343 Industries founder Bonnie Ross announced that she’ll be leaving the Halo Infinite developer due to a “family medical issue.”
“I am incredibly proud of the work everyone at 343 Industries has done with Halo Infinite, The Master Chief Collection, the Halo television series, and so much more,” she wrote. “It has been an honor to serve alongside the team for the last 15 years and to be a part of the universe that I love.”
Per Windows Central, Ross’ role will be split amongst three 343 veterans effective immediately. Production lead Pierre Hintze is now studio head, and will lead development on Infinite and Master Chief Collection. Bryan Koski will serve as the franchise’s general manager, and Elizabeth Van Wyck will oversee business and operations.
Ross founded 343 Industries in 2007 shortly after Bungie shipped Halo 3. 343 helped with DLC for 2010’s Halo Reach, and after Bungie became independent, 343 has since served as the primary developer of the Halo franchise. Outside of Halo, she had a long career with Microsoft, and worked on additional Xbox titles like Crackdown, Gears of War, and Mass Effect.
Since its release in late 2021, Halo Infinite has had numerous delays in content and features, including campaign co-op and Forge mode.
“Thank you to everyone in the Halo community for your support. Halo’s future is bright,” Ross concluded.
343 has seen several departures this year, as it lost Infinite’s multiplayer lead Andrew Witts, along with art director Nicholas Bouvier and design lead Jerry Hook. Hook is now head of NetEase’s Jar of Sparks, and Bouvier joined Tencent’s Team Kaiju, which houses other ex-343 developers.