Halo Developer Explains Why the Series is Moving to Unreal Engine 5

Halo Developer Explains Why the Series is Moving to Unreal Engine 5

Key Takeaways

  • Halo Studios is switching to Unreal Engine 5 for future projects due to a need for a more efficient and effective game development process.
  • Unreal Engine 5 provides advanced technologies that were unavailable in 343 Industries’ Slipspace Engine, which should lead to smoother development cycles.
  • Popularity and familiarity with Unreal Engine among team members influenced the decision to transition for upcoming Halo games.

As a lifelong Halo fan who has witnessed the highs and lows of this iconic franchise, I can’t help but feel a sense of relief and anticipation as Halo Studios decides to switch to Unreal Engine 5 for future projects. The struggles with the Slipspace Engine during the development of Halo Infinite were all too evident, and the delays and controversies that ensued were a bitter pill to swallow for us loyal fans.


A significant shift is taking place within the Halo series, as Halo Studios, previously known as 343 Industries, has recently detailed their reasons for transitioning to Unreal Engine 5 for upcoming projects. This announcement was made following a comprehensive rebranding and cultural overhaul that occurred during the Halo World Championship event earlier this week. The studio’s new name, Halo Studios, was revealed along with the confirmation of multiple Halo projects in progress, all of which will be developed using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5.

As a gamer, I must admit, the new game we’re diving into now is a stark contrast to my recent experience with Halo Infinite. Developed by 343 Industries using their Slipspace Engine, this title had quite the rocky road to release. After numerous delays during development, it finally launched in the winter of 2021 for PC and Xbox Series X/S.

The shift towards change is imminent, and developers from Halo Studios have shared insights regarding Halo’s transition to Unreal Engine 5. In a conversation with Xbox Wire, COO Elizabeth van Wyck explained that the traditional method of creating Halo games may not be as effective for their future plans, and a key aspect of this change is concentrating on developing the games themselves rather than managing proprietary tools and engines.

Future Halo Games Will Use Unreal Engine 5

The Slipspace Engine is a useful tool, however, the team at Halo Studios, including Studio Art Director Chris Matthews, discovered that it significantly slowed down the creation process for Halo Infinite. As Matthews explains, some parts of the Slipspace Engine are around 25 years old, and there are features in Epic’s Unreal Engine 5 that were not present in 343’s in-house engine, which would have required a substantial amount of time and resources to replicate. For instance, Unreal’s Nanite and Lumen technologies, utilized for rendering and lighting respectively, are not available in the Slipspace Engine.

One key factor influencing Halo Studios’ choice of Unreal Engine 5 for their upcoming Halo games is its increasing prominence across the gaming industry as a whole. As van Wyck points out, many new team members are already accustomed to working with Unreal, which means they can dive right into the projects without having to spend time learning a new engine first. This change could potentially streamline development for future Halo projects; however, we’ll have to wait and see how these alterations affect the final games in practice.

Read More

2024-10-07 22:05