Microsoft has unveiled exciting news for fans of the iconic military sci-fi franchise, Halo. Not only are multiple new Halo games in development, but there's also a significant rebranding on the horizon. 343 Industries, the studio entrusted with the Halo franchise after its original creator Bungie, is set to undergo a transformation and will now be known as Halo Studios.
Halo Studios Ramps Up Plans of Building Halo Games Players Want
Halo Studios, formerly 343 Industries, is gearing up to deliver what fans crave with multiple Halo game projects currently in the pipeline. This ambitious move was accompanied by the studio's rebranding, marking a new era for the franchise. Studio Head Pierre Hintze emphasized the significance of this shift, stating, "If you really break Halo down, there have been two very distinct chapters. Chapter 1 – Bungie. Chapter 2 – 343 Industries. Now, I think we have an audience which is hungry for more. So we’re not just going to try to improve the efficiency of development, but change the recipe of how we make Halo games. So, we start a new chapter today."
In a strategic move to elevate their game development, Halo Studios announced they will be harnessing the power of Epic Games' Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) for their upcoming Halo titles. UE5 is celebrated for its ability to render high-quality graphics and realistic game physics. Epic CEO Tim Sweeney expressed his enthusiasm for this collaboration, tweeting, "The first Halo redefined console gaming in 2001, and over the generations Halo has pushed the state of the art forward with amazing gameplay, story, and music. Epic is honored that the Halo Studios team has chosen our tools to help with their future work!"
Reflecting on their journey with Halo Infinite, Hintze remarked, "We had a disproportionate focus on trying to create the conditions to be successful in servicing Halo Infinite." He emphasized that transitioning to UE5 will empower them to create more Halo games at the highest level of quality possible, stating, "We want a singular focus. Everyone in this place is here to make the best possible Halo games."
Elizabeth Van Wyck, Halo franchise COO, underscored the importance of player-centric development, saying, "At the end of the day, if we build the games that our players want to play, that’s how we’ll be successful. That’s what should motivate what we build. That’s also what this structure has done – we want the people that are day-in-day-out making the games to be the ones to make the decisions on the games." She highlighted their commitment to gathering extensive feedback from the player base as they embark on this new direction. "At the end of the day, it’s not just how do we evaluate, it’s how do our players evaluate it?"
Studio Art Director Chris Matthew noted that the shift to UE5 will enable the team to meet the evolving expectations of fans. He explained, "Respectfully, some components of Slipspace are almost 25 years old. Although 343 were developing it continuously, there are aspects of Unreal that Epic has been developing for some time, which are unavailable to us in Slipspace – and would have taken huge amounts of time and resources to try and replicate."
The transition to UE5 not only promises to enhance the quality of future Halo games but also aims to facilitate quicker updates and new content releases. Van Wyck elaborated, "It’s not just about how long it takes to bring a game to market, but how long it takes for us to update the game, bring new content to players, adapt to what we’re seeing our players want." With these plans set in motion, Halo Studios has begun hiring for the new projects, signaling an exciting future for the Halo franchise.
