Community

Community Update

Prior to the climactic conclusion of the 2024 Halo World Championship, we offered a glimpse of the future of Halo as the franchise and studio turns the page to begin a new chapter.



We are Halo Studios, and a new dawn is breaking as the future of Halo is being built with Unreal Engine 5. Join members of the Halo Studios team to learn more in this behind-the-scenes video:



<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDgR1FRJnF8">HALO | A NEW DAWN</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDgR1FRJnF8"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Video.jpg" alt="Click here to view A New Dawn video" class="wp-image-120322" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Video.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Video-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Video-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Video-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Video-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Video-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></a></figure>



“If you really break Halo down, there have been two very distinct chapters. Chapter 1 – Bungie. Chapter 2 – 343 Industries. Now, I think we have an audience which is hungry for more. So we’re not just going to try improve the efficiency of development, but change the recipe of how we make Halo games. So, we start a new chapter today.” ~ Pierre Hintze, Studio Head



To hear more from Pierre Hintze, Elizabeth Van Wyck, and Chris Matthews, visit Xbox Wire: <a href="https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/10/06/halo-studios-unreal-engine-interview/">Halo Studios: New Name, New Engine, New Games, New Philosophy</a>



A key step in our path for the future is Project Foundry. Neither a game nor a tech demo, Foundry represents our multi-discipline research and reflection on what is required to build Halo in Unreal, while also serving as a training tool for our development process going forwards.



This is the foundation for how we are changing the recipe for how we make Halo games.



In the video linked above, you will see old and new elements of Halo brought to life, exploring just how far we can push these environments. The classic Pacific Northwest landscape that has served as a familiar hallmark and stunning backdrop to many adventures over the years.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://aka.ms/HaloFoundry4K"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_PNW.jpg" alt="Project Foundry image of a Pacific Northwest-themed environment surrounding a Forerunner beam emitter" class="wp-image-120308" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_PNW.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_PNW-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_PNW-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_PNW-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_PNW-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_PNW-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></a></figure>



The deep freeze of the Coldlands, where a Forerunner beam emitter stands amidst snow-covered plateaus and the environment is reflected in great fields of ice.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://aka.ms/HaloFoundry4K"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Coldlands.jpg" alt="Project Foundry image of a Forerunner beam emitter in an environment of snow and ice with the band of the Halo ring silhouetted against a gas giant and moon" class="wp-image-120266" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Coldlands.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Coldlands-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Coldlands-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Coldlands-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Coldlands-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Coldlands-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></a></figure>



And the Blightlands, where we bear witness to a place that has been consumed by the Flood—the virulent parasite that is the reason why the Halo Array was built.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://aka.ms/HaloFoundry4K"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Blightlands.jpg" alt="Project Foundry image of a Forerunner beam emitter and environment that has been completely consumed by the Flood" class="wp-image-120224" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Blightlands.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Blightlands-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Blightlands-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Blightlands-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Blightlands-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Blightlands-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></a></figure>



And at the center of the action, we see the Master Chief clad in his iconic MJOLNIR Mark V armor facing off against an Energy Sword-wielding Elite, ready to finish the fight.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://aka.ms/HaloFoundry4K"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefVsElite.jpg" alt="Project Foundry image of the Master Chief holding an M6D Magnum facing off against a Sangheili wielding an Energy Sword" class="wp-image-120252" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefVsElite.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefVsElite-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefVsElite-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefVsElite-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefVsElite-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefVsElite-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></a></figure>



This gives us a glimpse at the sheer level of fidelity we are able to realize when bringing both new and legacy assets to life, such as the M6D Magnum.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://aka.ms/HaloFoundry4K"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Magnum.jpg" alt="Project Foundry image of a close-up on the M6D Magnum" class="wp-image-120280" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Magnum.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Magnum-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Magnum-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Magnum-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Magnum-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_Magnum-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></a></figure>



This is just the first step in our transformation as a studio as we have worked to change our structure, our processes in how we build our games, the technology powering those games, and our culture of how we work together.



We are working on multiple projects and looking to grow our team as we build the next generation of Halo with Unreal Engine and deliver stories of hope and heroism, alien worlds of wonder and mystery, and unforgettable experiences with your fireteam of friends and family.



Stay up to date by following us on LinkedIn, and visit Microsoft Careers to learn more about how you can help us forge the future of Halo and apply to open roles.



