Microsoft has finally revealed the first details of Master Chief’s next adventure.The Xbox One maker announced Halo 5: Guardians, the next chapter of its blockbuster action series, will launch in fall 2015.
Halo 5 picks up right after the events of Xbox 360 predecessor Halo 4, as franchise hero Master Chief copes with the loss of companion Cortana. “He’s questioning many things that he firmly believed to be true,” said Bonnie Ross, General Manager of studio 343 Industries. “His past, his purpose, who he was, what he was fighting for. For us, this is something we definitely pivoted on in thinking about how we wanted to tell his story going forward.”
Perhaps the biggest change for Halo 5 is a new technology engine built from the ground up for Xbox One, adding much more “scope and scale” compared to previous Halo games, says Frank O’Connor, franchise director for Halo at 343 Industries. “Technologically, this is a big step forward.”
Ross praised 343 for pushing the technological limits of Xbox 360 with the launch of Halo 4, which was lauded by critics after its release in 2012, but says she’s excited to work on Xbox One. “Being able to do a custom engine for that platform to really take advantage just opens up so many more possibilities for what we can do with Halo.”
Although Halo 5 launches next year, Microsoft hints the Halo journey starts in 2014, and will offer details at next month’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.
