonstrating how any player can enable splitscreen co-op in Halo Infinite. Using a relatively straightforward menu glitch, players are able to jump into a local coop session with a friend.
Most surprising is how effective the glitch is. The creator claims that they have not experienced crashes during cutscenes nor any issues with AI. Other players on Reddit were able to confirm its effectiveness. Additionally, players have been able to manipulate the glitch to get a full party of four into a single campaign coop session.
As of right now, the menu glitch appears to only work on Xbox Series X/S consoles. Unfortunately, PC players aren’t able to take advantage of this as of now.
If you’ve been eager for 343 Industries to release splitscreen co-op and were let down by the studio’s news, there’s some good news. Halo fan account Halo Creation has posted an online tutorial.
Follow-up on this, here's a quick tutorial on how to play #HaloInfinite Splitscreen Coop using a menu glitch found by @Zeny_IC!
In order to jump in, you must select and load a campaign save file. As it loads, you must take the controller’s View Button to bring up the ‘Social’ menu and navigate to the ‘Friends’ tab. From here, you must have an online friend idling in the game’s menu. You must select to join their Fireteam and once you have, you must select to leave. From there, you are required to select the ‘Server’ setting and set the server to ‘Local Offline’. Finally, all you need to do is connect additional controllers and assign profiles to them prior to selecting ‘Play.’
Unfortunately, seeing as though this is an unofficial workaround, we don’t expect the glitch to last forever. It’s likely that a future patch will iron this glitch out. So, take advantage of it while it lasts.
While Halo Infinite’s splitscreen co-op has been scrapped by 343 Industries, the studio is still determined to launch an online campaign co-op in the near future. As part of its Winer Update, marked between November 8th and March 7th, 2023, online co-op will roll out. Currently, the feature is being tested in beta form.
Xbox and Discord are entering a significant partnership, which sees the latter’s Voice chat feature land on Microsoft’s console. Across Xbox Series X/S and Xbox One, players will be able to chat with anyone on Discord via voice channels or group calls.
This update is rolling out to Xbox consoles today. However, only Xbox Insiders are able to access the new voice chat feature for the time being. Xbox confirms that Insiders are able to connect with friends across console, PC, and mobile. However, a wider rollout will take place “soon.”
Your @Discord and Xbox are about to become a lot closer.
Many Xbox owners have been requesting Discord Voice chat integration. This new partnership strengths further cross-platform initiatives in the industry.
Adding Discord Voice chat on console enables players to now chat with friends playing Halo Infinite on both console and PC, for instance. As many games already offer cross-play, Discord integration streamlines the way players can interact with one another.
Discord Voice shares a very similar menu to Xbox game chat. Players are able to see who is in a voice call. Additionally, players can adjust the individual volume of each member, mute and report to Discord in the event of harassment. There are also overlay options available. Players can also switch between Discord Voice and Xbox game chat.
For Xbox Insiders looking to use this new feature, they will have to link their Discord account to their Xbox. To do so, Insiders must navigate to the party menu on their console. From there, they must select ‘Try Discord Voice.’ This will bring up a prompt with a QR code. Scanning this will take the player to the Discord and Xbox apps to connect and setup a two-way link between the two.
Once the accounts are linked, players can jump into a Discord call as usual. Via the Discord app, players can select a newly added ‘Join on Xbox’ option. This will alert the Xbox app to transfer the voice chat from Discord to the Xbox console.
Xbox states that a wider expansion of this feature is expected “in the coming weeks.” Though, it remains to be see how much a of wide release the company intends.
On June 12th, Microsoft is hosting the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase. The virtual event is being held at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles and begins at 1 PM ET/ 10 AM PT.
Although E3 is not officially happening this year, Microsoft is holding its annual conference. Designed to show off first-party titles the event will also show off games from third-party partners. This is the second year since the Bethesda acquisition. Thus ZeniMax Media studios are folded into the Xbox Game Studios umbrella.
The Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase is expected to run between 60 to 90 minutes. Like previous years, we can surmount that Microsoft will offer updates on previous games. The likely suspects this year are Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5. 343 Industries has been providing a clearer roadmap for Halo Infinite Season 2 and 3. The Xbox showcase could give us a look at the upcoming campaign co-op. Additionally, Forza Horizon 5’s success undoubtedly hints that meaningful DLC could be in the works.
