Halo Studios Unveils New Chapter with Unreal Engine 5 and Upcoming Games
The Halo franchise is set to embark on a new era with the rebranding of 343 Industries to Halo Studios and a major technical shift to Unreal Engine 5 (UE5) for future titles. This rebranding marks a significant pivot for the Halo series, moving away from the in-house Slipspace Engine, which has been central to the franchise since 343 took over from Bungie in 2007. By adopting Unreal Engine, Halo Studios hopes to streamline development, leverage cutting-edge graphics, and ease the onboarding process for developers familiar with UE5, which has become a gaming industry standard.
This transition is driven by a commitment to revitalise the franchise. Pierre Hintze, the head of Halo Studios, emphasised that this move is the beginning of a new “chapter” for Halo, allowing the team to enhance both the visual and gameplay quality. He stated that the change will support multiple Halo projects concurrently, creating a more unified pipeline that can accommodate more robust and dynamic game environments.
The studio’s recent unveiling, Project Foundry, showcased the visual potential of UE5 through a tech demo, which includes iconic Halo elements like the Master Chief and the Flood. While these teasers excited fans, Halo Studios has not announced any specific games tied to this demo, reinforcing that they aim to avoid rushing production and focus instead on quality.
This transformation also comes after a challenging period for the studio, with restructuring following Microsoft’s layoffs in 2023. Despite previous issues, Halo Studios remains committed to supporting Halo Infinite, which will continue on Slipspace for now, alongside its ongoing esports initiatives.
In all, the rebranding and technical upgrades represent a bold step to rejuvenate Halo, as Halo Studios seeks to blend the franchise’s legacy with modern gaming capabilities.
