Streaming giant Netflix has hired Joseph Staten, a seasoned Halo developer, to spearhead a new AAA project.
Having departed from 343 Industries, Joseph Staten took to Twitter to reveal his new role as the creative director at Netflix Games, where he will develop a new original IP set to launch as a multiplatform AAA game.
“In my work life, there’s nothing I love more than collaborating with others to build worlds filled with iconic characters, deep mysteries, and endless adventures,” Staten wrote.
So today, I'm thrilled to announce that I've joined @Netflix Games as Creative Director for a brand-new AAA multiplatform game and original IP. Let's go! 2/2
— Joseph Staten (@joestaten) April 17, 2023
The Halo developer was previously director of cinematics at Bungie where he worked on the first three Halo titles and also contributed to the narrative aspects of Halo Wars and Halo 3: ODST. Following Bungie’s split from Microsoft, he went on to work on Destiny.
After rejoining Microsoft Studios in 2014, Joseph Staten took on the role of Campaign Project Lead for Halo Infinite at 343 Industries in 2020. He was subsequently promoted to the Head of Creative for the game.
Moving deeper into video games
Netflix’s recent efforts to expand its presence in the gaming industry have been bolstered by the noteworthy addition of Joseph Staten to its team.
The streaming giant now boasts a total of six in-house development teams, including newly established studios in Finland and Southern California, as well as acquisitions of notable game developers such as Spry Fox, Night School Studio, Next Games, and Boss Fight Entertainment.
According to PC Gamer, Staten and Marcus Lehto are part of a recent wave of departures from the Halo development team. This comes after 343 Industries founder Bonnie Ross stepped down in September and approximately 95 employees were let go from the studio in January as part of a larger Microsoft restructuring that saw 10,000 job cuts.
Isa Muhammad is a writer and video game journalist covering many aspects of entertainment media including the film industry. He's steadily writing his way to the sharp end of journalism and enjoys staying informed. If he's not reading, playing video games or catching up on his favourite TV series, then he's probably writing about them.
