Halo is XBOX’s most iconic franchise, but most of its fans agree that it has not received the treatment it deserves. The series had its golden era under Bungie, only to struggle considerably under 343 Industries, a studio that failed to redeem itself as Halo Studios.

After years of complaints and setbacks, XBOX finally decided to take action and change the direction of the franchise. The company in charge of this important mission will be Activision, the studio behind Call of Duty that is already working on the Master Chief’s next adventure.

Rob Kostich, the company’s president, knows that taking over XBOX’s most iconic franchise will be a huge challenge, but he wants fans to remain calm. For that reason, he promised that they will make the best Halo game yet.

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Activision Promises a Bright Future for Halo

After several corporate crises and a series of bad decisions, 343 Industries demonstrated that it was not ready to take charge of Halo, a franchise that has defined generations of XBOX fans. Because of this, Microsoft decided to wipe the slate clean with Halo Studios, which was born from a reorganization of 343i.

However, the changes within the team were not enough to guarantee the future of Halo in the long term. Halo Studios’ capabilities were called into question just months after its formation, inevitably leading to criticism of XBOX for its lack of willingness to take care of its most important IP.

Now, Activision will take the reins of Halo and use all its experience with shooters to give fans the game they have been waiting for years. Rob Kostich, the studio’s head, is highly committed to the task and is also convinced that his developers will do an exceptional job.

In statements to Game File, the executive promised that Activision will create the best Halo game. His goal is to respect the series’ legacy and deliver a title worthy of it. Kostich emphasized that they want to give the IP the treatment it deserves and surprise the community with the results.

“For Halo, our goal is clear: to create the best Halo game ever, worthy of its universe and legacy, while staying true to what made players love it from the beginning,” Kostich stated. “It’s a bold ambition, one that this franchise deserves. We’ve already begun assembling a specialized team, unique in its capability and talent, ready and excited to deliver this new chapter alongside the community.”

For now, Activision has not revealed any information about its Halo project. The series’ latest release was Halo Campaign Evolved, a remake of Bungie’s first title. XBOX previously hinted that there would be more rereleases, as well as new projects. Activision is probably working on the next main installment to leave behind how disappointing Halo Infinite was.

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The Franchise’s Downfall and Halo Studios

For many fans, the franchise’s real problems began with Halo 5: Guardians, a title that received a mixed reception and had various issues that affected its development. Despite this, XBOX decided to give 343 Industries another chance, and the result was Halo Infinite, considered one of the most controversial titles in the series.

The studio invested years of effort and a great deal of money in creating the Slipspace Engine, a development engine that was supposedly going to be a turning point for the franchise. Without a doubt, Halo Infinite became the straw that broke the camel’s back for many fans. For years, they demanded that XBOX address the terrible management and poor leadership at 343 Industries, which went down in history as one of the most disorganized teams at XBOX Game Studios.

The community asked XBOX to hand the reins of the franchise to another team. In fact, Activision became the ideal candidate after Microsoft acquired it. However, XBOX turned 343i into Halo Studios and gave it one last chance. To get the franchise back on track, the team began working on several projects with Unreal Engine 5, a necessary change to leave the Slipspace Engine behind.

Halo Campaign Evolved was well received, but it was clear that Halo Studios no longer had the talent or resources to handle the IP and restore it to its former glory. Therefore, it has now been reduced to a support team. Activision, on the other hand, has an entire network of studios specialized in shooters at its disposal, which could very well make the best game in the series since Bungie left it.