Bertone worked on Bungie’s five Halo games before leaving the studio ahead of its work on Destiny, but will now return to the series. The news was shared on Twitter by Joseph Staten, head of creative for Halo Infinite. “I’m happy to confirm Halo veteran Paul Bertone has joined the team as Studio Technical Design Director. Paul and I met in 1999, back in Bungie’s Chicago days, and then shipped Halo 1-3, ODST and Reach together,” he said. “I’m thrilled to have Paul help lead the future of Halo Infinite.”
Since leaving Bungie, Bertone has worked for a number of studios, including State of Decay and State of Decay 2 developer Undead Labs. The move is great news for Halo fans, with the hope that Bertone can help steer the franchise back to its earliest glory days. Players have been frustrated with Halo Infinite, particularly the lack of content in its multiplayer seasons. “I adore Halo for its solid gunplay and satisfying headshots, and let there be no doubt: those things are very much still there today. But without a compelling progression system that fairly rewards its community of committed players, it’s unclear how long they’ll be satisfied with that,” wrote Vikki Blake for Eurogamer.
However, campaign co-op is set to arrive in beta next week.