Halo Studios reportedly had several Halo projects in early development or planning before Microsoft carried out widespread layoffs at the studio. According to information shared by RebsGaming, the projects included remakes of Halo 2 and Halo 3, Halo 7 and a standalone game based on the Halo novel First Strike.
In a recent YouTube report, RebsGaming claimed that studio head Pierre Hintz had the entire studio begin early work on multiple projects at the same time. None of the reported games were said to be far enough into development to be considered close to release.
Halo First Strike Game Was Reportedly In Development
One of the reported projects was a standalone game based on First Strike, the Halo novel set between the events of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.
According to RebsGaming, the project was intended to connect the planned remakes of the original games, with the broader idea being to turn Halo novels into smaller standalone releases between larger remake projects.
The First Strike game was reportedly still in its early stages, with the team determining how the novel could best be adapted into an interactive experience. RebsGaming claimed the project was planned to feature around five campaign missions alongside a Firefight mode and could potentially have launched next year.
The report said two additional sources had confirmed the existence of the First Strike project to RebsGaming.
Halo 7 Was Reportedly Years Away
Halo 7 was also reportedly in development, although the project was said to be several years away from release.
RebsGaming claimed that a small core team was working on the game’s concept and overall vision. Shortly before the layoffs, members of the team reportedly presented an updated Halo 7 concept to Matt Booty and other Xbox executives.
The reported plan was for Halo 7 to launch with campaign, PvP, PvE and Forge available from day one. However, the project had reportedly not entered full production, with development still centred on establishing its concept and direction.
Around 30 Employees Reportedly Remain
RebsGaming also provided claims about the current state of Halo Studios following Microsoft’s layoffs. The report claimed that around 30 employees remain, including Hintz as well as engineers, artists, designers and support staff.
According to the report, Matt Booty allowed Hintz to determine which employees would remain at the studio. RebsGaming’s source claimed that several members of Hintz’s inner circle were retained alongside employees from different development teams.
The report further claimed that Hintz intends to focus on smaller Halo projects while outsourcing development of larger remake projects. RebsGaming also alleged that Hintz wanted to use AI for smaller projects and obtain resources to outsource development of the remakes.
