Microsoft’s 343 Industries has officially rebranded as Halo Studios and announced a shift to using Epic Games’ Unreal Engine 5 for future Halo games. The studio aims to improve game development efficiency and push the boundaries of visual fidelity, signaling a new era for the iconic franchise.
The move to Unreal Engine marks a departure from Halo’s long-standing proprietary Slipspace Engine. Pierre Hintze, head of Halo Studios, acknowledged that the team’s prior development process, which involved building both games and the tools to create them, slowed progress. By adopting Unreal Engine, the studio aims to focus solely on game development, while leveraging advanced features like Unreal’s Nanite and Lumen technologies to create more immersive and expansive game worlds.
The change is part of what Hintze describes as the “third chapter” in Halo’s history, following Bungie’s original development and 343 Industries’ management of the franchise. "We’re not just going to try to improve the efficiency of development, but change the recipe of how we make Halo games,” said Hintze. The rebranding and switch to Unreal also make it easier to hire new talent familiar with the industry-standard platform.
To showcase the potential of Unreal Engine, Halo Studios developed Project Foundry, a visual and technical exploration of what future Halo games could achieve with the new engine. The project includes environments inspired by biomes like the Pacific Northwest and The Blight Lands, offering players a glimpse of the visual enhancements Unreal Engine brings to the franchise.
While specific details about upcoming Halo games remain under wraps, the studio confirmed that Halo Infinite will continue to be supported with updates via the Slipspace Engine. Multiple new Halo titles are in the works, and the studio is actively hiring to grow its development team.
The adoption of Unreal Engine is seen as a significant step forward, enabling Halo Studios to deliver higher-quality experiences while exploring new creative possibilities. The rebrand and Unreal adoption position the studio to continue expanding the Halo universe in ways fans have never seen before.
