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Xbox announces that future Halo games will be developed on Unreal Engine 5

Lone Wolf

Member
Whatever they are building needs to be next gen only. Avoid the Series consoles. One of Halo Infinite’s many problems was that it had to run on the Xbox One.

I’m happy they overhauled the studio and are giving us this fresh new look, but I still don't trust them. I hope they consider PlayStation consoles for this game.
 

Mibu no ookami

Demoted Member® Pro™
I'll do the same to say that you are wrong. You have far too much faith that the project is well in its dev cycle.

A lot of factors to consider.

They want a win to show Nadella that they're worth even keeping open.

A remake is a quick and easy way to do that, especially if it is multiplatform. That's why they're trying to breath new life into the Halo franchise by rebranding.

There's no chance this takes 5 years. But I look forward to seeing who is right here.
 

Fess

Member
Looks amazing. This is a great choice to give devs freedom to just make a game instead of fucking around with engine building which was clearly not their forte.

UE5 is the future. CD Project switching to it pretty much confirmed that. It's obvious from AC Shadows, Ghost of tsushima and Dragon Age that inhouse engines are a generation behind UE5.

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My only issue is how it often have problem with stutter.
But this game is years away so there will be new hardware advancements hopefully fixing that. More worried about Gears of War E-Day which is likely coming sooner.
 
bad idea, it will take away from the unique art style of halo which they actually fixed in infinite even though the game itself was bad. then again halo is dead and 343 is trash.
 

ZehDon

Member
Right, I'm just telling you, they didn't just start now.

https://www.gamesradar.com/it-looks...rking-on-the-next-halo-game-since-april-2022/

Project Foundry has almost certain been in development since 2022 and it's almost certainly a Halo CE remake. There's no way they'd spend 5+ years on this game.

https://www.ign.com/articles/micros...ed-remaster-considering-playstation-5-release

I would not be surprised if they announce this for the 25th anniversary of Halo. The only question is does it get announced for the 25th anniversary or released for it.
Rumblings suggest Microsoft's next-gen hardware is announced 2025 for a 2026 release at the latest. They'll need titles to push it, and I imagine a full-tilt UE5 Halo remake would be a pretty decent showcase. Spencer tried something similar with Halo Infinite and the Xbox Series, but 343i fucked that up royally. Not sure if Bond is going to try again, but it's not outside the realm of possibility.
 
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Bashtee

Member
It's disappointing that they abandoned their internal engine, but it's also understandable. That's the problem with complex software in the first place: nobody outside your company uses it, and there is nowhere near enough documentation and tutorials for it compared to established solutions.
Don’t get the point of this announcement, maybe to gain interest for devs who want to work on the games?
Pretty much. One of the stories about Cyberpunk 2077 was that they used the initial teaser trailer to lure in new talent, but they had to work on Witcher 3 instead because they lacked manpower.
 

YukiOnna

Member
We'll see if it'll be good. I don't know who left 343i, who was bad nor who was good so it's on them to prove it.

I don't really give a shit how the graphics are, I want the gameplay and content to be good with a solid plan for the next storyline. No abandoning it midway, releasing half-baked game, etc. Sadly, they all but confirmed all new titles are very early in-development and this is more a promotion for hiring so it'll likely be 4-5 years till we see something tangible. On the bright side, they did commit to Master Chief remaining as the protagonist, so no bullshit protagonist change that I loathe but that's a small positive at this point.
 

ElRenoRaven

Member
So saw this news while at work and have finally caught up. To be honest if they can recreate the feel of Halo in Unreal engine then I'm fine with that. My biggest issues post Bungie have been the constant reboots in story direction. I want a solid story that carries on. I want linear levels too. I want my Halo classic. I'm talking 1,2,3 like structure and gameplay. If they wanna do something on the side feel free. I loved ODST. There is room for side games that experiment with the gameplay of Halo.

I also hope this means a change to the Microsoft policy regarding contracted talent etc. Overall though I'm hopeful. Maybe it took the house cleaning they did to get Halo back on track.
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
Realistically how many people give a single shit about Halo these days? It's a franchise for old people and hasn't been good/relevant for a decade at least. Everyone abandoned it. The shitty Infinite live service and ghastly TV show was the last straw. Another Halo CE Remake is just embarrassing and shows how creatively bankrupt the whole enterprise is. Whatever engine they use doesn't matter one bit.
 
