Everything We Know About Halo Studios Foundry So Far

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Everything We Know About Halo Studios Foundry So Far

As a gamer with over two decades of Halo experience under my belt, I can confidently say that the announcement of Project Foundry by Halo Studios is a game-changer, pun intended. The shift from homegrown engines to Unreal Engine 5 is a bold move and one that could potentially revitalize the series, just like how Master Chief revitalized the Covenant in the original trilogy.

At the 2024 Halo World Championship held in Seattle, Washington, Halo Studios (previously known as 343 Industries) revealed several exciting new projects they are working on. One of these is that Halo Infinite will soon introduce a new third-person mode for multiplayer matches, a feature previously only available when controlling vehicles. Additionally, the modding team behind Halo: The Master Chief Collection announced they’ll be making the legendary E3 2003 Demo of Halo 2 accessible to all players on PC on November 9th, which coincides with Halo 2’s 20th anniversary. Lastly, it was revealed that future Halo games will be developed using Unreal Engine 5 through an initiative called Project Foundry.

Halo’s Project Foundry Explained

Named after the gigantic circular factory that produces Halo rings in the center of Installation 00 or the Ark, Project Foundry was first conceived by Studio Art Director Chris Matthews as a way for developers at Halo Studios to learn how to make Halo within Unreal. Project Foundry isn’t a game or tech demo but is rather a research project for Halo’s future within Unreal. Previous Halo games were developed within homegrown engines, including the Blam Engine and the Slipspace Engine. The Blam Engine was used to develop all of Bungie’s mainline Halo games, from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo: Reach, and was later used for Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians. The Slipspace Engine has only been used for Halo Infinite.

To date, just a few ideas or prototypes have been developed for Project Foundry. One of these ideas showcases the famous beacon tower that appears on every Halo ring, nestled within a Pacific Northwest-style setting similar to what we’ve seen on installations 04 and 07. In this scene, Master Chief, wearing his Mark 5 armor, is engaged in combat with Elites while a waterfall cascades nearby. A second concept presents the beacon tower situated in a place called the Coldlands, blanketed with snow and ice. Lastly, the third idea portrays a Halo ring entirely taken over by the Flood, with spores and growth pods covering the entire landscape in a grotesque display of their invasive power.

Project Foundry’s Many Assets and Biomes’ Future

As a gamer, I’m excited about Matthews explaining that Foundry is a creative playground for Halo Studios developers to blend the familiar with the new and the alien, all while maintaining the distinctive art style of Halo. Pierre Hintze, our Studio Head, further clarified in an Xbox Wire article that every asset and biome built within Foundry will be utilized in upcoming projects. Joe Skrebels, Editor-in-Chief of Xbox Wire, added that Foundry is designed to push the boundaries of what’s possible with Unreal Engine in gaming, aiming to make Halo a graphical trailblazer in the industry once more, just like Halo: Combat Evolved did back in 2001.

“Foundry is designed to do things that we haven’t seen in games using Unreal across the industry…”

Project Foundry’s Potential Influence on Future Halo Games

Although Project Foundry wasn’t specifically created for a Halo game or demo, its innovations could pave the way for various future Halo projects. It’s been confirmed that several Halo games are being developed, though they are currently in the early stages. There have long been whispers of a complete remake of Halo: Combat Evolved, which is set to release around Halo’s 25th Anniversary in 2026. The emphasis on Halo: Combat Evolved elements like Master Chief’s Mark 5 armor rather than his Mark 7 in Foundry could suggest that these advancements might be utilized for the rumored remake game.

For the potential sequel to Halo Infinite, Halo Studios might effortlessly incorporate the biomes of Foundry, given that both Alpha and Zeta Halo share environments reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest United States. A video titled “A New Dawn” reveals a Banished-like Banshee flying through the frigid landscapes of Foundry, implying that Halo Studios is developing assets distinct from those in Combat Evolved. With The Banished and The Endless still posing a significant threat on Installation 07 even after the demise of Escharum and Harbinger, it seems likely that the next Halo game will continue to unfold events on Zeta Halo, at least in part.

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2024-10-09 18:04