Chris Lee replaces Dan Ayoub at 343 Industries
Studio head of external development departs Halo outfit to work on educational mixed reality offerings at Microsoft
Update: Microsoft has announced that long-serving Halo developer Chris Lee will step into Ayoub shoes as a studio director. Lee was executive producer on Halo 5.
Original story: The Halo universe has lost one of its long-serving developers. 343 Industries ended its weekly update on the Halo Waypoint site with the news that Dan Ayoub is leaving not just the studio, but the game industry entirely.
Ayoub has worked on the Halo franchise since 2010, initially as an executive producer for Microsoft on Halo Reach. He joined 343 Industries proper in 2014, where he became the studio head of external development, overseeing projects like Vanguard Games' Halo: Spartan Strike and Creative Assembly's Halo Wars 2.
While Ayoub will be leaving gaming, he won't actually be leaving Microsoft. According to the update, he's moving over to work on educational applications of the company's mixed reality initiatives.
Ayoub addressed the move on Twitter, saying, "Last day on @Halo today! It's been an amazing ride. Grateful and humbled by all the well wishes. Love you guys!"