In a brief statement, Witts stated he didn't quit 343 Industries to accept a new job right away, but rather to "take some time off to relax and refresh." What can I say to someone who has done a boatload for this product and been a wonderful leader on the team?" remarked 343 Industries' own head of design Jerry Hook in a Twitter message to Witts. Take that next weapon, and may your future be filled with many more buckshot belts. Witts, have a wonderful trip ahead of you; you will be missed."

The announcement comes after the multiplayer launch of Halo Infinite in November, which saw the introduction of its initial free-to-play offers, which will act as a platform "over the next 10 years for Halo." This contained a critically lauded multiplayer basis that put a fresh take on classic Halo gameplay. The game had already surpassed 20 million users in January, across Xbox platforms and Windows PCs.Witt worked for three years as a Halo developer and has 10 years of experience "as a game designer and shipped many award-winning products," according to his LinkedIn, with design specialties in "3C Design, Multiplayer Design, and Combat Design as well as Team Leadership." He was the combat design lead at ArenaNet before joining 343 Industries.

Over the years, Halo Infinite has seen a slew of high-profile exits, with the project even cycling through multiple directors over the course of a half-decade. Following the resignation of former creative director Tim Longo and lead producer Mary Olson in 2019, former 343 Industries studio chief Chris Lee left the project in late 2020. As creative director on Halo Infinite, Joseph Staten, a former Bungie director, continues to manage the project. In other news of Halo, Microsoft recently confirmed that Halo Infinite has enjoyed the largest launch in the series’ history with over 20 million players. 343 Industries is still working to improve the shooter and last month addressed “topics of concern”, desync, and “international experience”.