Microsoft closes Halo Wars developer

It has been confirmed that Microsoft is closing down Ensemble Studios, the developer behind the upcoming Halo Wars game, an RTS based in the Halo universe and set as a prequel to the first Halo games.

Microsoft will close down Ensemble Studios once Halo Wars has launched.

The confirmation came to Gamespot from the owner of Ensemble Studios who acknowledged that Microsoft has chosen to close down the company for financial reasons, but that Microsoft would keep the studio open until work on the current title was complete and Halo Wars could launch.

In a statement to the press, Microsoft said that the closure "does not reflect at all on Ensemble’s talent or the quality of Halo Wars," adding that Ensemble Studios has made "invaluable contributions to the games industry with their Age of Empires and Age of Mythology games."

Microsoft too admitted that the closure was purely motivated by financial concerns.

The good news though is that a 'leadership team' from the studio will branch off and form an entirely new developer which will continue to offer support to Halo Wars after it has launched. The same group will also work on unspecified future titles.