Microsoft Xbox layoffs: Halo Cinematic Director Fired Days After Promotion — 'Pretty Wild'

The turbulent phase of the gaming industry continues to affect longtime employees. A clear example of corporate unpredictability is Josh Daniels, a film director at Halo Studios, who lost his job just days after being promoted.

Daniels was among 268 employees affected by the latest round of layoffs at Microsoft’s Xbox division.

He shared the sudden turn of events on LinkedIn:

“Getting promoted and fired in the same week is pretty wild,” Daniels wrote, expressing his disbelief at the timing of his termination. “I’m one of the many affected by the layoffs at Halo Studios. I’m going to take some time offline today, but I’d be very happy to talk to anyone looking for film directing or production roles. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if anything sounds like I might be a good fit.”

Xbox restructuring and the future of Halo

Daniels’ termination was part of a massive restructuring effort by Xbox. Chief Content Officer Matt Booty recently announced 268 job cuts across Halo Studios, other first-party developers and Xbox central management teams.

Microsoft is currently implementing a broader plan to cut 3,200 jobs in its gaming division.

These layoffs coincide with a significant strategic shift for the Halo franchise. Xbox handed development of the next Halo game to Activision.

While Halo Studios will continue to support the existing games and player community, Activision will now take over the leadership of the flagship series. The removal of the main film director suggests that future Halo games may take a drastically different creative approach.

Who is Josh Daniels?

Xbox veteran Josh Daniels has worked under the Xbox umbrella for 11 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. Before joining Halo Studios, he spent eight years and 10 months at Turn 10 Studios, where he worked on the Forza Motorsport games.

He joined Halo Studios as a cinematic director in July 2024. In this capacity, he oversaw the game’s creative vision, story direction, and cutscenes.

His recent works include ‘Halo: Campaign Evolved’, which according to IGN received a lukewarm response from gamers upon its release earlier this year.

Daniels studied at Arizona State University from 2005 to 2007.