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YukiOnna

Member
Realistically how many people give a single shit about Halo these days? It's a franchise for old people and hasn't been good/relevant for a decade at least. Everyone abandoned it. The shitty Infinite live service and ghastly TV show was the last straw. Another Halo CE Remake is just embarrassing and shows how creatively bankrupt the whole enterprise is. Whatever engine they use doesn't matter one bit.
I really hope the next main project isn't a CE remake. It would be a monumental waste of time and be zero indication of how this team can handle the IP. 343i have battered and bruised this IP over the years so they have a lot of goodwill to gain back
 

Mibu no ookami

Demoted Member® Pro™
Rumblings suggest Microsoft's next-gen hardware is announced 2025 for a 2026 release at the latest. They'll need titles to push it, and I imagine a full-tilt UE5 Halo remake would be a pretty decent showcase. Spencer tried something similar with Halo Infinite and the Xbox Series, but 343i fucked that up royally. Not sure if Bond is going to try again, but it's not outside the realm of possibility.

There's a possibility that they would want to push an announcement for before GTA6 comes out to avoid a lot of their fanbase jumping on PS5 in order to play it, but at the same time, it would kill any remaining sales for the Xbox Series.

More importantly though, an announcement at this stage even though historically normal, would in these modern days create a pretty significantly Saturn like response and ultimately it would put Microsoft behind the gun against a PS6.

There is no way at this point in time that Microsoft can deliver next-generation games in 2026. It would be a hail mary to try to get some GTA6 buzz. You'd have to put something out there that did more than play it at 4K60 and I don't think they'd be able to put out a very affordable device. I just don't know who would trust them at this point to buy something expensive.
 

Sorcerer

Member
I wonder what it must be like to join a dev team that is going to work on nothing but one series? Is it exciting or does the worry that boredom is going to creep in come into it?
 
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Sunkrest

Neo Member
What if the main reason behind the change is that all the DEI employees and cheap contractors outside the studio don't know how to program properly so they're switching to UE5 engine for the blueprint system 💀.
 

Sorcerer

Member
What the hell?!?!

The new Studio Head @ Halo Studios is a character from the cancelled game Concord?
I'm confused. She is simultaneously the Chief of Staff at 343
and the Chief of Staff at Halo Studios?

Halo Studios is an offshoot of 343? So, 343 still exists in some form?
 
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ZehDon

Member
There's a possibility that they would want to push an announcement for before GTA6 comes out to avoid a lot of their fanbase jumping on PS5 in order to play it, but at the same time, it would kill any remaining sales for the Xbox Series.

More importantly though, an announcement at this stage even though historically normal, would in these modern days create a pretty significantly Saturn like response and ultimately it would put Microsoft behind the gun against a PS6.

There is no way at this point in time that Microsoft can deliver next-generation games in 2026. It would be a hail mary to try to get some GTA6 buzz. You'd have to put something out there that did more than play it at 4K60 and I don't think they'd be able to put out a very affordable device. I just don't know who would trust them at this point to buy something expensive.
From what we know, expectations are for a very expensive Series X-style console and then a Series S-style handheld sitting in the entry level price point. Xbox are pushing the "biggest leap ever" - and they're not delivering that at typical console prices. We've just seen Sony deliver its most expensive hardware ever, so I imagine Xbox's next-gen full spec machine will have an even bigger price tag. It's their battle to win. If they really are all in on the PC-console hybrid - complete with Steam store support - I wouldn't hesitate to jump in, especially for the handheld.
 

nnytk

Member
Looking really good. I also hope this will be the first multi platform Halo game.

If tackled correctly it could become huge. The world needs more Space Marine 2 style arcade shooters that look new but feel as if they're from the X360 era (with QoL updates).

If Halo can deliver this, with the scope of something like Destiny, it could grow into a hugely popular franchise again.
 

adamsapple

Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
No, this video is setting the stage for their new projects. Getting the engine, testing it out. The next step is developing a remake and/or a game simultaneously, I don't think either of which are close to releasing.

Schreier reported 343 moving to Unreal Engine 5 all the way back in Jan '23. It might not be close to completion, but they've definitely been working on UE5 for a while.
 

pasterpl

Member
I get that MS literally has nothing else but damn the Halo franchise is so old and decrepit and irrelevant at this point, just let it die for God's sakes
That’s why there is so much port begging and for remaster treatment of Halo MC Collection.

