Tag Archives: halo

In the past year we have seen Xbox begin to open the floodgates when it comes to bringing previous system exclusives to PS5 and Switch. While Microsoft’s CEO has shared some mixed messaging with regards to Xbox exclusives, Phil Spencer has now confirmed that there are no “red lines” when it comes to bringing games to PlayStation/Switch.

Following its surprise announcement last month, the upcoming 3rd-person mode for Halo: Infinite is set to launch next week on the 5th of November.

Just as how the legacy of Halo stretches back to the roots of the OG Xbox, Master Chief and co. had – in the early days – a strong presence on PC. Unfortunately, 2015’s Halo 5 never came to the platform, and we now know why.

Long-time Halo support studio, Certain Affinity, acquired by Keywords Studios. The acquisition follows the cancellation of a Halo Battle Royale game.

There has been a big shake-up behind the scenes at Microsoft for Halo. After the Slipstream engine proved to be a failure that hampered the development of Halo Infinite, future titles will be developed with Unreal Engine 5. On top of that, 343 Industries is now known as Halo Studios. 

With Halo Infinite failing to become the decade-long platform that Microsoft and 343 Industries were hoping it would evolve into, there have been many leaks and rumours discussing the team’s plan for the franchise’s future. In amongst talk of a switch to Unreal Engine 5 as well as a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, 343i have announced a surprise 3rd-person mode coming to Infinite next month.

A few months ago, we learned that Bungie veteran and Marathon director, Chris Barrett, was no longer at the company. This week, we learned that he was in fact fired from the company, following the results of an investigation. Bloomberg's Jason Schreier broke the news last night, stating that ‘at …

While Microsoft has seen massive success with the recent release of the Fallout TV show, the console maker’s other efforts in bringing its IPs to TV has not fared as well. Following two seasons and a middling reception, Paramount+ is officially cancelling its Halo TV show. As published by TheHollywoodReporter, …

Back in 2022, it came as a rather big shock when 1047 Games, the team behind the much-loved Splitgate, announced that they would be ceasing development on the Halo-like multiplayer FPS, stating at the time “We’re turning our attention away from iterative, smaller updates and going all-in to focus on …

Gigabyte has unveiled the Aorus C400 Glass mid-tower PC case, which has already clinched the 2024 Red Dot Design Award. The new Aorus case features a vertical airflow cooling design within a 40-litre chassis, resulting in a compact case that doesn't compromise on performance while offering broad component compatibility and …

With Halo: Infinite failing to become the 10-year live-service juggernaut that Xbox was hoping it would be, the state of the iconic franchise is currently in limbo. That said, according to one industry insider, Microsoft is set to go back to the well, remastering the original Halo: Combat Evolved for …

Following the spotting of the unannounced Ryzen AI 9 HX170, another leaker now mentions a different Ryzen CPU with the same naming scheme. This new APU is the “Strix Point” Ryzen AI 165. The AMD Zen 5 product series summary shared by Golden Pig Upgrade (via @harukaze5719) provides new details …

Back in 2022, the excellent and much-loved free-to-play Halo/Portal-inspired FPS Splitgate was announced to be ceasing development, with the team at the time saying “in order to build the game fans deserve – and to build it in a way that isn’t trying to retrofit and live operate an existing …

A few weeks ago, Halo co-creator, Marcus Lehto, announced plans to leave EA and his newly formed Battlefield studio, Ridgeline Games. Just a day later, EA confirmed it was shutting down the studio entirely and handing future single-player Battlefield development over to Critereon, alongside other studios. Now, it seems Lehto's …

While Halo Infinite may not have been the grand revival that Microsoft were hoping for the franchise, series co-developer Certain Affinity looked to be prepping to offer their own take on the franchise with a battle royale game. Though never officially announced, the long-in-development title has now reportedly been cancelled. …

Back in October last year we reported on a leak which claimed that following the relative failings of Halo: Infinite, the team at 343 Industries dropped future use of their bespoke Slipspace Engine – instead opting to use Unreal Engine 5 for the next title. Though yet to be officially …

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced some restructuring plans, which impacted many parts of the business. On the gaming side, 343 Industries was hit the hardest with a lot of lay-offs, including most of the campaign team that had worked on Halo Infinite. Now, rumours claim that a new small-scale team …

In the many years following the launch of Rainbow Six: Siege we have seen Ubisoft slowly but surely bring an increasing number of odd and interesting crossover skins into the tactical FPS. Following the likes of Pickle Rick, 2B from NieR: Automata and wrestling stars The Undertaker and Becky Lynch, …

While the game may not have been the rebirth that some had hoped, Halo Infinite has continued to slowly but surely improve over the years thanks to the continued efforts of 343 Industries. The latest update to Halo Infinite introduces new maps, modes and an 8v8 Squad Battle playlist. Making …

In recent months we have seen a large number of live service titles scale back their operations, be it through a reduced single player or a lessened story – among others. Unfortunately, one of the games hit by such a downscaling is Halo Infinite, with the game said to no …

In the wake of Microsoft’s recent Xbox Games Showcase, the console manufacturer has engaged in a host of interviews. Now, Xbox’s game studio chief has weighed in on a number of titles which we did not see at the event, including Halo, Redfall and Perfect Dark. In an interview conducted …

343 Industries has gone through a lot of changes in the last six months, with many members of the leadership team leaving Microsoft. Joseph Staten, who was brought back to Microsoft in an effort to steer Halo Infinite back on track, has moved on from his 18 years at Microsoft …

343 Industries has gone through some major changes this year. A round of layoffs at Microsoft in early 2023 saw the majority of the campaign team let go and other major studio leads have also departed the studio in recent months. Now, Frank O'Connor, the franchise director for Halo, is …

Over the last couple of years, 343 Industries' struggles with the Halo IP reached a boiling point, resulting in a round of layoffs at the studio this year. At this point, many of those in leadership positions during Halo Infinite's development have moved on and just under 100 employees have …

Last week, Microsoft announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs across its different businesses. Some of these layoffs have impacted Microsoft-owned game development studios, including 343 Industries. Not long after this, rumours began claiming that 343 would no longer be developing Halo, and instead, the studio would shrink and simply ‘oversee' …

SkyBox Labs isn't necessarily known for the specific games developed by the studio. However, it has helped develop world-renowned franchises such as Halo, Age of Empires and Minecraft. NetEase has now acquired SkyBox Labs, hoping to bring some of that expertise into its ranks. SkyBox Labs is a Canadian game …

Alongside Halo Infinite, the team at 343 Industries are continuing to support the rest of the franchise’s titles through further updates to the Halo Master Chief Collection. The Winter update – which is live right now – brings with it some major improvements and additions, including Steam Workshop support. Making …

One year on from its launch, Halo Infinite is not in the best position currently. Thankfully, both 343i and Xbox are aware of this and are working diligently to try and right this ship. One way in which the team hopes to do so is through the release of a …

Halo Infinite has had an interesting yet unfortunate life so far. After a year’s delay, the game launched to mostly positive reviews, with both campaign and multiplayer fans alike enjoying Infinite’s combat, mechanics, and launch content. Unfortunately, the team has somewhat dropped the ball since, with a decided lack of …

Back in April, Halo Infinite support studio, Certain Affinity, announced that it was ‘deepening' its partnership with 343 Industries. At the time, this was heavily rumoured to be a Battle Royale mode. We still don't have confirmation or denial on that, but Certain Affinity does currently have a huge team …