Highlights
- After the rocky release of Halo Infinite in 2020, fans can expect a new game in the future, hinting at a brighter trajectory for the franchise.
- Despite the downsizing and layoffs at 343 Industries, the roadmap for Halo Infinite remains unchanged, with new content released throughout 2023.
- LinkedIn profiles of former 343 Industries employees suggest that a new unannounced Halo game may be in development, potentially utilizing Unreal Engine 5.
A couple of 343 Industries developers may have hinted at an upcoming Halo game that has reportedly been in the works for a while. Following the release of Halo Infinite in 2020, the franchise's trajectory has been rocky. Fortunately, fans won't be short on Halo content in 2024, which includes a new season of the Halo show on Paramount+. Now, it appears that fans could also expect a new game in the future.
Expectations over Halo's future have dwindled in recent years, particularly after Microsoft's layoffs impacted the 343 Industries team. However, the roadmap for Halo Infinite reportedly remained unchanged despite the studio downsizing and readjusting its long-term priorities for the franchise. While the focus has largely remained on the live-service segment of the game, 343 dropped new content throughout 2023. Incidentally, it may be that 343 might have bigger plans for the series beyond Halo Infinite.
Halo is Getting a Tabletop Game in 2024
343 Industries confirms that there is a new tabletop Halo game in the works and it’s expected to be released later this year.
As spotted by IdleSloth84_ on Twitter, the LinkedIn profile of former 343 Industries Art Director Justin Dinges specifies that he has worked on "Halo's next unannounced release." Interestingly, the profile also mentions that Justin has been working on the project since April 2022. Another 343 Industries LinkedIn profile states that the studio's Senior Character Systems Designer has been "building player systems and assets in Unreal Engine 5." While it doesn't specify Halo, Unreal Engine 5 was released in April 2022, more than a year after the launch of Halo Infinite. This means that 343 Industries likely has a project in development on Unreal Engine 5, an indication that it might be the next Halo game.
The news comes about a month after 343 Industries offered an update on Halo Infinite's future. The studio stated that 343 has no Halo Infinite single-player content plans at the moment. However, this likely means that 343 will continue to update the live-service segment of the game for the foreseeable future. Further, with indications of a brand-new Halo game already underway, players have plenty of things to look forward to in the coming months.
Apart from the games, fans will also see more content in the form of the second season of the Halo show on Paramount+. Despite its first season being divisive among viewers, the show's popularity has garnered a continuation on the platform. However, time will tell if the second season will continue to retain its viewing numbers, especially given how the show has already broken some of the franchise's existing lore. Either way, it's proving to be an interesting period for Halo fans all around.
Halo
Halo is a science fiction first person shooter and part of Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios. The franchise development originated with Bungie, but has since transferred to 343 Industries. The series centers on a conflict between humanity and various alien species over installations called Halos, superweapons created by a mysterious race known as Forerunners. Launching in 2001 with Halo: Combat Evolved, the franchise has also spun off into books, comics, animated films, live action TV, and much more.
