Be Excellent To Each Other

"Halo 5: Guardians is a bigger effort than Halo 4," 343 general manager Bonnie Ross wrote on the Xbox Wire today. "That applies to the content and scope of the game, as well as the technology in what's now a brand new and more powerful engine. Certainly there are some core elements carried over from prior games, but we've invested a huge effort in retooling our tech to take full advantage of the Xbox One's hardware and ecosystem to create worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen."

Ross didn't offer too many specifics about the game, though she noted that the next big Halo will have dedicated servers and run at 60 frames per second. The Steven Spielberg-helmed Halo television series will also be out in fall of 2015, according to Ross.

So what about this year?

"Many fans noted that I was very deliberate with my phrasing on stage at E3 last year," Ross wrote. "I spoke about a 'journey,' rather than a destination – and that journey definitely begins in 2014 with a giant leap, rather than one small step. We'll give you much more information about our plans for this year at the Xbox E3 2014 Media Briefing on June 9, and we're confident that Halo fans will be pretty excited the special plans we have in store."4

During a presentation in Los Angeles this week, the 343 team told a group of journalists that Halo 5 will be running on a brand new engine. They mentioned a few times that Halo has always been a huge element of the Xbox platform, and that they're aiming to "move the needle on the Xbox ecosystem."

They weren't willing to divulge much more just yet—save for flashing a sunny image of Master Chief holding an assault rifle mirror-imaged underneath what looked like a female spartan holding a battle rifle set against a desert-looking backdrop—but we should have at least a few more details you'll be interested in soon. E3 is just around the corner, after all.

Any time you transition to a new platform, there is the opportunity to look at things with a new perspective. For us at 343 Industries, the launch of the Xbox One was an opportunity to think about what stories we wanted to tell, how to tell them, and how best to push the “Halo” franchise to showcase the platform. And, most importantly, combining our passion for “Halo” with the vocal and informative input from our fans.

“Halo” isn’t simply a perennial game franchise, it’s a part of the Xbox platform itself. In terms of innovation and ideation, it’s sometimes important to people who might not even play “Halo.” And of course it’s a passion and an essential experience for two generations of gamers. So we asked ourselves, how do we begin and where do we go with “Halo” on Xbox One?

In the past, “Halo” games have pushed the Xbox forward, showcasing the console and its ecosystem in entertaining and innovative ways. Making a “Halo” game that runs at 60 frames per second, on dedicated servers, with the scope, features and scale we’ve been dreaming of for more than a decade, is non-trivial. It’s a task that we, at 343 Industries, are taking very seriously to ensure we deliver the “Halo” game that fans deserve, and a game that is built from the ground up for Xbox One.

I’m happy to reveal that “Halo 5: Guardians,” the next installment in the legendary saga of the Master Chief, will launch on Xbox One in fall of 2015. In the tradition of every “Halo” game since its debut in 2001, it is a massive and exciting project.

“Halo 5: Guardians” is a bigger effort than “Halo 4.” That applies to the content and scope of the game, as well as the technology in what’s now a brand new and more powerful engine. Certainly there are some core elements carried over from prior games, but we’ve invested a huge effort in retooling our tech to take full advantage of the Xbox One’s hardware and ecosystem to create worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen.

It’s a game that will hopefully demonstrate the talent, learnings and abilities of the 343 Industries team. A game that will incorporate the things we learned from “Halo 4” about technology, aesthetics, performance and scale – and perhaps more importantly, understanding and embracing a community of gamers who love what lies at the heart of this game, and the limitless potential of the “Halo” universe.

And 2015 won’t simply be the year of “Halo 5: Guardians,” it will also be a year that offers us a unique opportunity. The opportunity to invite old friends and new audiences into that universe through the “Halo” television series, launched as a unique collaboration with Steven Spielberg and some of the finest creative minds in the business. A series that will stand alone, as well as complement and enrich the game experience. We’ll have more to share on the “Halo” television series as we near its projected fall 2015 release.

Your Journey Begins in 2014

Many fans noted that I was very deliberate with my phrasing on stage at E3 last year. I spoke about a “journey,” rather than a destination – and that journey definitely begins in 2014 with a giant leap, rather than one small step. We’ll give you much more information about our plans for this year at the Xbox E3 2014 Media Briefing on June 9, and we’re confident that “Halo” fans will be pretty excited about the special plans we have in store.

So until E3, I’d like to express my gratitude to our massive and varied Halo community, whose energy, enthusiasm, criticism and kindness are the driving force behind what we do and what we hope to achieve in “Halo 5: Guardians.”

This could be my reason for buying a new Xbox you know.

Playing alongside 3 other Spartans and their ability to revive you brings new tactical thinking to each fight.

Presumably you mean "less" tactical thinking if there's three people will pick you up when you fall over. Or maybe there's a tactic of happily wading into fire without the fear of a game ending death and revert to a checkpoint.

I remember moaning about this kind of thing in Resident Evil 6 because the game wouldn't let me die and there was only one other person to revive me.

Mind you, if I was playing any game with others and a death meant death then I might get annoyed if I'm waiting for long spells to play. Or maybe I'd play much more cautiously. I dunno. I'm not a huge fan of the perpetual revive, y'see.