What Halo Moving to Unreal Engine Could Mean for the Franchise

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What Halo Moving to Unreal Engine Could Mean for the Franchise

As a seasoned gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the news about Halo moving to Unreal Engine 5 is a game-changer for this iconic franchise. I’ve seen the evolution of Halo since its humble beginnings with Combat Evolved, and the transition to Unreal could potentially bring us back to the golden age of Halo releases that we haven’t witnessed since the late 2000s.

Approximately a month from now, the Halo franchise will reach its impressive 23-year milestone, and its most recent game, Halo Infinite, will be marking its third anniversary. To honor these significant milestones, Halo Studios (formerly known as 343 Industries) unveiled several exciting updates and additions for the franchise at the 2024 Halo World Championship event.

The upcoming event in Halo Infinite is called Operation Haloween, running from October 8 to November 5. During this period, the classic game mode Survive the Undead will also be available for matchmaking. Moreover, Halo Infinite’s multiplayer will soon offer a third-person perspective, marking a first for the series. The most significant revelation from the Championship, however, is that future Halo games will be developed using Unreal Engine 5.

Halo’s Developmental History

For much of Halo’s existence, its core game engines have been developed and customized internally by Bungie and 343 Industries. The development of the Blam Engine started in 1997 and was used for the initial release of Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001. This engine served as the foundation for every mainline Halo game from Halo 2 to Halo 5: Guardians. Unlike other engines like Unreal, the Blam Engine was mostly exclusive to Bungie and Halo’s development, with some exceptions being Stubbs the Zombie in Rebel Without a Pulse and later Destiny and Destiny 2, which utilized a modified version of the engine called the Tiger Engine.

Despite both Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians using upgraded versions of the Blam Engine, the engine was already over a decade old by the time Halo 5 was released, revealing its age and constraints on newer console generations. In an effort to overcome these issues, 343 Industries developed a new engine that was still influenced by Blam’s code but offered enhanced visuals and smoother gameplay. This innovation led to the creation of the Slipspace Engine, which propels Halo Infinite. However, the Slipspace Engine proved challenging for many developers, causing developmental hurdles for Infinite before and after its 2021 debut.

Halo’s Future with Unreal Engine 5

Following the conclusion of the 2024 Halo World Championship, Halo Studios declared their intention to utilize Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 for all future Halo games instead of the Slipspace Engine. In a subsequent statement, Halo Studios’ COO Elizabeth van Wyck explained that this move was made to allow Halo Studios to concentrate on creating games rather than developing engines and tools themselves. This change means that Halo Studios will now have greater flexibility in taking on new projects and improving existing games more efficiently than ever before, as the Unreal Engine is considered easier to work with compared to Slipspace. It has also been confirmed that several upcoming Halo projects are currently underway.

As a gaming enthusiast diving into the world of Halo Studios, I can share that Joe Skrebels, the big boss at Xbox Wire, mentioned an exciting shift from Slipspace to Unreal Engine. This move is expected to streamline recruitment since many game developers are already acquainted with Unreal in some capacity. However, our Art Director Chris Matthews wasn’t content to just go along with the flow. Instead, he spearheaded Project Foundry, a daring initiative to see how Halo would fare within the Unreal Engine.

Future Halo Games Powered by Unreal

Due to Halo now running on the Unreal Engine, there’s a strong possibility of witnessing a revival in Halo games reminiscent of the late 2000s. This switch could enable Halo Studios to recruit numerous experienced professionals, allowing them to work simultaneously on various projects rather than having to wait several years for the next release as was previously the case. Potential upcoming titles might include Halo 7, a supposed remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, and new projects focusing on different parts of the Halo universe. The Unreal Engine could potentially facilitate the release of multiple Halo games within a single generation, such as a new ODST-focused game, an Elite spin-off, a terrifying Flood-themed game, and more.

At present, the Unreal Engine 5 is being utilized in a range of games, which include titles such as Black Myth: Wukong, Fortnite, RoboCop: Rogue City, Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, the upcoming Silent Hill 2 (in 2024), Tekken 8, and The First Descendant.

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2024-10-10 16:35