Activision has posted a press release this morning detailing a new partnership with Bungie, creators of the Halo franchise. The agreement gives Activision publishing rights to Bungie’s titles for the next ten years! This comes in the midst of a heated legal battle between the publisher and development studio Infinity Ward and just a couple years since Bungie’s split with Microsoft back in 2007. Below are a couple of choice excerpts from the release from both Bungie and Activision:

“We chose to partner with Activision on our next IP because of their global reach, multi-platform experience and marketing expertise,” said Harold Ryan, President of Bungie. “From working together over the past nine months on this agreement, it is clear that Activision supports our commitment to giving our fans the best possible gaming experiences.”

“Bungie is one of the premier studios in our industry and we are extremely pleased to have the opportunity to work with their talented team over the next decade,” stated Thomas Tippl, Chief Operating Officer of Activision Blizzard. “Bungie has developed some of the most compelling and successful games, multiplayer experiences and thriving fan communities, and this alliance underscores our long-standing commitment to foster the industry’s best creative talent. Our unprecedented partnership with Bungie will enable us to broaden our pipeline of exciting new games as we continue to strengthen our industry position and pursue long-term growth opportunities.”

The release also mentions that the Halo games have generated over $1.5 billion in revenue, but don’t go thinking you’re going to see the Master Chief gracing other platforms with his presence; Microsoft retained the rights to the Halo franchise which is now handled by their internal team 343 Industries.

The Infinity Ward / Activision scandal has also been making headlines again with a reported 26 employees having left the company and analysts saying that Infinity Ward will “essentially close” after the release of the next map pack. Activision is also facing a lawsuit from former IW employees and the CEO Mike Griffith has resigned from his position at the company.

What do you think? With all the hot water surrounding Activision has Bungie just made a really bad career move? Or will this be a good thing for the studio?