So what if 343 Industries has yet to release Halo 5: Guardians? That doesn't mean that they can't already be working on the next game. Frank O'Connor, the development director at 343 Industries, along with studio head Bonnie Ross has revealed in a Golden Joysticks Halo 5 special that Halo will be going on for a long time and they've already begun on the next phase.
In fact, the series is planned to go on for the next 20 years, but looking into the more immediate future, we have the upcoming release of Halo 5, Halo Wars 2 on PC and eventually, Halo 6.
"We do kind of know what’s going to happen in the next game pretty well at this point," explained franchise development director Frank O’Connor. "We’re doing serious real planning and even some writing on the next game already, and that’s a luxury – we’ve never been in that position before. So we both know at a very high level what’s going to happen in, say, ten years from now. But at that very granular level knowing what’s going to happen in the next game and that’s just been a great feeling for me".
With Halo 5 releasing next month, the game's story has been finalized and much of the gameplay itself has been as well, giving writers at 343 the chance to move forward with the series prior to Halo 5's release. As for where the series is going, 343 has an idea of that – so don't think any cliffhangers are pointless.
"You can look at the ending of Halo 4 – and where Master Chief is," she continues, "and obviously we had to know where we were going to take Halo 5 and Halo 6 with that. You have an epic sci-fi universe and we have multiple ways that we can go with this story, but all the pieces are laying there. The canvas is there for us to paint".
When 343 Industries took over Halo the series changed how it told stories, the change might not have been in your face – but there was definitely something about Halo 4 that showed the series would be headed in a new direction. At least, judging by Halo 5's characters, they are referencing source material so the series should remain true to what we know.
On top of the games, we still have that Halo tv series to look forward to… if it ever even releases.
