Halo art director leaves studio after 17 years, says he'll share why 'when it's safe'

Halo art director, Glenn Israel, joined Bungie 17 years ago and began work on one of the most iconic video game franchises in history. Israel spent nearly two decades curating the artistic direction of the series, but has now announced his departure.

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In a recent LinkedIn post, Israel wrote that he is no longer officially "contributing to the Halo universe", adding that there is little he can say at the moment, but "I intend to share the particular story in its entirety when it is absolutely safe to do so next year."

The art director goes on to leave a message to the video games industry, writing that while the "state of our industry seems dire," never forget that you are free to choose. No illusion of security nor promise of wealth or fame or power is worth trading away your health, your dignity, your ethics or values - and no one can force you to."

The message continued, "Stay strong, take evidence when necessary, and find where you belong. As always, I'll be here if you need to talk." Reading between the lines of Israel's departing message, it seems his departure from Halo wasn't smooth at all, or at the very least, Israel was faced with a decision that made him choose between security, wealth, fame, and his health, dignity, ethics, and values. It appears he chose the latter.

Moreover, the statement, "I intend to share the particular story in its entirety when it is absolutely safe to do so next year," suggests that Israel is under some kind of Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) preventing him from discussing the reason for his leaving the company.

This isn't unusual for a company, as a former employee can create a wave of negative marketing toward an upcoming product, ruining its chances of succeeding when it launches, hence why many companies decide to enforce NDAs on employees that include a grace period of non-disclosure about the company and its products if they decide to leave.

Halo Studios/343 Industries has been loudly dealing with several setbacks over the years, with several big members of the team leaving the studio, amid layoffs and allegations that Microsoft's involvement is a burden.