In the ever-evolving game development landscape, 343 Industries, now Halo Studios, has made a bold leap forward by embracing the future with Unreal Engine 5. This game-changing decision demonstrates their commitment to innovation and signifies a new chapter in their journey toward creating immersive and groundbreaking gaming experiences.
343 Industries has always been known for pushing the boundaries of creativity and technology in its game development projects. During Sunday’s Halo World Championships, 343 Industries announced that it is officially changing its name to Halo Studios and will be working on “multiple new games”
Along with the newly rebranded studio, the Slipspace Engine will no longer be used, and all future projects will be developed using the Unreal Engine. 343 Industries struggled with the Slipspace engine during Halo Infinite’s development due to outdated tools dating back to the 2000s. However, the Slipspace engine was expected to be used as the foundation for the series after Halo Infinite.
“One of the primary things we’re interested in is growing and expanding our world so players have more to interact with and more to experience,” says Chris Matthews, art director at Halo Studios. “Nanite and Lumen [Unreal’s rendering and lighting technologies] offer us an opportunity to do that in a way that the industry hasn’t seen before. As artists, it’s incredibly exciting to do that work.”
This decision to transition to Unreal Engine 5 is a significant step towards achieving new heights. Halo Studios is positioning itself at the forefront of game development, ready to harness the power of the Unreal engine’s real-time rendering, photorealistic graphics, and dynamic lighting systems. Integrating Unreal Engine 5 into their games is not just a strategic move but a testament to their commitment to delivering a top-tier gaming experience to their gaming community.
Halo Studios is developing multiple Halo games, and the Slipstream Engine will continue to power Halo Infinite. The company is not committing to any release dates or new Halo game announcements, but it will work on some examples of Halo running in Unreal.
