In a recent Halo Waypoint news update, 343 Industries has announced the Executive Producer for the company, Josh Holmes, will be stepping down this month to pursue a new career path within the gaming industry. Holmes has been an avid fan of the Halo franchise for the duration of it’s 15 year lifespan and was excited to get the chance to expand the Halo universe as the Executive Producer for 343 Industries.

Here at 343 Industries I was given the opportunity to do just that [make more Halo games], and since that day I’ve dedicated my life to growing this studio and expanding the Halo universe. Along the way 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. I have loved every moment here on Halo but I find myself drawn to new horizons. This month I’m leaving 343 Industries and excited for my next adventure to pursue independent game development.

As Josh leaves to expand his career into new horizons he will be passing on the torch of Executive Producer to his “good friend and long-time partner in crime, Chris Lee.” Chris has been a key member of the 343’s production team since the beginning. He worked as the head of production for both of 343’s AAA releases Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians and has worked closely with Holmes over the last 7 plus years.

Microsoft Corporate Vice President and Founder and Head of 343 Industries Bonnie Ross took time to personally add her input on the events that are transpiring.

I’m excited about the team here at 343 Industries that is leading us forward, and I want to take a moment to give a heartfelt thank you to my colleague and friend Josh Holmes, who was the Creative Director on Halo 4 and has been the Studio Head of FPS game development on Halo 5: Guardians. Josh has been an instrumental leader for the Halo franchise, helping to build 343 Industries, and delivering multiple AAA games, as well as the ground-breaking sustain efforts for Halo 5: Guardians. After seven years of service to 343 Industries and the Halo universe, Josh Holmes will be leaving to work on his dream to develop independent games. I wanted to thank him for everything he has done for us and the Halo franchise, and I wish him the best of luck on his next adventure.

We have an incredibly talented team of developers and set of leaders across 343 Industries. On the FPS team, Chris Lee, David Berger, and Neill Harrison have worked together as a team since Halo 4 and we were fortunate to add Tim Longo as the creative lead for Halo 5: Guardians. This core group will continue to guide our FPS team moving forward. I’m excited to announce that Chris Lee, the Lead Producer for Halo 4 and Executive Producer for Halo 5, will take Josh’s place as Studio Head of FPS Game Development and join my leadership team. I look forward to the next Halo 5 CU and the plans we have for the future. Congratulations, Chris!

Although the leadership at 343 Industries may look a little different from now on, we can still expect to see the same level of hard work and dedication from the team at 343 moving forward. We wish the best of luck to Josh Holmes in his endeavors and look forward to seeing what kind of projects he’ll be working on in the future. We’re also excited to see what Chris Lee has in store for the future of 343’s current IP Halo 5: Guardians, as well as what is in store for the future of the Halo franchise. As always stay tuned to DFTG for all your gaming news updates, and check out some more exciting news from Halo and 343 Industries and  here!