Microsoft quiet on new Spawnpoint Studios

Microsoft has remained tight-lipped on speculation that a new internal development outfit – Spawnpoint Studios – has begun work on a title in the Halo franchise.

As detailed in a job advert for a development engineer based in Redmond, a Microsoft team named Spawnpoint Studios is recruiting staff with knowledge of current middleware technologies such as Unreal Engine and CryEngine.

"Would you like to work on a next-generation project, built from the ground up in MGS / Spawnpoint Studios? We have a very strong team, currently responsible for Gears of War 2, starting a new project in a start-up like environment," reads the ad.

The ad states Microsoft is "building a new team," which has led to speculation that Spawnpoint could be working on the Halo franchise – MGS' Phil Spencer told GamesIndustry.biz last week that "there's more than one team building Halo games right now. There are more than two or three teams building Halo things right now."

Microsoft has not returned requests from GamesIndustry.biz for comment.

Earlier this month Microsoft closed Ensemble Studios, the team responsible for the forthcoming strategy title Halo Wars.