The Future of Halo: New Name and New Engine Announced at Halo World Championships
The future of Halo is starting to come into focus. During Sunday’s Halo World Championships, 343 Industries announced a significant rebranding to Halo Studios and confirmed that it is working on multiple new games. Additionally, the newly-rebranded studio revealed that all future projects will be developed using Unreal Engine, moving away from the Slipspace Engine that was utilized in Halo Infinite.
The announcements were unveiled in a seven-minute video shown ahead of the Halo World Championship’s grand finals, which showcased the results of Project Foundry — an experimental endeavor designed to demonstrate a Halo game built on Unreal Engine. While it’s primarily a tech demo, it offers a glimpse at a fresh beginning for Xbox’s flagship franchise following the release of Halo Infinite in 2021.
This change marks a substantial shift for the Halo series, particularly considering the resources that were poured into the development of the Slipspace Engine. During the development of Halo Infinite, 343 Industries faced numerous challenges with the Slipspace engine, partly due to utilizing tools that date back to the early 2000s. Initially, it was expected that this engine would serve as the foundation for future titles in the series.
“Respectfully, some components of Slipspace are almost 25 years old,” art director Chris Matthews explained in an interview with Xbox Wire. “Although 343 has been developing it continuously, there are aspects of Unreal that Epic has been working on for some time, which are unavailable to us in Slipspace – and would have taken huge amounts of time and resources to try to replicate.”
An early 2023 report suggested that Halo’s developers were ready to reset the series after significant shakeups within the studio, including the transition to Unreal Engine. The report also indicated that developers were focusing on pitching new Halo games while prototyping different ideas. Project Foundry appears to be the culmination of that effort.
Looking Ahead: Leadership and New Projects
Halo Studios is now moving forward under the leadership of Pierre Hintze, Elizabeth Van Wyck, and Brian Koski, who stepped into top roles in the wake of studio GM Bonnie Ross’ departure in 2022. They are committing to working on multiple new games, following Xbox’s statement earlier this year that it is “full speed ahead” on a next-generation successor to the Xbox Series X|S.
“We had a disproportionate focus on trying to create the conditions to be successful in servicing Halo Infinite,” says Hintze. “[But switching to Unreal] allows us to put all the focus on making multiple new experiences at the highest quality possible.”
The projects will be “ready when they’re ready,” Halo Studios indicated. For now, stay tuned for more updates and analysis on IGN as well as Podcast Unlocked.
Expert Discussion
To delve deeper into these changes, we consulted several industry experts:
- Dr. David K. Lightman, Game Development Professor: “This move is critical not just for Halo but for the future of game development. Unreal Engine has a robust community and a wealth of ready-made resources that will shorten development time.”
- Emma Forbes, Gaming Analyst: “It’s fascinating to see how a legacy franchise like Halo is adapting. The shift could attract new players and reinvigorate the existing community.”
- Mark Thompson, Former Lead Developer at a major game studio: “Developing with a new engine can be risky, but if done right, it can lead to groundbreaking experiences that could redefine what Halo means.”
Conclusion
The transition to Halo Studios and Unreal Engine not only signifies a new era for the franchise but may also pave the way for innovative gaming experiences. Readers are encouraged to share their thoughts and opinions in the comments below — how do you feel about this major transition in the Halo universe?