What you need to know
- Former Bungie director Paul Bertone has joined 343 Industries to work on Halo Infinite.
- Bertone has signed on as Technical Design Director. In this position, he will help bridge the gap between design and programming.
- Bertone originally worked on Bungie’s five Halo games before leaving the studio in 2012, working with other developers like Undead Labs before returning to Halo in 2022.
Joseph Staten, Head of Creative for Halo Infinite, has announced that former Bungie director Paul Bertone has joined 343 Industries to work on the flagship Xbox shooter as Technical Design Director. In this position, Bertone will help to bridge the gap between the studio’s design and programming teams, ensuring that developers are able to create content with their tools smoothly and without hindrances.
“I’m happy to confirm veteran Paul Bertone has joined the team as Studio Technical Design Director,” Staten wrote in a Tweet. “Paul and I met in 1999, back in Bungie’s Chicago days, and then shipped Halo 1-3, ODST and Reach together. I’m thrilled to have Paul help lead the future of 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. I’m thrilled to have Paul help lead the future of #HaloInfinite. pic.twitter.com/oYR8bhOBakJuly 6, 2022
Bertone worked at Bungie from 2000 until 2012, helping the developer launch all five of its Halo games. He then left the company ahead of its transition from Halo to the (then) new IP, Destiny. In the years since, he has worked with several game studios over the years — including State of Decay and State of Decay 2 developer Undead Labs — before returning to Halo in 2022.
It’s exciting to see a longtime veteran developer for Halo return, especially since his expertise has the potential to help 343 Industries create content for Halo Infinite on a more frequent basis. One of the biggest criticisms fans have levied against the game since its launch in late 2021 is that it has a significant lack of gameplay variety for players to enjoy; hopefully, with the help of Bertone’s technical design experience, its developers can create new game modes and matchmaking playlists more efficiently moving forward.
Halo Infinite’s multiplayer is free to play and is available on Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs. It’s not without issues, but regardless, there’s a lot of fun to be had in 343 Industries’ latest title. It’s definitely one of the best Xbox games available right now if you’re looking for a new shooter to jump into, especially if you pick up the excellent campaign as well.
