While development of the Halo franchise has been handed over to Activision, Halo Studios has still offered a glimpse of what kinds of plans it had in store for potential future projects. In a blog post, franchise writer Alex Wakeford discussed a variety of stories that could have eventually made their way into the games, including upcoming novel Halo: Fireteam Noble by Troy Denning.
It is worth keeping in mind that Wakeford had seemingly written the blog post before Xbox announced its major reshuffling of the franchise, which left Halo Studios in charge of supporting games that were already out, while Activision begins work on a brand-new game. Wakeford’s post mostly deals with all of the changes that have been made to the Halo canon at large.
When it comes to the introduction of a new faction, Wakeford joked that fans would have to wait for another week to learn more about the Sacristan Order before actually revealing details. However, the post includes a “historian’s note” that reads, “This joke sure took on new dimensions after last week’s news.”
On the subject of Denning’s novel, Wakeford said that Halo Studios is committed to “see this project cross the finish line. Troy has written a fantastic story and a good chunk of the editorial process has been conducted.” Similarly, another book penned by franchise writer Kenneth Peters is also seemingly in the works. However, with the franchise now under the purview of Activision, the fate of either of the novels remains unknown.
One of the most interesting things mentioned by Wakeford in the post is a teaser for the potential appearance of the Xalanyn, children of Abaddon. While not too many details about these mysterious entities have been revealed, we get a look at some concept art, with Wakeford simply mentioning that “THE ENDLESS EMERGE” before prompting the Halo community to “let your canon curiosities run wild with endless questions.”
The Halo franchise being handed over to Activision came about in the midst of layoffs hitting 268 roles across Xbox’s various studios. While the Call of Duty publisher starts work on its project, Halo Studios is slated to have a “small team” that would support its existing games. Reports had indicated that Halo Studios’ next project was still years away before eventually being canceled.
In the meantime, Activision president Rob Kostich has said that the company wants to make “the greatest Halo game ever, worthy of its universe and legacy, while staying true to what made players love it in the first place.” While he acknowledges that it is “a bold ambition”, he firmly believes that it is “one this franchise deserves.” A “purpose-built team” has already started working on this project.
Rumors have indicated that while Sledgehammer Games was previously working on a pair of prototypes that would encapsulate a campaign-focused experience and a PvP multiplayer game, these projects have essentially been merged into what is expected to be a “full package Halo game” that might be a complete reboot of the franchise.
In the meantime, take a look at our review of Halo: Campaign Evolved, which is available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
