Halo Infinite is promising to be the reinvention that the Halo franchise has ben in need of for some time now, and though there’s much we don’t yet know about the game, we do know that one of the ways the game is looking to reinvent the series is by opening itself up, in terms of design and structure, and going “bigger” in every sense of the word.

Recently, while speaking in an interview on the Game Informer Show (which you can view in its entirety below), head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty spoke about 343 Industries’ upcoming first person shooter, and just how it’s planning to go bigger- and though he was reluctant to call it sandbox, he did give some very interesting details nonetheless.

“I think the first thing that is just very cool about where that game is headed is how they’re thinking about expanding the world,” said Booty. “I won’t go so far as to say sandbox because you bring up sandbox and people sort of overload that term with a lot of other things. But what the team is doing to build a bigger universe and a bigger set of gameplay scenarios, and just more things to explore, is awesome. And it’s just like the things are working on are really cool.”

According to Booty, another thing that makes Halo Infinite an exciting prospect is the fact that it’s being built on the completely new SlipSpace engine, which, as per him, opens up some interesting design possibilities for the developers.

“The second thing is just as they bring the SlipSpace engine up to date with where we’re at, in terms of, you know, graphics these days, there’s just some cool stuff design wise, it’s been really cool to see them get back to some of the shape language and design language of some of the earlier Halos,” he said. “You know, there could be said that Halo when you get into Halo 5, maybe it was getting a little busy, design wise and it’s cool to just see that. At once, Halo Infinite feels more modern and cleaner. But also I think there are stronger echoes back to the roots of Halo. And it’s really cool to see that stuff.”

We haven’t seen much of Halo Infinite yet besides its reveal trailer and a (pretty impressive) new cutscene this past June, but 343 Industries promises next year’s E3 is going to be “a big moment” for the game. The shooter is out in Holiday 2020 for the Xbox One, Xbox Scarlett, and PC, and though it’ll be taking advantage of the greater power afforded to devs by the Scarlett’s next gen hardware, the Xbox One version is not being treated as a “second-class citizen.” Meanwhile, Xbox One will also be receiving betas for the game before its release.

Kickstarting E3 2018 in hopefully the biggest way possible, Microsoft will be the first of the console manufacturers to showcase its announcements. The Xbox E3 briefing will take place at 1 PM PDT and you can watch all of the news below via YouTube.

Some of the games we expect to see include the rumoured Halo Infinity and next Gears of War. Forza Horizon 4 seems like a shoe-in, especially since its Playground Games’ turn this year. However, the studio may also be working on the next Fable according to rumours.

Other announcements include new gameplay for Metro Exodus, potential release dates for Below and Ori and the Will of the Wisps, and perhaps a reminder that Nier: Automata is coming to Xbox One later this month. Microsoft has promised 15 world premieres spread across 140 minutes but how significant will these be? You’ll have to tune in and found out but there’s no doubt that the Xbox One needs to step things up significantly this year.

Which games are you looking forward to the most? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Isn’t it better to judge a company after their press conference is over? In Microsoft’s case, the struggle that its Xbox brand is having to remain relevant isn’t new nor did it begin a few years ago. The resulting struggle has been going on for a while now, taking roots in the Xbox 360 era up till the introduction of Kinect.

"Cut to 2017 and what is Microsoft best known for? Why, cancelling Scalebound and shutting down Lionhead Studios along with Fable Legends."

In this day and age, the Xbox One is still a fairly popular console. Granted, it won’t ever reach the PlayStation 4’s sales and may even be struggling to hit half that amount. That was becoming incredibly apparent only a year after both consoles launched. It was painfully obvious that Microsoft was lagging behind. It was incredibly sad to see the company’s botched “always online” functions ultimately drag the Xbox One down, even if they were completely reversed before launch.

However, in 2014, the Xbox One was cooking in some pretty cool ways. Titles like Sunset Overdrive, Titanfall (which would also release for Xbox 360), Project Spark and Forza Horizon 2 were cementing it as this place with great games. Well, except for Halo: The Master Chief Collection that is. 2015 would seem to be even better with franchises like Forza Motorsport, Rare Replay, Gears of War Ultimate Edition, Halo and Tomb Raider (albeit in timed exclusive form) sharing space with new franchises like Ori and the Blind Forest and Rivals of Aether.

