As a dedicated Halo fan who has been following the franchise since its humble beginnings, I can’t help but feel a mix of emotions about Project Tatanka. On one hand, it’s exciting to learn about new projects and see how the series is evolving. But on the other, it’s disheartening to see potential ideas like Tatanka being shelved due to corporate decisions.
Approximately three years have passed since 343 Industries launched Halo Infinite, and while the multiplayer aspect of the game is still being maintained, most of the new content added in recent updates has been developed by forgers or external developers. With the significant layoffs at Microsoft in 2023, 343 Industries is now directing their remaining resources towards their upcoming project, whatever that may be.
As a devoted Halo gamer, I’ve noticed that the series has been heavily emphasizing its Player versus Player (PvP) aspects in recent releases. Ever since Combat Evolved, multiplayer has been a significant pull for Halo. However, when the gaming world started emulating and profiting from microtransaction-based models like Fortnite and Call of Duty, 343 Industries followed the trend. Unfortunately, Halo 5: Guardians was marred by the unpopular REQ packs, which were essentially loot boxes. Although Halo Infinite’s multiplayer was initially free, almost every cosmetic item in the game was locked behind a paywall at launch. It remains to be seen how the next entry will handle PvP and whether the focus on microtransactions will continue, but there was a strong possibility that we might have received a multiplayer-only title, Project Tatanka, which aimed to capitalize on another industry trend – the battle royale genre.
What is Project Tatanka?
343 Industries, together with Certain Affinity (a studio known for contributing to hit Halo games such as Halo 2 and Halo: Reach), were believed to be secretly working on a spin-off from the Halo series, tentatively called Project Tatanka. Although no formal announcement was made by 343, clues emerged in early 2022 when data miners discovered hidden settings and multiplayer titles within the files of Halo Infinite, suggesting that a new multiplayer experience was under development and testing.
Apart from the repercussions of these leaks, an article published by Bloomberg in 2023 disclosed that not only was Tatanka being developed by 343 Industries and Certain Affinity, but it would offer a multiplayer Battle Royale experience. During the development phase of Halo Infinite, Battle Royale gameplay modes gained immense popularity due to titles such as PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, Fortnite, Apex Legends, and Call of Duty: Warzone. Given this surge in popularity, it was logical that Microsoft would join the trend with its iconic shooter series, leaving fans taken aback when they discovered earlier this year that Project Tatanka seemed to have been scrapped.
I, a fellow gamer, had been eagerly waiting for updates on Tatanka’s development, but the chatter seemed to die down completely. That is until Rebs Gaming, a reliable YouTube channel, dropped an exclusive scoop on October 1 this year. This channel claimed to have obtained confidential info from a former developer who not only worked on Tatanka but also played it extensively. The video they posted provided fresh insights into the spin-off’s gameplay and the reasons behind its cancellation.
Gameplay in Project Tatanka
According to details obtained by Rebs Gaming, it appears that Project Tatanka was initially conceived as a Battle Royale game. In each round, players began in a launch bay before being transported to the map via ODST drop pods. Players could choose to go solo or team up with others, similar to other Battle Royale games. The map, situated on Zeta Halo within the Infinite universe, featured various biomes. Once on the ground, players would engage in combat as expected of a Battle Royale game, but there were additional objectives within the match to keep things engaging. These objectives offered power-ups, equipment, and partial shield. Furthermore, it was rumored that Pelicans would move across the map, dropping off vehicles like the Falcon for players to control. Project Tatanka also seemed to have loose connections to Joe Staten’s campaign storyline until Staten left 343 and new leadership took charge.
Project Tatanka’s Cancelation
Without Joe Staten involved, the management team at 343 Industries chose to alter the course for Project Tatanka. It appears that the project was subsequently renamed as Project Ekhert. Unfortunately, no reasons have been disclosed for this change in direction or what the gameplay of Project Ekhert would have entailed. However, the multiplayer component of the game was canceled not long after during the summer of 2023.
343 Studios, due to decreasing resources, reportedly lacked confidence in its ability to compete with established Battle Royale games. Additionally, the studio chose not to divide its attention between two separate Halo titles. Consequently, 343 redirected its team towards the upcoming mainline Halo game, effectively cancelling Project Tatanka/Ekhert. Despite fan eagerness for a new Halo game, this shift in focus likely pushes back the release of the next installment in the series.
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2024-10-04 14:04