<a href="http://aka.ms/halojobs">JOIN HALO STUDIOS</a>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/halo-foundryue5-bb6690d90c204266b76244eff4f9890a.zip"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefSword.jpg" alt="Project Foundry image of the Master Chief wielding an Energy Sword" class="wp-image-120238" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefSword.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefSword-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefSword-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefSword-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefSword-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/10/Foundry_ChiefSword-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></a></figure>

343 INDUSTRIES

A New Dawn

Fiction

Halo: Venezian Sonata

Halo: The Machine Breaks

Halo: Anvil Accord

Games

Modding Milestones

Digsite Deep-Dive

Women’s History Month 2024

Halo: Hippocratica

Today, during our first Community Livestream of the year, we pulled back the curtain on what’s next for Halo Infinite and shared details on what’s in store for year three of the Halo Championship Series (HCS).



If you missed the stream, we highly recommend giving it a watch to get up to speed on what you can expect with Infinite’s next update, how the studio is approaching the game going forward, a few longer lead features in active development, and what’s cooking for HCS.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="January Update & HCS 2024 Roadmap | Halo Infinite" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9aV4pIIz2p8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">CONTENT UPDATE 29</h2>



Halo Infinite’s next free update, Content Update 29 (“CU29”) arrives on January 30, bringing a new Arena map, a Covenant object palette and new Forge features, a new armor core and customization rewards, and the first of three free Operations—starting with the Halo Wars-themed “Spirit of Fire.”



Stay tuned to Halo Waypoint in the coming days as we’ll take a closer look at some of the key components of this latest update:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/map-overview-halo-infinite-cu29">MAP OVERVIEW</a> – Take a guided tour of Illusion, the new Arena map coming in CU29.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/forge-overview-cu29">FORGE OVERVIEW</a> – Learn more about the new features and improvements coming to Forge, including the Covenant palette, Mode Creator, and more.</li>



<li>CUSTOMIZATION OVERVIEW – Get a closer look at the Mark IV Armor Core, customization improvements, and upcoming Operations.</li>
</ul>



Looking further ahead, we also confirmed several player-requested features in active development including “Match Composer” functionality for matchmaking, new ways to earn past customization content, updated networking model, and a new anti-cheat initiative.



We’ll have plenty more to share on these fronts as they get nearer to release but for now, we’re excited to let the team cook and look forward to these marquee updates landing later this year.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-1024x576.png" alt="" class="wp-image-90873" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked-1568x882.png 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2024/01/Crop_EvergreenTitle_V01_16x9_1920x1080_Watermarked.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HCS 2024</h2>



Year three of HCS is upon us! New events, ranked updates, and new team cosmetics are on the horizon, <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/2024roadmap">and you can get the full scoop via the latest HCS blog</a>.



Stay tuned to <a href="http://halo.gg">Halo.gg</a> and be sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/HCS">@HCS</a> for the latest competitive Halo news.



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That’s all for now, but we’re excited to have much more to share with you next week as we get closer to the release of CU29 on January 30!



Until then, may you have sweet dreams of Mjolnir Mark IV armor…

Community Livestream | Halo Infinite CU29

Season 5 of Halo Infinite has arrived, bringing with it a new collection of Intel—a series of data drops that provide some additional lore and context to elements of each season.



Intel can be found here on Halo Waypoint and in-game in Halo Infinite‘s message of the day carousel.



This blog will be updated over the course of Season 5 with new Intel.



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<a href="#S5Intel1">INTEL 1</a> | <a href="#S5Intel2">INTEL 2</a> | <a href="#S5Intel3">INTEL 3</a> | <a href="#S5Intel4">INTEL 4</a>



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="S5Intel1">INTEL 1: GALLOWS</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/10/S5Intel1.png" alt="Halo Infinite image of a Flood-infected Spartan's wrist and chest" class="wp-image-84185" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/10/S5Intel1.png 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/10/S5Intel1-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/10/S5Intel1-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/10/S5Intel1-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/10/S5Intel1-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/10/S5Intel1-1568x882.png 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



WARNING: FSC SIGNATURE DETECTED ALERT ENERGY SHIELDS DEPLETED; ARMOR BREACH CONFIRMED SPARTAN COMPROMISED . . . FSC INFECTION CONFIRMED . COUNTERMEASURES INITIATED . . . . \HYDROSTATIC GEL LAYER PRESSURIZED . . . SUCCESS \GALLOWS DATALINK SEVERENCE . . . SUCCESS \BEGIN REACTOR DETONATION . . . FAILURE . . \CODE INJECTION DETECTED \COUNTERMEASURES CANCELED BECOME \ARMOR BREACH SEALED \ENERGY SHIELDS RECHARGED BECOME \ARMOR SYSTEMS REPAIRED UNITY. SWEETNESS.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="S5Intel2">INTEL 2: GHOST OF BAROLON</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/10/S5Intel2.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of the skybox of the map Prism showing the Banished dreadnought Ghost of Barolon"/></figure>



