343 Industries’ Josh Holmes announced that he will be leaving the studio this month to follow his dreams of working in indie game development.
Holmes played a major part in helping 343 Industries bring its own innovation to Halo 4 without losing the spirit of the original trilogy after the studio took over Microsoft’s flagship franchise in 2012.
He first joined the developer shortly after its creation in 2009 and became the creative lead on Halo 4 when 343 Industries took over development from Halo series creator Bungie. He later moved on to become the studio head of FPS game development during Halo 5.
Chris Lee, head of production for both Halo 4 and Halo 5, takes over as studio head following Holmes’ departure.
“I’ve had the great fortune to work with some of the best talent in the industry and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together,” Holmes said in a post announcing the move. “I have loved every moment here on Halo but I find myself drawn to new horizons.”