Of course, it didn’t take long before Microsoft’s old habits began to creep up. Halo 5: Guardians was a huge disappointment at launch, especially with its campaign, and only cemented 343 Industries as a developer that thought it knew what made the Halo games great, and not the fans. Gears of War 4 would release in 2016 and barely carried the franchise forward in any meaningful way. Forza Horizon 3 was pretty incredible but titles like Quantum Break just didn’t rise above our already average expectations. Dead Rising 4 was just awful and ReCore wasn’t the best new IP by a long shot despite the incredible talent involved.

Cut to 2017 and what is Microsoft best known for? Why, cancelling Scalebound and shutting down Lionhead Studios along with Fable Legends. Were both projects going to be amazing? Well, we don’t really know but this was a console that desperately needed exclusives. With Sony firing on all cylinders with its first and third party exclusives in that quarter, Nintendo at the pinnacle of hype with the Switch release and no major exclusives but Halo Wars 2, Microsoft seemed trapped.

"It’s that Microsoft has failed to really foster new ideas within those franchises (or indeed within new franchises) to really excite anyone in recent memory."

This practice of cancelling projects and relegating studios by the wayside wasn’t exactly new either – Microsoft had done the same to Obsidian Entertainment, with the company on the verge of bankruptcy before Pillars of Eternity was fully funded. Similarly, the numerous hoops that it made developer Darkside jump through before taking them off of the Phantom Dust sequel were similarly damning.

It’s not like the latter part of the year helped either. Cuphead was the one shining light in a land of original IPs but Forza Motorsport 7, despite being excellent, felt like more of the same (but with progression seemingly gated behind loot boxes). Tacoma was all well and good (even though, again, it was a timed exclusive) but Microsoft was laser-focused on PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, particularly on its exclusivity to the Xbox One. It was marketed as this huge prize that would see console players flock to the Xbox One. In December 2017, not only was PUBG one of the worst optimized games for either Xbox One X or Xbox One but the base PC version is buckling under the lack of improvements, new content and proper optimization. Granted, things have improved but PUBG’s popularity also took a significant hit with Fornite: Battle Royale’s release.

What is Microsoft’s plan come E3 2018, which will pretty much define its strategies going forward? Will there be much change with Matt Booty as head of Microsoft Studios as of January 2018? Rumours indicate that Halo, Gears of War and Forza will form a major part of Microsoft’s plans (with some Fable thrown in for good measure). Looking back on Microsoft in the Xbox 360 days, it’s incredible how the company seemingly doubles down on these franchises when all else seems lost. The spoiler is that these franchises aren’t advancing the Xbox business as much as Microsoft would think.

You could argue that back when the Xbox 360 was winding down, Kinect was popular and for sure, it did some very good business for Microsoft. However, the crux of the issue is that – unlike Nintendo – Microsoft has struggled to really muster up a compelling first party catalog when motion controls started trending downwards. The one constant isn’t that Microsoft keeps going back to its known franchises to cater to their respective fans. It’s that Microsoft has failed to really foster new ideas within those franchises (or indeed within new franchises) to really excite anyone in recent memory.

"The point isn’t that Sony is pro-consumer. It’s the building of successive franchises with a longer goal in mind rather than going back to the well again and again and again for diminishing returns."

Look at Sony, which pushes new franchises like Horizon: Zero Dawn and new ideas in established franchises. Not every new idea is a slam-dunk hit (see The Order: 1886) and not every idea is incredible out of the gate (Evolution Studios’ DriveClub). However, it’s clear that the studio isn’t looking to just compete with the best that first party competitors have to offer. It’s competing with third party developers, pushing higher production values in offbeat concepts and providing a platform with benefits for third party developers on the PS4. Meanwhile, Microsoft continues to minimize its third party dealings.

I’m not saying that deals with timed exclusive DLC for FIFA or Call of Duty set my world on fire but they were a few of the aces that Microsoft had. This is, again, to say nothing of Microsoft’s dealings with developers like Platinum Games who it completely shafted. We could talk forever about Microsoft’s failure to really employ the creativity seen in the Japanese game development market. But those chickens came home to roost in 2017 itself when all the big names like Nier: Automata, Persona 5, Nioh and so on stuck with the PlayStation 4 at their respective launches (with Nier: Automata only now being confirmed for Xbox One).