SCORRIN’S BLADE HYPERSCANNER RESULTS COLLATED BY SCANNERMASTER DIBDIB



BANISHED
DREADNOUGHT: GHOST OF BAROLON



ARMAMENT:



<ul>
<li>1x superheavy grav-impact driver</li>



<li>6x light plasma lances</li>



<li>10x incinerator plasma cannon clusters</li>



<li>40x scindere arrays</li>



<li>24x plasma torpedo silos</li>



<li>70x pulse laser batteries</li>



<li>1x experimental volt piercer</li>
</ul>



CROSS-REFERENCE NOTES: “Looks like the big bad Banished dreadnought got some kind of hidden experimental electrolaser gun on their ship—bad news if they catch us gettin’ close! Hey… you ever seen a Brute scientist? I wonder if they–“



>>REPORT CLOSED 



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="S5Intel3">INTEL 3: MISSING IN ACTION</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/12/S5_Intel_3.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of the crashed UNSC Mortal Reverie after it has been claimed by the Banished and renamed Outpost Tremonius" class="wp-image-88801" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/12/S5_Intel_3.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/12/S5_Intel_3-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/12/S5_Intel_3-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/12/S5_Intel_3-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/12/S5_Intel_3-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/12/S5_Intel_3-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



//UNSC DATABASE //FFG-525 – UNSC MORTAL REVERIE //PERSONNEL DOSSIERS



NAME: Bobrov, Elena SERVICE NUMBER: 91532-11116-EB RANK: Gunnery Sergeant HEIGHT: 6ft 1in (185.4cm) WEIGHT: 170lbs (77.1kg) BIRTH WORLD: Alluvion DATE OF BIRTH: June 19, 2522



NOTABLE OPERATIONS GySgt Elena Bobrov’s service record records marks of distinction in several major campaign areas. Notable entries include:



<ul>
<li>REACH (2552): Assisted Gauntlet Team in civilian evacuation operations during Covenant invasion. </li>



<li>REQUIEM (2557-8): Stationed aboard UNSC Infinity during both phases of the Requiem mission. Assigned as M510 Mammoth crew chief for Operation: WHIRLPOOL.</li>



<li>WOLFE (2559): Deployed to the surface of Reach alongside Spartan fireteams to engage Banished forces.</li>
</ul>



CURRENT STATUS MISSING IN ACTION



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="S5Intel4">INTEL 4: SUNDERED STAR</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2023/12/S5_Intel4.jpg" alt="Halo Infinite screenshot of a Spartan outfitted in the Sundered Star armor coating and wielding a Heatwave"/></figure>



ONI // REAP-X R&D PRODUCTION NOTES 



If the end of the Covenant War allowed us to run in the field of analyzing Forerunner technology, the awakening of the Didact in ‘57 and subsequent events concerning Requiem and the Created uprising pushed us to sprint.



Of particular interest to our ongoing efforts to unlock the potential of this ancient technology are design seeds—machine cells encoded with data to assemble anything from advanced combat skin to entire starships.



Helmet footage from Blue Team engaging the Didact on Gamma Halo demonstrated the Promethean’s armor was adaptively capable of being attuned to weaponry used against him. If we could harness this capability for Mjolnir, it could be the biggest evolution for Spartan combat since energy shielding.



Our experiments with the former have begun yielding minimal, but promising results. Will follow up with further information shortly…

Halo Infinite | Reckoning Intel

“People of Reach, I bring you blessings…”



The Halo television series returns on February 8 exclusively on Paramount+, and we’ve got a new trailer that showcases the epic action to come.



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Halo The Series | Season 2 Official Trailer | Paramount+" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/GBEgoaLZzXM?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



“Master Chief John-117 leads his team of elite Spartans against the alien threat known as the Covenant. As humanity’s best hope for winning the war, John-117 discovers his deep connection to a mysterious alien structure that holds the key to humankind’s salvation, or its destruction—the Halo.”



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Stream two episodes at premiere and a new episode every Thursday through March 21st.



<a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/">Get your Paramount+ free trial now and start streaming!</a>

Debrief 014

Silver Debrief: Season 2 Trailer