Also MS also owns things like Forza (Motosport and Horizon), Age of Mythology, Age of Empires, Flight Simulator, Quake, Wolfenstein, Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Starfield, Call of Duty, StarCeaft, Diablo, Overwatch, Sea of Thieves, Fable, Gears, World of Warcraft, Avowed, Grounded, Minecraft and probably couple hundreds more.

Literally they have nothing /s

And you call yourself a gamer. lol.
 
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RPCGamer

Member
Realistically how many people give a single shit about Halo these days? It's a franchise for old people and hasn't been good/relevant for a decade at least. Everyone abandoned it. The shitty Infinite live service and ghastly TV show was the last straw. Another Halo CE Remake is just embarrassing and shows how creatively bankrupt the whole enterprise is. Whatever engine they use doesn't matter one bit.

I kinda see your point, but I think if they can make it a fun shooter and it does okay numbers, it's enough. Not everything has to be record breaking etc.
 

StueyDuck

Member
They were always halo studios anyway. There was no way a studio named 343 was gonna make anything but halo so the name i guess is just even more obvious now.

Moving to an engine like UE makes production much cheaper... but I do worry about the UE5 look that is plaguing so many upcoming shooters. Hopefully halo studios really use the tools creatively and the games doesn't just become another megascan game

One thing halo has always been is unique with its style and visuals
 

Pallas

Member
So the problems with Halo were...

*check notes*

The engine and the studio label? Marvellous. Also the name it's just stupid. Just imagine Sony renaming Polyphony Digital to Gran Turismo Entertainment.
Name gets to the point as to what studio will be making, I see nothing bad about it.

Engine has some blame, but who knows if this is just a name change or if there’s more behind the scene going on internally. Fact that 343 is dead is enough reason to clap your hands.

Ryan Gosling Clap GIF
 

KaiserBecks

Member
Realistically how many people give a single shit about Halo these days? It's a franchise for old people and hasn't been good/relevant for a decade at least. Everyone abandoned it. The shitty Infinite live service and ghastly TV show was the last straw. Another Halo CE Remake is just embarrassing and shows how creatively bankrupt the whole enterprise is. Whatever engine they use doesn't matter one bit.

Realistically how many people give a single shit about Silent Hill these days? It's a franchise for old people and hasn't been good/relevant for a decade at least. Everyone abandoned it. The shitty sequels and ghastly mobile game was the last straw. Another Silent Hill Remake is just embarrassing and shows how creatively bankrupt the whole enterprise is. Whatever engine they use doesn't matter one bit.
 

Sybrix

Member
Sounds like it could be a complete reboot of the franchise.

No story follow on from 1,2,3,4, Infinate etc.

They definatly needed to rebrand and make a big change to survive, the Halo engine since Halo 4 has been shit, the textures on Halo 5 particaully we're horrible, the Forge maps were flat bland boring nothing areans.

Infinate (MP) was actully a step in the right direction from Halo 5 for sure, when it first launched it got great praise, the follow up and lack of updates to the game were its demise. The engine also was a mess and again some of the forge maps were horrible to play due to the bad textures and flat lands.

Tbh, for the last 10 years, anything Halo releated i hope for the best but expect the worst.
 

diffusionx

Gold Member
Realistically how many people give a single shit about Silent Hill these days? It's a franchise for old people and hasn't been good/relevant for a decade at least. Everyone abandoned it. The shitty sequels and ghastly mobile game was the last straw. Another Silent Hill Remake is just embarrassing and shows how creatively bankrupt the whole enterprise is. Whatever engine they use doesn't matter one bit.
Silent Hill disappeared for a decade+ and had a loyal fanbase.

Microsoft actually has spent a decade bombarding us with Halo garbage that just made people hate the studio and hate the games. Let's be real, nobody at MS is capable of making a Halo 3 tier game at this point. If they were, they would have done it. It's been a shit series longer than it's been a good one.
 
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343i artists just can't seem to land on a 3D model for Master Chief that both looks cool, updates and modernizes his look while keeping to the same general feel of his Bungie era design.

This motherfucking abomination looks like an AI generated filter of the H:CE model who is constipated and proportioned like a cheap knock-off Chinese action figure. It looks fucking awful.

I don't know why it's just so hard to just not go back and copy & paste Master Chief's Halo 3 design, without modification.
Hot take, this was the best the suit had ever looked:

 
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