The point isn’t that Sony is pro-consumer. It’s the building of successive franchises with a longer goal in mind rather than going back to the well again and again and again for diminishing returns. Yes, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End remains one of the most successful PS4 titles. Re-imaginings/remakes of old classics like Ratchet and Clank and Shadow of the Colossus have also proven successful. However, it’s the franchises like Horizon: Zero Dawn, Until Dawn, Detroit: Become Human, Bloodborne, Nioh, Nier: Automata, Persona 5, Gravity Rush 2, Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice and so on which it either developed or helped foster (even as some released on other platforms later) that are ultimately building up the console’s brand.

"If Microsoft goes back to the well again with Halo, Gears of War and Forza, it’s shooting itself in the foot a decade later."

On the flip-side, look at the Nintendo Switch. Even if Nintendo does go back to the well with franchises like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey, it’s still pushing relatively newer properties like Splatoon 2, Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle, Snipperclips, Fast RMX, and ARMs. It’s providing a platform for games like Xenoblade Chronicles 2, numerous indie titles which couldn’t break out on other platforms, and so on to achieve success. Even when it does recycle old IPs, it does so in unique ways as the open world of Zelda: Breath of the Wild attests. Furthermore, it’s proving a strong platform for indie developers to really taste success.

Of course, foresight is 20/20. Even if franchises on Nintendo’s less successful Wii U platform didn’t exactly set the charts on fire, like Bayonetta 2, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker and Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, it still brings them over to the Switch on short notice at the behest of fans. Furthermore, it uses properties like Bayonetta 2 to help promote upcoming exclusives like Bayonetta 3. It’s almost like Nintendo seems in tune with what the consumer may want and attempts to deliver it to them. What a funny concept, right? That doesn’t dismiss whatever issues people may have with the upcoming online service but again, there are still more incredible games on the Nintendo Switch in its first year then there’s been on the Xbox One in the past two.

At the end of the day, whether it’s Sony, Nintendo or even the various PC-exclusive developers, players around the world are given umpteen reasons to invest their time into these platforms. Those looking to get into a platform won’t just have the future to look forward to – they’ll have a compelling backlog supported by strong names, whether new, old or rising. The Xbox One currently lacks this and if Microsoft goes back to the well again with Halo, Gears of War and Forza, it’s shooting itself in the foot a decade later.

"With Nintendo and Sony doing incredibly well for themselves, Microsoft and the Xbox brand are in danger of not just “third place” but total irrelevance."

The Xbox One doesn’t just need new IPs. It needs IPs that people would fall over themselves to invest time into. State of Decay 2 garnered over one million players in the first two days of release while Sea of Thieves reached over two million its first week. Game Pass user breakdowns aside, both titles have motivated Xbox One users to invest in them. Microsoft is on some kind of right track (even if the above titles were rather average in their critical response) but needs more quality and in larger quantities. It needs its own Bloodborne or Uncharted 4 or Horizon: Zero Dawn. Not in the sense that it needs the exact ideas those games contain but to inspire the same kind of frenzy that those games do.

Microsoft’s E3 2018 presser is on June 10^th. Will we see history repeat itself as the company struggles to relate to a user base that expects more? There are 15 “World Premieres” planned for the show. Will that equate to 140 minutes of just premiering games that will also be coming to other consoles like Battlefield 5? Will it simply cut the prices for the Xbox One, Xbox One X and Xbox One S even further? Announce some free subscriptions? Or will it ignite our excitement like it did in 2014, showcasing a company that doesn’t just want to talk down to its players but offer them exciting things and back up those offers with exciting products?

Time will tell and for better or worse, time seems to be running out for the house that Xbox built. A long time ago, we would push certain companies to be better simply because more competition was good for everyone. With Nintendo and Sony doing incredibly well for themselves, Microsoft and the Xbox brand are in danger of not just “third place” but total irrelevance.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to GamingBolt as an organization.

Dead Horses

"Similarly, if Fortnite is indeed revealed for the Switch, it wouldn’t be too strange for Microsoft to tout crossplay with the hybrid console, PC and mobiles."

Microsoft is usually one to harp on about something long past the point of it being relevant. Though cross play is still an important issue, it’s nowhere near the controversial subject that Sony wanted to avoid last year. Regardless, look for Microsoft to announce more cross play efforts. Paladins will be heading to the Nintendo Switch via Founder’s Pack on June 12th and supports cross play with the Xbox One. Similarly, if Fortnite is indeed revealed for the Switch, it wouldn’t be too strange for Microsoft to tout crossplay with the hybrid console, PC and mobiles.

