There's a good chance that we'll be seeing a major announcement at this year's Halo World Championship on October 24, and I can't say I'm particularly excited about it. The Halo event will cover what Halo Studios, formerly known as 343 Industries, has been "working on" since Halo Infinite's contentious release, and while there's no use in being pessimistic, this upcoming project could signal the end of an era for the franchise.
Halo is inseparable from Xbox in many ways. When Microsoft first joined the console space in 2001, it was fighting an uphill battle: its main competitors, SEGA, Nintendo, and Sony, had all entered the home gaming market earlier, and had thereby established much stronger brand identities. By this point, SEGA already had Sonic, Nintendo had long been pumping out Mario games, and Sony was walking arm-in-arm with Final Fantasy, Metal Gear, and Tekken, not to mention bona-fide first-party titles like Crash Bandicoot.
In other words, Microsoft had to make a name for itself in this new and strange world of interactive entertainment, and so it took a chance on a little game called Halo: Combat Evolved. As we know today, this game would go on to define first-person shooters and multiplayer gaming for the foreseeable future, slingshotting Microsoft toward the top of the gaming ecosystem, and perhaps even saving it from an early defeat.
Halo Studios Is Rumored to Reveal a Halo PS5 Game on October 24
Halo on PlayStation Rumors, Explained
Anyone keyed-in to Microsoft news these past few years is likely more than familiar with its controversial decision to, in effect, bow out of the exclusives business. First, the company had graced PlayStation with the likes of Sea of Thieves and Pentiment—beloved and well-made games, to be sure, but not exactly system-sellers. Then, highly-anticipated and platform-defining releases like Indiana Jones and the Great Circle and Forza Horizon 5 migrated to PS5, raising more pressing questions about Microsoft's commitment to exclusives. For many, the port of the first Gears of War to PlayStation earlier this year was the final nail in the coffin for Xbox's exclusivity ambitions.
This track record alone is enough to make a Halo PS5 release plausible, but the prospect seems even more believable in the wake of a cryptic tweet from longtime Halo dataminer grunt.api, featuring little more than a PS5 logo and a subsequent post discussing the Halo World Championship this month. Industry insider Rebs Gaming eventually chimed in, clarifying that grunt.api was hinting at a new Halo game coming to PS5. This new game could be a remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, which has been rumored for quite some time.
The alt text for grunt.api's PS5 logo image reads "Switch" with a red X beside it, suggesting that Nintendo's console may not get this rumored multiplatform Halo game.
As a PlayStation Owner, the Possibility of Halo Coming to PS5 Saddens Me
I transitioned to the PS3 when I was, if memory serves, about thirteen years old. I had previously mained the Xbox 360, though in the wake of PlayStation exclusives like Uncharted 2, InFamous 2, and The Last of Us, I was beginning to feel Sony's pull stronger than ever. Years later, I'm happy with my decision to prioritize my digital footprint on PlayStation, which has proven to be an ecosystem much richer in exclusive games.
But still, I have a fondness for Xbox, and I've never wanted the company to fail. The reality is, I grew up with Halo just like everyone else my age: it wasn't a perfect franchise, but a new Halo always felt like an event, a big, triumphant swing by Xbox. At the very least, each modern Halo would prompt me to dust off my Xbox 360, and eventually my Xbox One; I always had a decent time with the franchise, at the very least. But if it comes to Sony, it won't be Xbox's crown jewel anymore. Rather, it'll just be another cross-platform shooter, now directly competing with the Call of Duty s and Fortnite s of the world. If this happens, I'm not entirely confident that Halo will survive, which would be a great tragedy regardless of your side in the Console Wars.
Halo Infinite
-
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
WHERE TO PLAY
When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic open-world adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring.
With Network Campaign Co-Op and Mission Replay, you can relive your favorite moments, rediscover collectibles and explore the wonders of Zeta Halo on your own or with up to three other fireteam members.
Experience Halo’s celebrated multiplayer reimagined and free-to-play! With over 70 maps in matchmaking, billions of customization configurations, and countless community Forge creations to experience, Halo Infinite is the franchise’s most expansive multiplayer offering to date.
Enjoy an unprecedented variety of gameplay experiences, ranging from fast-paced intense ranked modes to whimsical mayhem in Custom Games, or even co-operative coordination in the wave-based survival mode Firefight: King of the Hill. Assemble your Fireteam and conquer every mode – Halo offers endless opportunities for teamwork, strategy, and unforgettable victories.
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, Xbox One & Xbox Series X|S
- Cross Save
- yes
- Franchise
- Halo
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter
- Platform(s)
- PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
- How Long To Beat
- 12 Hours
- X|S Optimized
- Yes
- File Size Xbox Series
- 90 GB (November 2023)
