Halo Infinite head of design Jerry Hook leading new NetEase studio Jar of Sparks

Xbox veteran and Halo Infinite head of design Jerry Hook has unveiled his new “AAA” studio Jar of Sparks, a first-party developer for Chinese publisher NetEase that will focus on creating the “next generation of narrative-driven action games”.

Hook, who announced his departure from 343 Industries and Microsoft back in May, has a long and notable career in the games industry, having joined the Xbox Live team in 2003. He would later take on an executive producer role at Microsoft after a brief sojourn at Bungie, gaining credits on numerous 343-Industries-developed titles including Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians.

Hook’s new studio, Jar of Sparks, is based in Seattle and, according to NetEase’s press release announcing the formation of the company, already boasts a “team of industry veterans who have worked on some of the biggest franchises in video game history”.