Frank O’Connor, previously the franchise director of Halo, has imparted advice to Activision as it assumes control over developing the next instalment in the Halo series. His primary recommendation is to employ developers who were recently laid off from Bungie and Halo Studios.
O’Connor, whose involvement with the sci-fi franchise dates to the early 2000s during his tenure at Bungie, later rose to become the development director at 343 Industries. His departure from the studio in 2023 followed an internal restructuring just before the transition of 343 into Halo Studios, which has since significantly reduced its workforce under Xbox’s new direction.
Potential Development Paths for Halo
Discussing possible strategies for Activision’s Halo plans, O’Connor outlined three potential routes in a LinkedIn post, cautioning that none are assuredly straightforward or viable.
One option is to create a “classic” Halo game that retains the series’ signature heavy movement and chaotic gameplay. O’Connor suggests this direction should cater to core fans while also broadening its appeal to a wider audience, emphasising that multiplayer Halo traditionally benefits from larger player counts.
The second option proposed by O’Connor involves a thoroughly modernised and radically new iteration of Halo, reimagining the universe in innovative ways. This could take the form of an evolved first-person shooter or perhaps an action RPG. O’Connor noted that such an approach might initially attract attention due to inherent curiosity or fan loyalty, though a complete lore reboot has not been universally embraced by the audience.
The third path aligns Halo more closely with Activision’s familiar territory, drawing inspiration from the Call of Duty franchise. This idea involves merging Halo’s intellectual property with Activision’s already successful player progression systems and business models, with the goal of producing regular large-scale events and ongoing content releases.
Additional Recommendations
O’Connor also provided supplementary advice, strongly advising the recruitment of skilled developers from Bungie, Halo Studios, and other affected divisions. He cautioned against synchronising the next Halo release with hardware or service launch cycles, as well as avoiding obligatory releases on outdated platforms, referencing the challenges faced with Halo Infinite’s Xbox One version.
As of now, the next Halo venture by Activision remains in its early stages, with the formation of a new development team still pending. It is anticipated that this project is several years away from completion, with hopes it will fare better than the previous four iterations of Master Chief’s saga.
Reporting based on coverage first published by eurogamer.net.