Halo’s Solution To Getting Back On Track Is Obvious With Destiny’s Uncertain Future

There are many different directions the next Halo could go in, with new studio Activision taking control from Halo Studios after Xbox’s continuing “reset” shook up Microsoft’s approach to the franchise. Although a small group of Halo Studios creators are to serve as advisors to Activision as they create another Halo game, the latter studio has far more control over the series’ evolution. The Call of Duty developer has big shoes to fill, but advice from former Halo leadership could help the new team created for the next Halo project get off to a good start.

Not everyone is thrilled with Activision taking over for Halo, given the company’s history of aggressive monetization and live service with their Call of Duty games in recent years. However, other companies have struggled with fan receptions to their FPS experience too, with Destiny 2 being a prime example. Destiny 2 was shut down by PlayStation and Sony earlier this year, with Bungie trying to salvage goodwill following huge layoffs. Although Bungie’s plans include greater support for Destiny and Marathon, their creative team is significantly depleted to make that goal difficult.

Former Halo Developer Suggests That Activision Should Hire Bungie Staff Following Destiny’s Fate

After 343 Industries re-branded as Halo Studios, the companies shortcomings with Halo Infinite and Halo: Campaign Evolved is partially what caused responsibility of the series to fall to Activision. However, the huge layoffs at Xbox have raised a lot of questions, including who is working on the game now when it comes to specific developers, artists, or other creatives. During this uncertain time, Halo ex-franchise director Frank O’Connor has offered some advice for Activision regarding who should be working on the next game. In addition, O’Connor suggests Activision takes one of three paths, listed below:

• Make a “classic” Halo game with the series’ familiar, heavy movement and chaotic sandbox. Meant to be catered toward a core audience with an emphasis on broad growth.
• Completely re-invent Halo from its gamplay to its universe, possibly even changing the genre to surprise players and capture a fresh audience.
• Translate the Halo IP and sandbox into a comfort zone for Activision, blending elements of Call of Duty into that have been proven to work (multiplayer, progression systems, etc.).

Obviously, fans of Halo would much prefer the first option, which O’Connor somewhat acknowledges with his next suggestion. O’Connor states that Activision should “Hire Bungie, Halo Studios, and other laid off folk who are bursting with talent and ideas that got nerfed or shut down over the years,” implying that bringing back developers under new leadership could create something great. As someone who was familiar with Halo‘s direction under Bungie, O’Connor likely knows that some of the Bungie staff let go from Destiny are either familiar with Halo or have the skills to make an exciting new Halo game.

Bungie’s Ongoing Efforts To Revive Their Franchises Have Still Left Many Talented Creators Looking For Work

If Activision is looking to hire new team members to help work on Halo‘s future, they couldn’t find developers better suited for the job than former Destiny creators. Not only are some past Destiny team members ones who also worked on Halo back during its inception, but also the sci-fi FPS nature of Destiny translates well into a game like Halo. You might get some developers who were present for Bungie’s Halo projects, from the original Combat Evolved to spin-offs like Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach, the last of which was Bungie’s last game for the series before they moved on to the first Destiny.

With Halo Studios practically dissolving, having developers who are intimately familiar with Halo could be crucial for Activision to keep the series’ identity intact. At the same time, even those from the Destiny side of Bungie aren’t guaranteed to go back to Bungie after their announcements of continued game support. People who were involved with Destiny and Destiny 2‘s best expansions, gameplay adjustments, or robust multiplayer elements could add new layers to Halo that have never been there before.

Laid Off Staff Could Help Activision Establish A New Direction For The Legendary IP

Even those from Halo Studios could be great additions to Activision, as O’Connor’s advice implies. More information coming from those who worked at Halo Studios reveals that one of the studio’s biggest problems was not allowing their talented creators to actually work on Halo at all. Tons of outsourcing and failure to follow through on ideas for the series kept many of its creators in an agonizing purgatory, leaving many developers with a desire to work on Halo, but never getting a real chance to do so. If Activision re-hires former Halo Studios staff, they might finally get opportunities to pitch great ideas for the franchise’s new path.

Out of all the lessons Activision could learn when working on Halo, learning to listen to experienced developers tied to the series should be chief among them. As O’Connor said, perhaps the best way for Activision to understand Halo is to bring in experts of the sci-fi FPS landscape, both from places like Bungie and Halo Studios. With so many talented creators looking for work after layoffs, building a driven team at Activision should be easy if the studio looks to those faces for help with Halo‘s anticipated future.

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