343 Industries, the studio behind the Halo franchise, has released a statement assuring fans that the company will continue to produce Halo games despite recent staff layoffs and rumours that the studio was ceasing development.

The official Halo Twitter account posted a message from studio head Pierre Hintze, which stated that 343 will continue to create Halo “now and in the future, including epic stories, multiplayer, and more of what makes Halo great.”

This announcement comes on the heels of recent layoffs at Microsoft that affected many 343 employees and led to speculation that the series would be handed over to other studios. While the statement is brief, it does provide clarity that 343 will be continuing to develop Halo games for the foreseeable future.