He was the head of creative on Halo Infinite and cinematic director for first three games.
A man with short hair, the start of a beard, and wearing a blue button down shirt looking at the camera.

It's the end of an era this weekend as Joseph Staten is leaving Microsoft. Staten was the head of creative on Halo Infinite and was also the cinematic director on the first three Halo titles. Microsoft confirmed this news on Friday, April 7, 2023.

Microsoft's statement to the public, via IGN, about Staten's departure did not indicate where he may be headed next. There was also no reason stated for why Staten is leaving Microsoft after nearly a decade with the company. Microsoft merely says that they are "grateful for Joseph's contributions to the Halo franchise and Xbox as a whole." They continue, "We wish him all the best in his new adventure."

Staten did issue a brief statement through Twitter to confirm the news.


Hey folks, I am indeed leaving Microsoft. I'll have more info to share soon, but for now, I'd just like to thank all my @Xbox colleagues for all their understanding and support as I embark on a new adventure.​
Prior to working at Microsoft, Staten worked at Bungie. As noted, he was the cinematic director on the first three Halo titles. Staten was also the lead writer for Destiny before departing Bungie to take on the role of senior creative director at Microsoft. Staten began his career at Microsoft working on "shaping franchise strategy for Microsoft Studios titles." He eventually shifted to work on Halo as the campaign project lead and head of creative for Halo Infinite. Staten shifted again to Xbox Publishing just earlier in 2023 around the same time that Microsoft announced they were laying off 10,000 employees.

In addition, Staten wrote a few of the Halo novelizations over the years. He was one of the voice actors for the Grunts in the original Halo trilogy. He also voiced the Superintendent in Halo 3: ODST and Halo Infinite.