Halo will use Unreal Engine 5, which will be the biggest change in its history

After so many rumors, Xbox has made a radical decision to protect the future Halo. The mythical saga will develop using Unreal engine 5 Epic Games as its graphics engine, which will mark the biggest technical breakthrough in its history.

Likewise, Microsoft has confirmed that the franchise will continue under the development of 343 Industries, which will henceforth be called Halo Studios. But Redmond officials promise that the new strategy is not just a revamp, but rather comes with a change in culture, workflow and team organization within the studio.

Announcement of changes that will occur in Halo They had reached the decisive moment in the saga. Let us remember that after its debut, 343 became the object of very harsh criticism. Halo Infinite at the end of 2021. Although the delivery campaign received decent initial reviews, its developers’ inability to keep up with the schedule for adding additional content added to the small number of new features in the multiplayer during its first year. market, they quickly tipped the scales towards negative comments.

In the midst of a crisis Halo Infinite343 Industries has experienced the passing of Bonnie Ross, its founder and leader of 15 years. Added to this were layoffs that hit the studio in early 2023 and saw the departure of key figures such as Joe Staten, who returned to the company to, among other things, “save” the game.

Hand in hand with Unreal Engine 5 and with important internal changes to come, Halo Studios is committed to finally correct course from one of Xbox’s most iconic intellectual properties. Of course, those who want to enjoy the first game based on Epic Games technology will have to be patient. The launch date for the first UE5-based game has not yet been set, so it will take several years for it to become a reality.

Unreal Engine 5 will be a lifesaver Halo

Halo Studios shared some images and video clips from the world Halo developed using Unreal Engine 5. This material does not relate to a specific game, but to a research initiative called Project Foundry. This allowed us to test the technology and show what a future game on this engine would look like.

According to Halo Studios, the studio’s new strategy is a “new dawn” for the Master Chief franchise. Let’s keep in mind that implementing Unreal Engine 5 will require Say goodbye to the Slipspace enginewhich many consider to be the source of most of the franchise’s technical problems in recent years.

The creators themselves Halo They admit that Slipspace is an old technology and that the studio had to spend a lot of time and resources optimizing it for the new parts. With Unreal Engine 5, the company will take advantage of a robust, industry-proven graphics engine. Names like Recognized, Black Myth: Wukong, Marvel 1943: Rise of the Hydra, Palworld, Gears of War: Electron Day, Senua Saga: Hellblade IIremake Silent Hill 2 And Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eaterthese are just a few examples to consider.

“Respectfully, some components of Slipspace are almost 25 years old. […] There are aspects of Unreal that Epic has been developing for a long time that are not available to us at Slipspace. “It would take us a huge amount of time and resources to try to replicate them,” explained Chris Matthews, art director at Halo Studios.

The first rumors that Halo which can be developed using Unreal Engine were revealed in 2022 and were deepened in 2023. However, Microsoft has not confirmed this publicly until now. There were even speculations that the franchise could leave the hands of 343 Industries and go under the wing of other studios.

The future is beyond endless

Another benefit of using Unreal Engine 5 in future games. Halo is that it will make it easier to hire developers familiar with the technology. Halo Studios claims that several new games of the saga are in developmentand that with the changes announced, he would reconsider his efforts after devoting most of them to participation in Halo Infinite in recent years.

Of course, the company clarifies that it plans to continue to support Halo Infinite and the Slipspace engine, although there is no mention of how much longer. Pierre Hintze, head of Halo Studios, says he wants to focus on the upcoming installments in the context of “less talk and more action.” That is, stop promising and start delivering.

“One of the things I really wanted to get away from was the constant talk about possibilities and “must haves.” We should do more and talk less. I really think it’s important that we continue to take the position that we have now when it comes to our franchise: a level of humility, a level of service to the fans. Halo“, he asserted.