Halo Developer 343 Industries Is Changing Its Name

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Halo Developer 343 Industries Is Changing Its Name

Key Takeaways

  • Halo Studios rebrands itself from 343 Industries, while also switching to Unreal Engine 5 for future Halo projects.
  • The studio announced multiple projects in development, with new culture, workflow, and community involvement at Halo Studios.
  • Halo Infinite faced issues but had strong points, leading to a shift in development strategy.

As a die-hard Halo fan with over two decades of gaming under my belt, I can hardly contain my excitement about the latest developments at Halo Studios! The rebranding from 343 Industries to Halo Studios, coupled with their switch to Unreal Engine 5, feels like a breath of fresh air.

343 Industries unveiled a complete overhaul of their identity, transforming into Halo Studios. They also revealed that they will no longer rely on their exclusive Slipstream Engine and instead opt for Unreal Engine 5 for all upcoming Halo projects. The Halo series remains an essential pillar in the Xbox family, but some recent installments have not fully satisfied long-term fans’ expectations.

After a rocky production process and significant delays, “Halo Infinite” was ultimately released in December 2021, offering single player, open-world gameplay that garnered praise from both critics and players. Yet, “Halo Infinite” didn’t escape its own set of problems, such as multiplayer desync issues, absent features, questionable monetization strategies, a scarcity of content for a live-service game, and concerns about the quality of the overall experience. Despite these challenges, some fans questioned whether improvements could be made given upcoming games in the series. Interestingly, 343 Industries has grand ambitions for the future of the Halo franchise.

343 Industries has recently undergone a transformation and is now known as Halo Studios, an announcement made during the Halo World Championship tournament. Alongside this rebranding, the studio is also undergoing changes in its culture, work methods, and internal team structures. According to Studio Head Pierre Hintze, these changes will involve greater community input earlier in the development process. Although no new games were unveiled or announced following a summer filled with speculation about the Halo franchise, it was disclosed that several projects are currently being worked on. However, specific details might not be shared immediately due to significant behind-the-scenes changes taking place.

Halo Studios Is Switching Game Engines for Future Titles

Additionally, the rebranding wasn’t the only significant update announced; Studio Head Pierre Hintze also disclosed a major shift from using the proprietary Slipspace Engine to Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5. The footage exhibited, called Foundry, was more of a demonstration of what the team can accomplish within the new engine, rather than a sneak peek at a new game. This transition was primarily aimed at resolving internal challenges, particularly the time it takes developers to adapt and the speed at which content can be generated. As Studio art director Chris Matthews explained, parts of the Slipspace Engine are almost 25 years old, causing production delays as the studio struggled to maintain the aging infrastructure.

As a dedicated fan, transitioning to a globally recognized engine like Unreal offers our studio a golden opportunity to broaden our talent pool and have new team members hit the ground running. The hurdles and tribulations that hampered Halo Infinite’s launch and subsequent period have been extensively chronicled. Not only did Halo Infinite experience a year-long postponement, but many players were disgruntled by the gradual unveiling of numerous post-launch content, including the co-op campaign. Although things gradually improved over time, particularly as Halo Infinite shifted from traditional seasons to deliver content more swiftly, this studio-wide change is expected to bring substantial long-term benefits to the franchise.

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2024-10-07 17:13