Microsoft / 343 Industries
At its pre-E3 press conference last year, Microsoft promised that “in 2014 the battle will really evolve” with a Halo game on the Xbox One hardware. While there will still be unannounced ones Halo content coming to the console this year, Microsoft has now announced that the appropriate sequel Halo 5: Guardians will not be available until fall 2015.
At a briefing event for next month’s E3 presentation, Microsoft and the Halo developers at 343 Studios said that “Halo 5to be the game we need needs a three-year development cycle.” Halo games, the developers said, even if the transition to new console hardware makes working on the game a bit more difficult.
“Every time you move to a new platform, it’s an opportunity to step back for a broader perspective, like a blank canvas,” 343 General Manager Bonnie Ross told the assembled press. “The question is, ‘How do we tell new stories? Where do we start, where do we go on Xbox One?'”
Noting the momentous loss at the end of Halo 4 (left vague here in case it’s a spoiler to anyone), Ross said in Halo 5 Master Chief will “question his past, his purpose, what he’s fighting for, why he’s fighting. On Xbox One we want to be very mindful with the story we told with Chief. It’s about his journey, his past and his future .”
343 Franchise Development Director Frank O’Connor said every past Halo game has added some major new features to console first-person shooters, and that Halo 5 similarly, it would be about more than just adding a new chapter or content on top Halo 4. He also talked about the team’s efforts to start from scratch for the technology behind the new game.
“Of Halo 4we went back to the drawing board, but was really an iteration of an existing engine. [Halo 5] will be a new engine on a new architecture, benefiting everything from audio to graphics.”
The developers weren’t ready to share any footage or additional details Halo 5 not yet, but said they’ll talk more about the game by the end of this year and early next year.