Activision Considering Full Halo Reboot with Master Chief Origin Story, Reports Say
The project is reportedly in early development and may use Call of Duty's Infinity Ward engine.
Activision is reportedly considering a full reboot of the Halo franchise that could include an origin story for Master Chief, according to a Halo insider.
The claims come from Halo reporter Rebs Gaming, who cited an anonymous source in an October 1 video, as summarized by Eurogamer.
Microsoft confirmed on September 22 that Activision will develop the next Halo title with a new team separate from its Call of Duty work.
Rebs Gaming's source said Activision first proposed separate free-to-play multiplayer and campaign projects, which would have been a soft reboot moving away from Halo Infinite's story without erasing established canon.
Those early proposals were later discarded in favor of a full Halo game, the source now claims.
"They have heard that Activision is considering a full reboot and making a Master Chief origin story," Rebs Gaming reported.
This would mean the next game is not a direct sequel to Halo Infinite and would retcon at least some of the existing Halo story.
Basic gameplay prototypes, including player movement, were reportedly tested for both early concepts using Call of Duty's Infinity Ward engine.
Rebs Gaming reports that the mainline Halo title is also expected to use the Infinity Ward engine instead of Unreal Engine 5, based on the tested prototypes so far.
The reporter says Activision is already building a development team for the Halo title, and it is expected to be under Sledgehammer Games.
Microsoft's statement did not name an engine, confirm Sledgehammer's role, or provide any story details, title, release window or platform list for the next game.
Former Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra called the development shift to Activision the "best news in a decade" for Halo fans.
A smaller group at Halo Studios will continue supporting existing Halo games and their community, according to Microsoft.
The reboot speculation is based on second-hand reporting about a project in very early development, with no settled story plan confirmed by Activision or Microsoft.
The same anonymous source previously supplied information about a separate project known as Halo: Campaign Evolved, Rebs Gaming said.
Rebs Gaming is confident the next Halo game is more likely to retcon at least some of the story, according to his report.
The studio aims to create the greatest game under the IP so far, one report said.
The Hollywood Reporter also recently reported that Activision now aims to work on a full-fledged mainline Halo experience.
The assignment of the franchise to Activision is the only confirmed foundation; the reboot, Sledgehammer's role, the engine and the campaign's story all remain claims attributed to Rebs Gaming's source.
