Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto has left the EA Battlefield studio he founded

Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto has left the EA studio he founded to work on the next generation of Battlefield games.

Lehto, who co-created the Halo franchise at Bungie and performed both art director and creative director roles, founded Ridgeline Games in 2021. The Seattle studio was formed to work on a new single-player iteration of the Battlefield series, alongside other studios who were working on multiplayer and a spin-off.

As noticed by social media users, Lehto’s X account, which previously noted his role as a game director on the Battlefield franchise, has now removed all references to Battlefield and EA.

VGC has also verified that Lehto updated his Facebook account on Saturday to confirm he’s left Electronic Arts. No reason was given for his departure. VGC has asked EA for comment on this story.

Ridgeline Games is currently one of multiple studios working on the Battlefield franchise, which has seen its production significantly restructured following the disappointing launch of Battlefield 2042.

According to EA, Ridgeline was working on building “rich, exciting stories with memorable characters and powerful experiences all in the Battlefield universe”.

Meanwhile, LA-based studio Ripple Effect is working an “entirely new Battlefield experience that will complement and build upon the series’ foundations.”

The developer had previously acted as a support team for other studios, including working with DICE to develop Battlefield 2042.

In December 2021, EA announced its intention to create a “connected Battlefield universe” alongside widespread changes to the franchise’s development structure.

As part of these plans, DICE’s former general manager Oscar Gabrielson left EA altogether, while Respawn and Infinity Ward co-founder Vince Zampella took on a new role as the overseer of the entire Battlefield franchise.