343 Studios Announces Rebranding To Halo Studios, A Switch To Unreal Engine For Future Projects
The future of the Halo franchise is evolving, with significant changes on the horizon. During the Halo World Championships, the studio formerly known as 343 Industries announced that it is rebranding as Halo Studios and is currently working on multiple new Halo games. In a major shift, all future Halo projects will now be developed using Unreal Engine, moving away from the Slipspace Engine that powered Halo Infinite.
Transition to Unreal Engine
The announcement was made in a seven-minute video shown ahead of the Halo World Championship grand finals, highlighting Project Foundry, an experimental tech demo showcasing a Halo game built with the Unreal Engine. While not a fully-fledged game, this tech demo gives fans a glimpse of what’s to come in the next chapter of Xbox’s flagship series, marking a fresh start after the release of Halo Infinite in 2021.
The decision to move away from the Slipspace Engine is significant, especially given the substantial resources that had been dedicated to its development. The Slipspace Engine, which includes elements dating back to the early 2000s, was initially intended to serve as the foundation for the series after Halo Infinite. However, the studio faced challenges using the engine during the development of the game.
According to Halo Studios’ Art Director Chris Matthews, some aspects of Slipspace were nearly 25 years old, and developing new tools to match modern gaming engines like Unreal would have required considerable time and resources. “Some components of Slipspace are almost 25 years old. There are aspects of Unreal that Epic has been developing for some time, which are unavailable to us in Slipspace,” Matthews said.
A New Direction for the Halo Franchise
Reports from early 2023 suggested that the Halo franchise was undergoing a significant reset, with the development team focusing on new game ideas and experimenting with Unreal Engine technology. The video shown during the World Championships marks the culmination of those efforts, showcasing the potential of Unreal Engine to redefine the franchise’s future.
Leading the charge at Halo Studios are Pierre Hintze and Elizabeth Van Wyck, who took over leadership following the departure of long-time studio head Bonnie Ross in 2022. This shift in leadership, combined with the new engine and rebranding, signifies a new era for Halo.
Future Projects in Development
While specific details on the new games are still under wraps, Halo Studios confirmed that multiple projects are in the works. According to Hintze, the switch to Unreal Engine allows the studio to focus on delivering high-quality experiences across multiple games. “Switching to Unreal allows us to put all the focus on making multiple new experiences at the highest quality possible,” he said.
Halo Studios has not provided a timeline for when these new games will be released, saying they will be “ready when they’re ready.” In the meantime, fans can look forward to more updates and developments as the studio moves forward with its ambitious plans.
Stay tuned for more updates on the next chapter of the Halo franchise as Halo Studios continues to work on redefining the future of one of the most iconic series in gaming history.
