Almost three years after its most recent release, theHalofranchise is making a major change by switching from the proprietary Slipspace Engine to Unreal Engine 5. WithHalo Infinitehaving suffered from extended development times and a somewhat mixed reception upon its 2021 release, 343 Industries is taking the series through a major change - one that can hopefully ease development troubles while still retaining the franchise’s signature feel.
As announced in ashowcase videoand an article posted onXbox Wire,theHalofranchise will be moving away from the proprietary Slipspace Engine that was developed forHalo Infinite, and will instead be moving forward with the more ubiquitous Unreal Engine 5. Alongside this change, 343 Industries is also being renamed to “Halo Studios”, and it’s been confirmed that multiple newHalogames are currently in development.
The change, as explained by severalHalodevelopers, should serve to allow for faster development of more games, and more easily allow Halo Studios to hire additional developers.
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WhileHalohas continued to enjoy alargely positive critical reception,many fans of the series have become alienated by its direction (or lack thereof) during 343 Industries' tenure, a problem that was exacerbated by the six-year wait for the somewhat lacklusterHalo Infinite. The announced shift in direction, therefore, has instilled some hope in the future of the franchise, as the newly renamed Halo Studios at least recognizes the need for a major change - and the prospect ofmultiple new games with hastened development timesis a promising start.
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However, despite Halo Studios' insistence that the “Project Foundry” showcase developed in UE5, shown in the “A New Dawn” video, is more than just a tech demo, a portion of the fanbase isn’t entirely convinced. While theProject Foundry clips show off parts of theHalouniverse in impressive graphical detail,they are also a reminder, to some fans, of the initial reveal trailers forHalo Infinite, which similarly showed off impressive visuals but no actual gameplay.
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While some fans have their doubts, though,I think the new direction forHalocan be regarded with, at the very least, cautious optimism. Extended, expensive development periods have become a major issue for not justHalo, but the AAA game industry in general, and that the developers at Halo Industries recognize that and are taking steps to rectify it is a good sign, showing a willingness to learn from past mistakes. However, optimism can only go so far -the direction can only actually be judged when the newUE5Halogames are released and playable.
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With Slipspace seemingly being responsible for a large share ofHalo Infinite’s development troubles,it makes sense for the series to shift to Unreal Engine 5, which should in theory be easier to troubleshoot and require less onboarding for new developers. But while the announcement can instill some cautious optimism in longtime fans of the series, it remains to be seen whether it will actually result in betterHalogames.
