In a note on Bungie's website, Halo head writer and former video game journalist, Frank O'Connor, has written, "I am off to work more closely with Microsoft on the Halo franchise."

In isolation, seeing the man who has often been the studio's public face return to pastures old is a sad moment for Bungie. It could, however, be a sign of things to come for a studio the staff of which have spent several years working on one of gaming's top properties.

Still, O'Connor remained positive about the future of Bungie. Of what's coming down the pipeline, he tells us, "It was very hard for me to make the decision to move on, but one thing that made it just a bit easier, was seeing the amazing work that’s coming down the pipe. I was busy working on a story for one of our next games, an experience that is destined to surprise, amaze and entertain like nothing we’ve ever made before. That game has an amazing team invested in it, and one that will be tasked with building the Next Big Thing. You should see what they’ve already achieved, you truly should."

Anyway, we'll leave you with O'Connor's bittersweet parting words:



Frank, we'll miss you. Oh, there you are at Microsoft!

^{Source: Bungie.net}