Man, so Microsoft just threw this wild Xbox Games Showcase party, right? It was like gaming news overload after that Summer Game Fest thing on Friday. Trailers everywhere, games flying at you, plus this Xbox Ally handheld – no idea why they named it that. But hey, seemed cool for Xbox and PC and maybe other stuff. Who knows, really.
Now, let me tell you about the grand finale. It was all about The Outer Worlds 2 from Obsidian – they even tossed in some Grounded 2 goodies. But wait, before they kicked things off, Phil Spencer, the big shot at Microsoft Gaming, pops up on screen closing things. He starts talking future junk, Xbox’s 25th anniversary coming in 2026. And bam! Drops a hint about bringing back some old-school fan favorite. Halo, maybe? My brain kinda short-circuited on that one.
So Phil’s there, all, “Celebrate 25 years with, like, a new Fable or Forza, Gears of War E-Day, and some classic thingy.” And yeah, he mumbled something about Call of Duty: Black Ops 7. Zoning out on that. My mind did one of those cartoon-style record scratches. Halo was all I could think about.
Think about it – “a classic that’s been with us,” he says, and I’m like, duh, Halo. Pretty much synonymous with Xbox since day one. I remember booting up Halo: Combat Evolved on the OG console. And Halo 2, 3, Reach? Solid gold for Xbox LIVE and 360. Those were the days…
Fast forward to the 2010s. Halo was doing this weird shuffle thing. 343 Industries tried to keep the flame alive, but Halo Infinite sorta fizzled. They wanted live-service gold, got something else entirely. Last I heard, they’re shifting gear to Unreal Engine 5 – whatever that means. They’re hiring, promising big projects, yada yada.
I saw a demo called Project Foundry, focusing on Unreal stuff. Master Chief strutting around in his retro getup. It got people whispering: are we getting a Halo: Combat Evolved remake or what? Totally separate from that Anniversary remaster collab with Saber Interactive or Certain Affinity.
It might be what Phil teased at the showcase – or not. Maybe a spinoff? Honestly, not betting on a direct sequel to Halo Infinite. But then again, five years have zipped by since its release. I’m open to surprises, like a kid getting cake when they’re expecting broccoli.
If it turns out to be a sequel or something, please, let’s launch it with a bang, complete with all the bells and whistles. Halo 5, Guardians, Halo Infinite – their starts were like attending a buffet after all the food’s gone. Bummer. Here’s hoping they learned.
Anyhow, the idea of another Halo game dropping on Xbox, PC, and Xbox Game Pass is… well, I’m stoked. Hardcore fan since knee-high, and I’m crossing my fingers Microsoft, Xbox, Halo Studios shoot and score this time. Who knows? Time’s the real storyteller here. Call me hopeful – I’m cool with that.
