Microsoft Layoffs Killed Ambitious Halo 2 and Halo 3 Remakes, Report Says

A new report claims Halo Studios was planning large-scale remakes of Halo 2 and Halo 3 under the codename Project Manihi, but Microsoft's layoffs and restructuring scrapped them entirely.

Well, this one stings. A new report from Pirat_Nation claims that Xbox was quietly working on remakes of Halo 2 and Halo 3 that were way bigger in scope than anyone expected — and Microsoft's recent layoffs killed them off before we ever got to see them.

According to the report, both projects lived inside Halo Studios under the codename "Project Manihi." The idea wasn't just a fresh coat of paint. These were meant to be flagship-tier releases, the kind of thing you build a whole marketing cycle around, not simple remasters.

For the Halo 2 remake, the plan reportedly included dual-wielding, a more complete multiplayer experience, and plenty of classic gameplay elements fans have been begging for. Halo Studios even sent surveys to some community members to gauge interest in things like Firefight and brand-new reward missions.

The Halo 3 remake was even more ambitious. It was reportedly set to include multiplayer, Forge, Theater mode, Firefight, and additional missions, and at one point it was positioned as the flagship of the entire remake initiative. The studio apparently intended to pour in everything it had learned over the years and make it the most feature-packed entry in the series.

Then came September 22, when Microsoft announced a restructuring of the Xbox division and laid off 268 people. According to the report, that wave also shelved a new Halo 7, both Halo remakes, and a spinoff based on the novel Halo: First Strike. After the restructuring, Halo Studios reportedly kept only a small number of staff to maintain existing projects, while development of the next mainline Halo was handed to a new team under Activision. The remake plans were quietly buried along with everything else.

It's a rough reminder of how fast things can change behind the scenes. One day you're surveying fans about Firefight rewards, the next the whole project is gone. What do you think — would you have wanted to see these remakes, or is it better to leave the classics untouched? Let us know in the comments.