As of May 2025, the future of the Halo franchise is a little unclear. Halo Infinite is still being updated regularly, with its latest update landing at the start of May, but there's still no concrete news on the franchise's next mainline installment or any other Halo projects that are currently in development.
Back in October 2024, 343 Industries renamed itself to Halo Studios. This rebrand came alongside the announcement that all future Halo video game projects would be using Unreal Engine 5, as opposed to the franchise's aging Slipspace Engine. Fans were treated to a few glimpses of an internal test build called Project Foundry, which was explicitly stated to not be a new game. It was said, however, that elements seen in the footage would appear in future Halo games. And while there's still no word on what these games are or when they'll appear, there's a perfect reveal date waiting in the wings.
The Arbiter from Halo deserves his own game
Arbiter is one of the most interesting characters in the franchise. He offers a compelling perspective of the Covenant and the galaxy as a whole. His story of redemption, honor, and struggle against his own people offers a richness of emotion that is largely missing in the Spartan-focused games. A game based on the Arbiter would open doors to previously untapped lore, offer a new type of gameplay (Similar to what may have been seen in Halo 2), and give fans a new, darker aspect of Halo to become involved in, which is something the franchise desperately needs.
2026 Would Be The Perfect Time for Halo to Make Some Announcements
2026 Marks Halo's 25th Anniversary
On November 15, 2001, Halo: Combat Evolved hit Xbox consoles for the very first time. This means that on November 15, 2026, Halo: Combat Evolved – and the Halo franchise as a whole – will celebrate its 25th anniversary.
The Halo franchise has changed a lot in the last 25 years. Bungie has long since stepped away from the franchise it created, and 343 Industries has done its best to uphold the series' lofty legacy while pushing it forward into new territory. This journey hasn't always been a smooth one, but the good arguably outweighs the bad. And with Halo Studios now looking to embark on a new phase of the franchise, Halo's 25th anniversary would be the ideal time to announce some new projects.
First up should be the heavily rumored Halo: Combat Evolved remake/remaster. Reports of this rumored Halo remaster or remake originally surfaced in June 2024, with The Verge's Tom Warren claiming that Microsoft had a Halo remaster in development and that it was being considered for release on "rival consoles." A ground-up remake of Halo: Combat Evolved in Unreal Engine 5 would be a great way for Halo Studios to get fans onboard with its future plans, and it'd be the perfect way to celebrate the original entry's 25th anniversary.
Halo's 25th Anniversary Should Only Be The Beginning
But a remake or remaster of Halo: Combat Evolved should only be the tip of the iceberg of Halo Studios' 25th anniversary plans. According to Halo Studios' Xbox Wire announcement back in October 2024, "multiple new games using [Unreal Engine 5] are in development," and it'd be great if fans were given a closer look at some of these projects next November.
For years, fans have been asking for more diverse Halo video game projects, such as experimental spinoffs that expand on the Halo franchise's lore and gameplay opportunities. Halo: Combat Evolved's 25th anniversary could be the perfect moment for Halo Studios to reinvigorate the franchise with a slew of new game announcements that finally deliver on these desires.
Halo Infinite
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 94%
- Released
- December 8, 2021
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- 343 Industries
- Publisher(s)
- Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
- Slipspace
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
