Since 2001, Halo has been the franchise most closely associated with the Xbox brand. The franchise put the original Xbox on the map, helping Microsoft create a niche to compete with PlayStation and Nintendo. We don't know what to expect next from the series, but a new rumor suggests that the follow-up to Halo Infinite could see the return of co-creator Marcus Lehto. Lehto joined EA in 2021, but announced his departure from the publisher in February. On April 8th, he suggested on Twitter that he might retire, but just two days later he Tweeted about working with Unreal Engine 5.

Unreal Engine 5 is used by a lot of developers, so that wouldn't be newsworthy on its own, but recent rumors have suggested that the next game in the Halo series will begin using that engine. As a result, many fans are questioning whether Lehto has been asked to return to Halo. Lehto's last game in the franchise was 2010's Halo: Reach, which was also the last Halo developed by Bungie. Lehto left the developer in 2011, and later worked on Disintegration with Private Division. He has not been associated with the Halo franchise since.

Will Lehto Come Back to Halo?
If Lehto really is returning to the series he helped create, it will be interesting to see what impact it has. Reception to Halo Infinite was largely mixed, with huge praise heaped on the campaign, and fans being largely unhappy with the limited multiplayer options. Developer 343 Industries has turned around perception quite a bit since launch, with a steady stream of content, including new maps and modes. Presumably, 343 will continue on with the series for its next entry, but it's possible this game could have Lehto back in the director's chair, or working alongside Halo Infinite directors Joseph Staten, Paul Crocker, and Tom French.

The Future of Halo
At the moment, there are a lot of questions surrounding the Halo franchise, and Xbox in general. Rumors have suggested the series could finally go multi-platform, with some kind of release on PS5. Xbox has been bringing more of its first-party games to Nintendo Switch and PS5 lately, including titles like Grounded, Sea of Thieves, and Hi-Fi Rush. At this time, there's been no word about Halo doing the sane, but it could be a franchise that's too important to Microsoft to make available outside of Xbox consoles and PC.

Of course, a multi-platform release for Halo could be the perfect way to cash-in on the success of the live-action series. The show's second season was received a lot better than Season 1, from both reviewers and fans like Lehto. We don't know if the show is getting a Season 3 renewal just yet, but if it does, Microsoft could grow the audience for the show and games by bringing the next Halo to PS5.

Posted: Apr 18, 2024 8:57 pm
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: https://comicbook.com/gaming/news/halo-co-creator-marcus-lehto-new-xbox-game/