17-Year Halo Veteran Sparks Fan Concern After Departing Franchise With Ominous Message About Not Trading Away ‘Ethics or Values,’ and Promising to Explain More ‘When It is Absolutely Safe to Do So Next Year’

Glenn Israel, a 17-year veteran of Halo game development, has announced his departure from the series via a startling message that has left fans worried over the future of Xbox’s flagship shooter franchise.

Originally an artist at Bungie, Israel ultimately served as an art director at 343 Studios (now Halo Studios), with contributions to a long list of Halo projects from 2009’s Halo 3: ODST, through Halo: Reach, Halo 4, Halo 5 and Halo: Infinite.

Now, however, Israel has announced he is “officially no longer contributing to the Halo universe” via a post on LinkedIn, and updated his profile to indicate he departed Halo Studios this month.

“As of today and after 17 long years, I am officially no longer contributing to the Halo universe,” Israel wrote. “There is little more I can say for the moment, though I intend to share this particular story in its entirety when it is absolutely safe to do so next year. In the meantime, I have a message for anyone and everyone who needs to hear it.

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“I know that the state of our industry seems dire, but never forget that you are *free to choose*. No illusion of security nor promise of wealth or fame or power is worth trading away your health, your dignity, your ethics or values – and no one can force you to. Stay strong, take evidence when necessary, and find where you belong.”

Needless to say, Israel’s statement has prompted concern and confusion among Halo fans, at a time when the future of Microsoft’s once-emblematic series is far from certain.

Halo Studios: Unreal Engine Screenshots Revealed

Microsoft gaming boss Phil Spencer has previously suggested that a new Halo project will launch in 2026, with the expectation being that this is the previously-reported Halo: Combat Evolved remaster that will also see the series launch on PlayStation for the first time.

Fan hopes are high ahead of a much-trumpeted announcement due later this month where Halo Studios has said it will be “sharing more about what we’ve been working on” since it revealed a first look at the franchise’s transition to Unreal Engine 5 exactly a year ago.

With all this in mind, however, fans now say the timing of Israel’s departure seems particularly ominous, with Halo Studios on the cusp of revealing what it has planned for the franchise’s future, and just a few weeks after the quiet departure of Halo Studios chief of staff Melissa Boone.

For Microsoft, meanwhile, which has suffered a tumultuous year marked by layoffs and increasing fan dissatification around price rises, Israel’s public statement likely couldn’t have come at a worse time. Though more worrying still, perhaps, is the developer’s statement of sharing a more detailed account at a later date.

IGN has contacted Microsoft for comment.

Tom Phillips is IGN’s News Editor. You can reach Tom at tom_phillips@ign.com or find him on Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social