Who succeeded Bonnie Ross as head of the studio later renamed Halo Studios?

Pierre Hintze succeeded Bonnie Ross as head of the studio later renamed Halo Studios. The leadership change followed Ross’s announcement in September 2022 that she would step down from her role leading 343 Industries, the Microsoft studio responsible for Halo after Bungie’s departure.

After Ross left, Microsoft divided her responsibilities among three leaders. Hintze became studio head, Bryan Koski became general manager of the Halo franchise, and Elizabeth Van Wyck took over business and operations. That division is why some accounts describe multiple successors to Ross’s broader responsibilities, but Hintze is the canonical answer for the studio-head role.

In October 2024, 343 Industries rebranded as Halo Studios. The new name accompanied a shift to Unreal Engine 5 and a stated effort to change how Halo games were produced. Hintze remained studio head during that transition, including the development of Halo: Campaign Evolved.

A common mix-up is choosing Chris Matthews, Matt Booty, or Phil Spencer. Matthews is an art director, Booty is an Xbox executive, and Spencer leads Microsoft Gaming; none succeeded Ross as the studio’s head.