Highlights

  • Halo Infinite breaks tradition by ditching numbered titles, sparking speculation about the franchise's future.
  • Uncertainty surrounds the naming convention for future Halo games, as the industry trend leans towards subtitles rather than traditional numbering.
  • The long-term viability of Halo Infinite may impact the numbering of future entries, with 343 Industries facing a decision on how to validate the game with upcoming titles.

With the live service run of Halo Infinite having lasted over two years following its 2021 release, players have begun to speculate about what could follow for the prolific FPS franchise. After the transition from original developer Bungie to 343 which took place leading up to Halo 4, the series has undergone several changes that have modernized its gameplay at the same time as it divided the community about its future direction. While there are wider implications regarding how Halo Infinite will affect the games that follow it, there’s a more complicated issue it has introduced through its name alone.

It’s not uncommon for new entries in a long-running series within any medium to have a subtitle in favor of being declared a numbered entry, but this was an especially strange move for the most recent Halo. All Halo games featuring Master Chief up until Halo 5 followed a sequential progression, but Infinite threw this pattern off as what seems to have been an intentional redirection for the franchise. It may have made sense to renew its image back when it was announced in 2018, but the long-term effects of Infinite’s title have left the next game’s mainline status and title dubious.

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The Mass Effect Problem

Numbered names can often be indicators that a piece of media is a mainline entry among other content, but an uncertain future can make this a much more flexible situation. The mixed reception to Mass Effect: Andromeda has led to that series’ community being torn on whether the next game will be considered ME5, ME4, or just end up using its own unique subtitle. With games like 2011’s Mortal Kombat actually being considered MK9 in the eyes of its own developer, for example, there’s not exactly a clear etiquette to these naming conventions for fans to follow.

Halo Infinite Doesn’t Feel Like Part of a Trilogy

It could be argued that the main motivation behind Infinite’s title is its focus on open-world design and continued live service support when compared to its predecessors, and this only further delineates it. There was a somewhat cohesive narrative between Halo 4 and 5, but the controversial nature of its direction seemed to cause Infinite’s pivot into a more classic take on a Master Chief outing. It wouldn’t feel out of place if Halo 6 eventually did arrive to redeem those stories, but the next game will be the ultimate determinant of Infinite’s label.

343 Needs to Decide Whether to Validate Infinite With Future Halo Titles

Halo Infinite’s Long-Term Viability Might Affect Halo’s Numbering

While it would make sense for Halo 6 to be the name of the next entry if it manages to capture a similar feeling to previous numbered titles, the changes of Halo Infinite also seem intended to be a permanent shift for the series. The plan to continue supporting Infinite for an entire decade might not be progressing as it was originally predicted, however, leading some fans to theorize that 343 is instead moving its resources towards a new game instead. Depending on whether the next Halo sticks with the current design philosophy or not, it could just as easily end up with another subtitle or be called Halo 7.

The Call of Duty Route

Franchises with many releases can prove confusing to navigate, and the likes of CoD have found massive success in bridging the gap between subtitled and numbered entries. While Halo's unfamiliarity with subtitles has made Infinite a moment of ambiguity, different Call of Duty games have managed to produce sequels of their own. It might seem unlikely following the simplicity that defines names like Halo 2, but there's even precedent for a Halo Infinite 2 to set a new tone for the franchise if 343 follows it up next, no matter what its actual title, number, or subtitle turns out to be.