Last year, 343 Industries officially rebranded as Halo Studios, signaling more than just a name change. The transition also marked a shift away from their proprietary Slipspace engine toward Unreal Engine 5 as the foundation for future Halo entries. The earlier reveal of Project Foundry—a research and technological demonstration within UE5—offered fans a glimpse at what might be possible, but it was expressly not a game.
This upcoming deep dive is being positioned as the next phase in that conversation. The studio has teased that it intends to “continue the conversation from last year’s HaloWC and the ‘A New Dawn’ video” via a panel on October 24. More than just spectacle, this signals the studio’s desire to bring the community closer to their internal process and ambitions.
Multiple Projects in the Works
What excites fans most is the promise that there isn’t just one Halo in development—but several. So far, Halo Studios has remained tight-lipped on specifics. They haven’t confirmed titles, release windows, or what combinations of campaign, multiplayer, or spinoff content may be included. However, speculation is already rife that we may see a remake or reimagining of Halo: Combat Evolved among the lineup. Earlier in the year, Xbox’s Phil Spencer hinted that a “return of a classic” could arrive in 2026, arguably aligning with the Halo franchise’s legacy.
Additionally, rumors abound that Halo Studios might reveal how they intend to balance campaign and multiplayer offerings, possibly decoupling them or structuring each independently to better manage scope and polish.
Transitioning the Tech Backbone
One of the biggest challenges will be the technical leap. Switch from Slipspace engine to Unreal Engine 5 isn’t just a change of toolset—it means rethinking how assets, pipelines, and design practices work. Halo Studios has already indicated multiple internal overhauls in structure, processes, and culture to adapt to this new paradigm. The deep dive may yet reveal how far along they are in the transition, and whether there remain legacy constraints or tradeoffs.
A Turning Point for Halo
This “deep dive” isn’t just a panel—it may well be a signal of where the Halo franchise is headed next. Between the rebrand to Halo Studios, the move to Unreal Engine 5, and the ambition of developing multiple new titles, the studio is clearly positioning this as a new dawn for Halo.
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