Microsoft renames 343 Industries to Halo Studios and moves to Unreal Engine
By ForGeeks Microsoft has officially announced the rebranding of its 343 Industries studio, which will now be called Halo Studios. In addition, the company has decided to use Epic Games’ Unreal Engine for future development of Halo games.
Microsoft has officially rebranded its studio 343 Industries to Halo Studios.
New milestone for Halo Studios
The news was announced in a new video released by Halo Studios. The decision signals a significant bet on Unreal Engine 5, which is already widely recognized for its ability to produce incredibly realistic graphics and physics.
The Halo series remains an important part of Microsoft’s strategy, with more than 81 million copies of the games sold to date and more than $10 billion in revenue from the franchise. The latest game, Halo: Infinite, was released in December 2021 to positive reviews, though fans complained about long development times and some quality issues. After the departure of franchise head Bonnie Ross in September 2022, the future of the series remained unclear – until now.
After the departure of franchise head Bonnie Ross in September 2022, the future of the series remained unclear – until now.
The move from its own engine, Slipspace, to Unreal Engine 5 was a significant step for the company. Using a tool developed by Epic Games confirms that Microsoft is committed to improving the quality and realism of visuals, something that was difficult to achieve with its own software.
The move from Slipspace to Unreal Engine 5 is a significant step for the company.
In a blog post, the head of the studio, Pierre Hintze, said it was an important moment for the franchise, calling it «the beginning of a new page in the history of Halo».
«If you look closely at Halo, there are two clear phases,» Hintze said. – «The first is Bungie, the second is 343 Industries. Now we’re opening the third chapter. We know that our fans are waiting for something new, and we are not just looking to improve the development process, but to change the very approach to making games. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter.
The leadership teamof the new Halo Studios
The new video also introduced the leaders of Halo Studios, including: John Junishek, senior community manager; Melissa Boone, head of administrative staff; Elizabeth Van Wyk, chief operating officer; Casey Wu, executive producer; Andrea Gaussmann, lead technical artist; Chris Matthews, studio art director; and Max Schlagor, director of design.
Halo Studios’ new Halo Studios leadership team, including.
Development on Unreal Engine 5 began with a project called Project Foundry, initiated by Chris Matthews. It was initially a research project to explore how far the team could go using the new engine’s capabilities. Matthews noted that the first Halo was the graphical benchmark of its time, and now the goal is to return the game to its status as a leader in that aspect.
New Worlds in Halo’s Future
Halo Studios has already begun work on creating new biomes for future games. One of the first was a biome inspired by the green forests and waterfalls of the Pacific Northwest. The second biome, called Cold Lands, is a winter wasteland with rich textures. The third biome is The Blight Lands, essentially a captured terrain under the influence of enemies known as The Flood.
The Blight Lands is a winter wasteland with rich textures.
Lenny Simon, director of Unreal Engine licensing at Epic Games, also took part in the video, expressing his approval of Microsoft’s move to use the next-generation engine. UE5 allows Halo developers to add intricate details to the game and make the visual elements more elaborate and expressive.
Halo’s developers will be able to add more detail to the game.
Unreal Engine advantage for Halo development
Elizabeth Van Wyk emphasized in a blog post that old development methods aren’t really suited to making modern games. That’s why one of the main challenges has been to focus on creating content, rather than the tools and technology to create it.
And that’s why the Unreal Engine has become one of the main challenges.
«Previously, our team was split, with some of us working on the technology and some of us trying to make the game itself,»” Van Wyk noted. – «Now that we’ve moved to UE, we can create something that players have never seen before, while keeping the true essence of Halo intact.»
With this move to UE, we’re able to create something that players have never seen before, while maintaining the true essence of Halo.
Max Schlagor added: «Fortunately, we have a team that is truly passionate about what they do and eager to collaborate to move forward together.»
New Projects and Team Recruitment
Halo Studios already has several new projects in development, and the studio is actively hiring new talent. The move to Unreal Engine 5 is also helping to standardize the process, as many of the new hires are already familiar with the engine.
The move to Unreal Engine 5 also helps to standardize the process, as many of the new employees are already familiar with the engine.
So the rebranding of 343 Industries to the Unreal Engine is not only a new milestone for the studio, but also a solid step forward for the entire Halo series. Fans will be treated to a brand new product that will provide a unique experience for old and new players alike.
