New Halo Rumor Suggests Massive Franchise Change

A new rumor associated with the future of Xbox's Halo franchise suggests that 343 Industries might be looking to make a massive alteration to the series. When Halo Infinite launched in late 2021, one of the biggest new features of the title was the Slipspace Engine. This game engine was one that was internally developed within 343 Industries and was seemingly going to serve as the base for all Halo titles that would release in the future. Based on leaks that have now come about, though, it sounds like 343 instead might already be looking to abandon Slipspace. 

Within the past week, a YouTuber by the name of Sean W suggested that 343 is planning to ditch Slipspace and instead adopt Epic's Unreal Engine. While many fans didn't know what to make of this rumor at first, Windows Central and critic Jeremy Penter have since corroborated the rumor to some degree. Windows Central even happens to mention that the much-rumored battle royale game tied to Halo Infinite might have already forgone Slipspace in favor of Unreal Engine. 

While it's worth stressing that none of this information is verified just yet, this shift would be quite notable for Xbox's biggest franchise. Much of the reason why Halo Infinite took so long to release was because 343 spent a large chunk of time developing Slipspace. For the studio to already be looking to move on from Slipspace really just continues to further highlight many of the problems that have become apparent with Halo Infinite in recent years. 

Even though Slipspace might be getting left behind, it seems like this change wouldn't end up having an impact on Halo Infinite itself. That game is already released and 343 has locked in plans for future multiplayer seasons, Forge mode, and campaign co-op. Instead, the swap to Unreal Engine is something that would take place with future Halo installments, which means it could be quite a long time until we see if this leak is accurate. 

Still, what do you happen to think about this new Halo rumor? Are you shocked to hear that 343 is already looking to leave Slipspace in the past for a more commonly used game engine? Share your thoughts with me either down in the comments or message me on Twitter at @MooreMan12.

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