Speaking of subjects that are still sort of relevant but not all that important in the grand scheme of things, backwards compatibility has been an amazing feature from Microsoft. It’s effectively opened up its supple Xbox 360 library for a new generation of Xbox One players. Now, OG Xbox backwards compatibility? Not so much, though we could see Microsoft touting even more titles from both coming to Xbox One.

Game Pass will likely have its own shoutout as well as Microsoft notes the number of subscribers and the overall success of the program. Don’t be surprised if reveals and announcement, particularly for Xbox One/Windows 10 exclusives, are celebrated as being available at launch for Game Pass. With all that out of the way, let’s look at some of the potential reveals.

Indie Darlings

"It wouldn’t be surprising if The Will of the Wisps was slated to release sometime in August or September."

Frankly, if Microsoft doesn’t provide a release date in the vicinity of “very soon” for Ori and The Will of the Wisps, I’d be stunned. After announcing the game last year, promising a release date of “never” and then staying silent on the same, it seemed like even Microsoft forgot it existed. Given how successful Ori and The Blind Forest had been – and Microsoft’s distinct lack of exclusives – it wouldn’t be surprising if The Will of the Wisps was slated to release sometime in August or September.

On that note, Capybara Games’ Below, started as an interesting little thing for Xbox One…back in 2013. Since then, we’ve heard more about its delays than anything else. 2018 may finally be the year though as it’s likely announced for September (or even December to avoid the rush). Though Capybara Games will also be releasing the game for Steam, it’s very much a Cuphead-style situation – this is one of the few high profile indie games that Microsoft actually has for its console. Hopefully it at least gets a release date announcement trailer instead of being brushed aside for another year.

Halo Infinity

"If Halo Infinity is indeed Halo 6, 343 Industries will likely show off a teaser and maybe tease a release year."

Rumours have been circulating recently about Halo Infinity. What is Halo Infinity? Search me (and I really think you shouldn’t). The name seems to imply some kind of connection with the UNSC Infinity. Perhaps this is the next mainline Halo? As it stands, we know that 343 Industries has been busy working on something. No more rumours about Halo 3 Anniversary and not a ton regarding upcoming Halo 5: Guardians content. If Halo Infinity is anything, it has to be the next big deal for the studio.

This is an age where even the maestros of smoke and mirrors, Bungie, would outright reveal gameplay for its big expansion rather than tease their fans incessantly but I don’t believe Microsoft will learn the same lessons. If Halo Infinity is indeed Halo 6, 343 Industries will likely show off a teaser and maybe tease a release year. It may even promise more information next year. The correct approach would be to bite the bullet and show gameplay footage. If the developer is that far along into development or not remains the real mystery.

Gears of War 5

"If Microsoft has enough time to make such a strong impression with the next Gears of War, it better be time well spent."

Let’s be real – Gears of War 4 was a good game and a good Gears of War game. It didn’t really advance the franchise forward though. In fact, if anything, it showcased a developer playing things a little close to the chest while purportedly expanding the universe. Gears of War 5 is likely in development – Xbox boss Phil Spencer has noted the efforts of The Coalition in recent updates – but the question is where things go from here. I wouldn’t think that a cinematic trailer reveal happens. However, it wouldn’t be all that strange to see a gameplay reveal akin to Gears of War 4 with some kind of tease.

Unlike the rumoured Halo Infinity, Microsoft could have a stronger plan for Gears of War 5. Announcements for a closed beta multiplayer test, followed by open beta down the line, wouldn’t be weird. Over time, the game can stay in the mind of the hardcore while building up enough steam for an eventual launch (which would likely be in 2019, if not early 2020). However, will that be enough? Will we see Horde being changed for the better and ditching the pay-to-win-esque crates? Will multiplayer actually be involving instead of stuck in the same closed quarters shotgun fests that the series has become infamous for?

If Microsoft has enough time to make such a strong impression with the next Gears of War, it better be time well spent. Regardless, it will show something so keep those fingers crossed.

All The Rest

"The relatively good news is that Crackdown 3 will be at the conference. I’m hoping Microsoft uses this opportunity to stick to its new release date while also dating the open multiplayer beta that never happened."

Forza Horizon 4’s announcement seems like a foregone conclusion. Sure, the real surprising thing would be to upstage The Crew 2 and announce an enormous game with several countries to explore, and a large Horizon Festival meta-game. I don’t think that will happen but it’s cool to think about.

