Joseph Staten joins Netflix Games to work on ‘brand-new AAA’ game

The former Halo head lands at Netflix Games

Former Halo Infinite head of creative Joseph Staten has a new job at Netflix. The industry veteran announced his new role today, confirming he’s joined Netflix Games as a creative director for a new AAA game and original IP.

Staten confirmed the news today on Twitter. This brand-new game doesn’t have a name or official reveal yet, but it will be multiplatform and apparently be original IP.

“In my work life, there’s nothing I love more than collaborating with others to build worlds filled with iconic characters, deep mysteries, and endless adventures,” Staten said. “So today, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve joined Netflix Games as Creative Director for a brand-new AAA multiplatform game and original IP. Let’s go!”

Staten previously worked at Bungie on early Halo games, before returning to the Halo series again by joining 343 Industries, leading Halo Infinite as head of creative. His departure was revealed last week. Microsoft laid off a significant number of employees earlier this year, and reports indicated 343 Industries was seeing some internal shifts in the wake of it.

The Netflix of Games

Netflix, meanwhile, really seems to be ramping up its gaming division. The streaming service started moving into streaming, though the actual pull of the service was unclear. Still, it’s been gradually scooping up talent, even picking up studios like Oxenfree developer Night School.

Staten is a high-profile get for Netflix. It certainly makes it seem like the streaming giant is serious about its move into games. And with a “AAA”-tier game on the way, I’m curious to see how these aspirations play out. We’ve seen some tech companies try and fail to pierce into games before, but I’ve been generally intrigued by Netflix’s acquisitions and the games they elect to add to their mobile service. We’ll see how this pans out as we learn more about Staten and co.’s project.

Eric Van Allen

Senior News Reporter