 Following the release of Halo 3 , Bungie announced it was splitting off from Microsoft and becoming an independent limited liability company . While Bungie remained involved in the Halo series by developing games such as ODST and Reach , the rights to Halo remain with Microsoft . To oversee everything Halo , Microsoft created an internal division , 343 Industries , serving as " stewards " for the franchise . Frank O 'Connor , formerly a Bungie employee , now serves as 343 's creative director . 