What will likely happen is a teaser for Fable 4. Rumours have been rumbling about the fantasy RPG series making a comeback and Playground Games has been making some uncharacteristically big moves in terms of expansion. Again, time will tell but if Microsoft really wanted to fill the void left by Scalebound (which still hurts, by the way), wouldn’t it make sense to fall back on an RPG series it can fully control?

The relatively good news is that Crackdown 3 will be at the conference. I’m hoping Microsoft uses this opportunity to stick to its new release date while also dating the open multiplayer beta that never happened. One could certainly hope, right?

Third Party Developers

"EA Play can be stuffed with all kinds of neat gameplay information on Bioware’s Anthem but it may not likely be enough. So why not feature some footage at Microsoft’s conference as well?"

Third party announcements are a decidedly tougher nut to crack. My money is on the gameplay trailer for Metro Exodus – or whatever 4A Games is planning/rumoured to be showing – debuting during Microsoft’s presser. Heck, slap an “Xbox One X Enhanced” tag on it if necessary. Given how Life is Strange: Before the Storm was announced at last year’s Microsoft presser, it wouldn’t be all that weird to see Life is Strange 2 announced this year. PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds will probably have some stat padding but if PUBG Corp skips Microsoft’s presser, that’s all the confirmation we need that it’s going to PS4 in the near future.

Electronic Arts is also in a good position. EA Play can be stuffed with all kinds of neat gameplay information on Bioware’s Anthem but it may not likely be enough. So why not feature some footage at Microsoft’s conference as well? After all, that was the pattern last year – and in fact, Microsoft got the better end of the deal since it actually showcased gameplay. We’ll see how this year pans out for them.

Also, if CD Projekt RED’s participation in Microsoft’s E3 2013 presser is any indication – which is a shoddy reason at best but let’s roll with it – then the first official trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 will likely be at this year’s presser. If Sony’s conference is stuffed to the brim and Microsoft needs games to fill its show time, why not get one of the most anticipated third party RPGs on the format? Finally, it seems that Bohemia Interactive is working on an Xbox One exclusive developed with Unreal Engine. Suffice to say we should be seeing it this Sunday.

Microsoft’s E3 2018 presser takes place on June 10th at 1 PM PST. What do you hope to see? Let us know in the comments below.

Note: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to GamingBolt as an organization.

It seems like Microsoft may be priming up to reveal a new Halo game at E3 this year after all. No, not Halo 6– we already know that’s not supposed to be announced this year. But a new Halo game may be revealed nonetheless. According to Brad Sams, editor of Thurott.com (a site known for having leaked Microsoft news accurately in the past), Microsoft is preparing to reveal a Halo game called Halo Infinity at E3 this year.

Now, we don’t know what kind of game this title may be- is it a different genre altogether? After all, Halo Wars is an RTS franchise, so it wouldn’t be unprecedented. Maybe Halo Infinity is a battle royale game? Or maybe it’s a spin off in the vein of Halo 3: ODST or Halo Reach? Or, and this would be awesome, a new RPG in the Halo universe?

Of course, it might not be real or announced at all- the site has a good track record, but rumors are rumors unless officially confirmed, and Sams himself notes that plans may change going into Microsoft’s E3 show this Sunday. So, keep that in mind before you give yourself over to the hype entirely.

Obv, things could change here but that’s the word the street

— Brad Sams (@bdsams) June 5, 2018

Microsoft has registered a bunch of domains for Halo, and it seems like a new Halo game in the Horizon. No, no it’s not Halo: Horizon like the Forza one they did recently, it’s called Halo Infinity.

Yes, we know this series will have infinite games… I kid, but they probably didn’t register it for that. They have gone on a spree and we have the entire list for you below, courtesy of Fusible.

• HaloInfinityMultiplayer.com
• HaloInfinity.org
• HaloInfinity.co.uk
• HaloInfinity.mobi
• HaloInfinity.de
• HaloInfinityMultiplayer.net
• HaloInfinityMultiplayer.org
• HaloInfinityMultiplayer.co.uk
• HaloInfinityMultiplayer.mobi
• HaloInfinityMultiplayer.de
• spartanops.org
• Morethanjustamap.com

There was an Infinity map for Halo 1 and it was exclusive to the PC, and when you look at the last registration “Morethanjustamap.com” bells start ringing. Is it a new game? Who knows.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.