Emerging days after the launch of Halo 3, continued online speculation has today mounted over the future of Bungie Studios as a Microsoft Game Studios subsidiary.

First reported by a blogger on the Seattle PI website, reports has fired across the Atlantic over the status of Bungie. US-based Game Informer even mentions the whisperings of one source that some of the key Bungie employees have purchased the outfit back from MGS for a 'substantial amount of money'. Reports of unrest at the Seattle-based developer have focused on Microsoft's plans for future instalments of Halo, with anonymous sources citing an apparent hesitancy within Bungie's walls.

So far, Bungie Studios has referred all questions to Microsoft's PR agencies, which have all focused on the retail success of Halo 3, dodging the issue and over serving to fan the flames of the reports.