While fans were extraordinarily excited for the imminent release of Bethesda Game Studios’ Starfield and Redfall from Arkane, both have been pushed back to the “first half of 2023.” That said, the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase is the best place for Microsoft to debut new footage and perhaps gameplay. If both will be missing the summer and fall, seeing something new will have to tide fans over for the time being.
On top of that, you have known quantities. Senua’s Saga: Hellblade II, State of Decay 3, Fable, Everwild, Indiana Jones, and Perfect Dark could all make an appearance. While a few of these titles may show up in some capacity, most seem like they are at least another year or so away from launch.
That being said, the Xbox & Bethesda Games Showcase should offer some surprises and exciting moments, keeping the E3 spirit alive. If you’re eager to tune in, you can watch the event on the Xbox YouTube channel, the Bethesda YouTube channel, or Xbox’s Twitch channel.
Sometimes it almost feels like Halo Infinite’s anticipated online co-op mode will never release, but that will soon change (I hope).
After delaying the feature several times, 343 Industries has announced its plans to test Halo Infinite’s co-op mode in July 2022 ahead of its scheduled August release. This means that select ‘Halo Insiders’ will be able to test out the game’s online co-op mode on Xbox and PC before its wider launch.
To join the Halo Insider Program for a chance to test out the beta, follow this link.
With #HaloInfinite campaign network co-op arriving later this year, we're planning to flight it to Halo Insiders in July. Register and make sure your Halo Insider profile is up to date for a chance to participate!
Back in late April, 343 Industries shared Halo Infinite’s roadmap for the rest of 2022. Following co-op, the following major features to hit the beleaguered title are Forge and split-screen co-op during Season 3 in November 2022.
Halo Infinite’s second season got off to a rocky start thanks to a gun-jamming glitch and the removal of skill jumps/slides. Still, to 343 Industries’ credit, the studio listened to the game’s often overly vocal community and solved the majority of Lone Wolve’s issues.
The second season of the game’s multiplayer mode is plagued with several issues, including the removal of skill jumps/slides, connectivity, overly specific challenges and the strangest of all, a weapon jamming glitch.
Yes, you read that correctly, the latest update to Halo Infinite’s multiplayer mode actually causes some weapons to intermittently lock.
Thankfully, it seems 343 Industries is listening to the title’s often not very forgiving fan base. John Junyszek, Halo Infinite senior community manager and Joseph Staten, the game’s head of creative, recently took to Twitter to discuss players’ concerns.
Hey Spartans, this week has been bumpy. That definitely wasn't our goal. We are indeed taking your feedback to heart, especially regarding map jumps and speedrunning. We're reviewing options and will have more news to come. 💚 https://t.co/RWEHK7VpDl
Last, but certainly not least, thank you for providing input and reporting any issues you find to @HaloSupport (https://t.co/KHnCbu7wRE). Your constructive feedback truly helps make Halo Infinite a better game.
Hopefully, an update is released shortly that restores at least some of the title’s skill jumps but more importantly, fixes the game’s gun jamming issue. As a frequently Halo Infinite player, I can confirm that the jamming glitch is quite common and often appears at the most inopportune times (I actually thought my controller was broken at first). It seems there’s a possibility that the problem could be tied to a new trigger dead zone setting added in the season 2 update.
Though it suffers from a myriad of issues, Season 2 also offers several new game modes, including the return of ‘King of the Hill,’ and the surprisingly great ‘Last Spartan Standing,’ which has convinced me that maybe some variant of a battle royale mode could work in Infinite.
Other updates include new maps ‘Catalyst’ and ‘Breaker’ and a 100-tier battle pass with additional armour and cosmetic unlocks. Microsoft Office’s ‘Clippy’ also makes a surprise appearance.
This year I entered the wild world of electric vehicles (EVs). With my rapidly ageing 2014 Ford Fiesta on its last legs, I managed to get my hands on Hyundai’s Ioniq 5. So far, I really like the Ioniq 5, especially its futuristic design, though I’m not particularly fond of the ‘Shooting Star Grey’ matte paint that requires hand washing (it looks cool, but it’s also a ton of work).
I probably wrote these exact words last year, but this wouldn’t be my list without including an iPhone. While this year’s 
