Microsoft 343 Rebrands, Shifts to Engine 5 for Next-Gen Games
The Microsoft 343 Industries will go through a rebranding episode, to become Halo Studios, in confirmation of a major shift to Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 for future Halo titles.
This significant transition means Microsoft is going to retain its investment in one of the world’s most successful agreements, the Halo franchise, with more than 81 million copies sold and more than $10 billion in revenue.
A New Era for Halo
The news was announced through a video presentation where the head of the studio, Pierre Hintze, showed just how Impactful this movement was, saying, “If you really break Halo down, there have been two very distinct chapters. Chapter 1 – Bungie. Chapter 2 – 343 Industries. Now, I think we have an audience which is hungry for more.”
The rebranding is not just about trying to improve this development process but also changing the way of how Halo games are made, and this marks a point in history for when the franchise truly had to think about creating experiences for both long-time fans and new gamers alike.
This represented a shake towards a new form of gaming vision for the giant, driving the most realistic graphics and advanced physics capabilities. Its prototype, “Halo: Infinite,” launched in December of 2021, received mixed reviews with great gameplay but a somewhat too-long development cycle and several technical issues.
Developed by Microsoft Studios’ 343 Industries, the latest installment in the Halo game franchise carried high expectations, especially to push the boundaries of next-gen gaming technology.
Hintze added that moving away from the proprietary Slipspace engine to Unreal Engine isn’t simply a technical upgrade but an acknowledgment that Epic’s industry-standard tool can provide quality and visually better experiences.
“We knew we had to make a change in order to take us into the future,” said Casey Wu, executive producer. “Since we’ve made the change to shift to UE, we can bring Halo forward in ways that people have never seen before while still being true to what Halo is.”
Project Foundry, as it was known internally, began as an art research project led by art director Chris Matthews. It aimed to explore the potential of Unreal Engine 5 by creating diverse biomes, such as the lush, green open spaces of the Pacific Northwest and textured, stark winter wastelands.
Amid this project, rumors surfaced that Microsoft takes Halo from 343 Industries, signaling a potential shift in the franchise’s future direction.
“The first Halo was a graphics showcase that was best in class, and that is what Halo needs to be again,” explained Matthews.
As Halo Studios gets ready for their next titles, the team is actively hiring new talent to increase its commitment to growing the Halo universe. Over the years, the Halo franchise has delivered groundbreaking titles, from the original Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo: Infinite, each pushing the boundaries of game design, and projects like Foundry hint at potential visual innovations for future releases.
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