# Microsoft’s Dedication to Halo: New Games in the Works Utilizing Unreal Engine 5
The **Halo** franchise, once the flagship title of Microsoft’s Xbox system, has encountered considerable obstacles in recent times. Despite the initial enthusiasm for *Halo: Infinite*, the game is largely viewed as a letdown, not meeting the high expectations set by its predecessors. Compounding the issues, the *Halo* series on Paramount was canceled after merely one season due to disappointing viewership. Nevertheless, despite these difficulties, Microsoft is not poised to give up on its legendary shooter series. Indeed, multiple new *Halo* projects are reportedly underway, set to be developed with the advanced **Unreal Engine 5**.
## A Challenging Journey for Halo
The *Halo* franchise, which was first created by **Bungie**, achieved monumental success in the early 2000s. Games like *Halo: Combat Evolved* and *Halo 3* became cultural milestones, shaping the first-person shooter genre for console players. However, following Bungie’s separation from Microsoft, the stewardship of the series shifted to **343 Industries**. Regrettably, the newer releases from 343 Industries found it challenging to recapture the enchantment of the original titles.
*Halo 5: Guardians* faced criticism for its perplexing storyline, and while *Halo: Infinite* showed some promising concepts, it stumbled with its transition to an open-world structure that many fans believed compromised the essence of *Halo*. The game also dealt with technical glitches and a scarcity of post-launch content, resulting in a declining player community.
In spite of these hardships, Microsoft continues to show its dedication to the franchise. The company has revealed that several new *Halo* initiatives are in development, and they intend to rejuvenate the series through the use of Unreal Engine 5, a change that has fans cautiously hopeful.
## New Games, New Engine
The most noteworthy development is that upcoming *Halo* titles will cease to be produced with the **Slipspace Engine**, the proprietary technology that has supported the franchise since its beginning. Instead, Microsoft and 343 Industries (now rebranded as **Halo Studios**) will utilize **Unreal Engine 5**, the state-of-the-art game engine created by Epic Games.
The choice to switch engines follows a number of technical challenges faced during the production of *Halo: Infinite*. The Slipspace Engine, which traces its origins back to the original Bungie-era *Halo* games, proved to be antiquated and cumbersome, particularly when attempting to integrate modern gameplay mechanics and open-world features. As reported by insiders, the team has spent the previous two years developing a tech demo named “Foundry” to assess the feasibility of employing Unreal Engine 5 for forthcoming *Halo* titles.
In a recent announcement for the **Halo World Championship 2024**, Microsoft presented concept art and preliminary footage showcasing what *Halo* could transform into using Unreal Engine 5, and the outcome is remarkable. The new engine enables more intricate environments, lifelike lighting, and fluid animations, all of which could enhance the *Halo* universe in unprecedented ways.
### Why Unreal Engine 5?
Unreal Engine 5 is acclaimed as one of the most sophisticated game engines available today. Its features, like **Nanite** (for rendering highly intricate environments) and **Lumen** (for real-time global illumination), equip developers with the tools to craft visually spectacular and immersive worlds. By transitioning to Unreal Engine 5, Halo Studios can emphasize game design and storytelling, rather than expending valuable resources on sustaining and upgrading an aging engine.
The shift to Unreal Engine 5 also paves the way for new opportunities in cross-platform development and quicker iteration cycles, potentially resulting in more regular content updates—an area where *Halo: Infinite* struggled after its launch.
## A New Chapter for Halo Studios
Alongside the engine transition, there has been a considerable overhaul at the development studio itself. **343 Industries** has been rebranded as **Halo Studios**, marking a new beginning for the team. Leadership changes have also occurred, bringing in new management to guide the franchise in a new direction. This reorganization sends a clear signal that Microsoft is committed to rejuvenating *Halo* and restoring its former prestige.
While the renaming of the studio may appear to be a minor alteration, it symbolizes a more extensive shift in philosophy. Many fans have long believed that 343 Industries never fully met the high benchmarks established by Bungie, and the transition to Halo Studios acknowledges that a new strategy is necessary.
## New Content for Halo: Infinite
Even with an eye on upcoming projects, *Halo: Infinite* is not being left behind entirely. During the Halo World Championship, it was revealed that the game would receive a major update in November 2024, featuring an entirely new **third-person mode**. This marks the first time in the franchise’s history that