Frank O’Connor has spent nearly two decades shaping Halo. Now that the franchise belongs to Activision, he thinks he knows how it could survive — and he has named three paths, none of them easy.
O’Connor, Halo’s Franchise Creative Director for 343 Industries/Halo Studios until 2023, responded to a LinkedIn post by Genevieve Harrison, who worked as Xbox’s Social Media Manager of Executive Communications. Harrison had written about how Activision might handle Halo after Microsoft bought Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, making Activision effectively Xbox. Her post argued that Activision’s strength is running a massive franchise — but that strength alone won’t rescue the series.
O’Connor agreed with the premise. He offered three routes for Halo’s future, each with its own risks and rewards.
O’Connor’s Three Paths
O’Connor framed his response around a simple warning: none of these paths are easy, guaranteed, or necessarily viable. Here is what he proposed:
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Make a Classic Halo Movement — a shooter experience built for a core audience, scaled to succeed with that audience while attracting a wider one. O’Connor noted the obvious fact that Halo multiplayer is better with more people playing, by mathematical default.
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Reinvent the Game — something new and modern that surprises fans with a fresh take on the universe. This could be an action RPG or a new kind of FPS, combining strong story with clever use of the existing IP. It would lean on curiosity and loyalty for a small head start.
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Translate Halo Into Activision’s Comfort Zone — use proven player progression and business models to build a big annual or semi-annual spectacle with constant content. O’Connor warned against tying it to hardware launch cycles or forcing it into a shape it cannot fit. His Pro-Tip: hire the laid-off staff from Bungie, Halo Studios, and other teams whose ideas got shut down over the years.
He ended with a second tip: do not abandon the sandbox.
The Move to Activision
The shift happened fast. Halo Studios had already gone through a rebranding effort from 343 Industries, a leadership shakeup, and a pivot to Unreal Engine as its underlying technology in 2024. The studio shipped Halo: Campaign Evolved, a multiplayer-less remake of the original Halo, earlier this year.
But the studio was reportedly years away on its next mainline Halo project when Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Xbox COO Matt Booty decided to hand Halo to Activision.
Why Harrison Matters
Harrison’s post was the spark for O’Connor’s response. She wrote that talent is not a SharePoint folder you drag from /Call of Duty into /Halo and wait for the little green checkmark. She also pointed out that Activision knows how to run a huge franchise, but she doubted the company would treat Halo as a rescue mission for Xbox.
Her hope was clear: “I hope it does because I’d love another great Halo game.”
What Each Path Actually Means
The classic path sticks closest to what Halo already does well — a movement, sandbox, and shooter experience tailored for the core audience that has followed the series for years. Scaling that audience requires making the game attractive to people outside the base, but O’Connor suggests the formula already exists.
The reinvention path asks fans to accept a version of Halo that looks nothing like the games they have played before. An action RPG or a new take on the FPS would require a strong story and clever use of the existing IP to win back attention. The head start comes from curiosity — players want to see what happens next — and from loyalty — longtime fans who trust the brand enough to try something different.
The third path uses Activision’s existing infrastructure — proven player progression systems, business models, and annual release schedules — to keep Halo in front of players constantly. The catch is that it cannot be tied to hardware launch cycles, and it must not abandon the sandbox entirely. O’Connor’s advice to hire laid-off staff from Bungie and Halo Studios is a direct appeal to bring back ideas that were shut down over the years.
The People Behind the Posts
Genevieve Harrison’s LinkedIn post carried weight because she worked at Xbox. Her position gave her insight into how Microsoft views the acquisition.
O’Connor’s response carries weight for the same reason. He spent nearly two decades building Halo, and his perspective on what could work comes from deep familiarity with the series and its audience.
His final tip — do not abandon the sandbox — speaks directly to the tension between Activision’s appetite for spectacle and Halo’s need for the open movement that defines it.
The Timeline So Far
| Event | Year |
|---|---|
| 343 Industries/Halo Studios rebrands | 2024 |
| Leadership shakeup and Unreal Engine pivot | 2024 |
| Halo: Campaign Evolved released | Earlier this year |
| Halo handed to Activision | After Xbox CEO Asha Sharma and Xbox COO Matt Booty’s decision |
What Comes Next
Halo’s future at Activision is still being shaped. The three paths O’Connor outlined offer a framework for thinking about what that next game could look like. They are not mutually exclusive — a game could combine elements of all three — but each carries its own risk. None of the paths are easy, guaranteed, or necessarily viable.
The question now is whether Activision will pick one, or whether the company will try to build something new from scratch. O’Connor’s advice to hire the laid-off staff from Bungie and Halo Studios suggests he believes the talent is still there — it just needs a chance to be used.
For now, the industry waits to see which path wins.
Source material: “Halo's Former Franchise Creative Director Sees 3 Possible Paths for Activision's Halo,” IGN.
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