At the 2024 Halo World Championship, a video showcased stunning landscapes and a fresh look at Master Chief. The surprise? These visuals were created using Unreal Engine 5, marking a major shift for the Halo franchise. Along with this engine change, 343 Industries announced its rebranding to Halo Studios.
This shift also signals a new philosophy for developing future Halo games, with multiple projects now in the works using the new engine. The studio aims to improve development efficiency, recruit new talent faster, and deliver fresh content more frequently to meet evolving player expectations.
Studio Head Pierre Hintze highlighted that Halo has entered its third chapter, following Bungie and 343 Industries. The move to Unreal will allow the studio to explore richer worlds, using advanced technologies like Nanite and Lumen, which would have been difficult to achieve with their old Slipspace Engine. The first step in this evolution is Project Foundry, a research initiative that demonstrates Halo’s future potential.
Halo Infinite will still receive updates, but the next major Halo projects will be developed using Unreal, offering fans more immersive experiences while maintaining the essence of the iconic franchise.
