Halo Infinite Design Head\'s Studio Halts Its First Game Project

Former Halo Infinite head of design Jerry Hook has announced that his first-party developer Jar of Sparks under NetEase has halted development on its first game project. Hook left 343 Industries and Microsoft in 2022, and the veteran’s next endeavor with Jar of Sparks and NetEase was labeled the “next generation of narrative-driven action games.” Hearing little from the studio since its formation is rarely a good sign, and it’s now been confirmed that the studio is looking for a new publishing partner.

NetEase is a Chinese technology company founded by Ding Lei in 1997, and it caters to online PC and mobile games as well as advertising services and e-commerce in China, in addition to being one of the largest video games companies in the world. NetEase is currently supporting its live-service titles Once Human and the December 2024-released hero shooter Marvel Rivals. After a spectacular launch, Marvel Rivals recently announced its Season 1 Battle Pass skins, and NetEase is also preparing for the anticipated arrival of the Fantastic Four in the 6v6 PvP title coming on January 10.

Posting on LinkedIn, Hook confirmed the Jar of Sparks team would be pausing work on their current title while they searched for a new publisher. The team is looking for a partner who can “help bring our creative vision to life.” The former Halo Infinite dev formed Jar of Sparks in 2022, and Hook noted that, since its launch, the team had taken “bold risks and pushed boundaries...to create something truly new and exciting for the industry.” Hook also wrote how proud he was of the groundwork laid.

NetEase's Jar of Sparks Studio Halts Development on First Game Project

Lay-offs weren’t specifically mentioned in Hook’s post, but the chief highlighted the next step would involve the studio’s team members “exploring new opportunities.” Furthermore, a separate post from Hook confirmed the studio would be working to “find all of our team new homes as we close our first project” over the next few weeks. This isn’t the first time a veteran from a big video game franchise has announced a new studio with NetEase, as former Resident Evil producer Hiroyuki Kobayashi previously formed GPTRACK50 Studios in 2022 under the publisher.

The Halo series, Hook’s old stomping ground, has had a turbulent few years regarding Halo Infinite’s post-launch support and the Paramount+ live-action series that fans marked below par. While Jar of Sparks takes a temporary hiatus from project development, the Halo franchise may be on the brink of redemption after 343 Industries’ rebranding to Halo Studios, and this restructuring with future titles being crafted on Unreal Engine could be the changes that give the franchise new wings.