E3 2019: Halo Infinite is a “spiritual reboot” set after Halo 5

Xbox closed out their E3 press conference by detailing Project Scarlett, their next-gen console. While they didn’t give any major details on the launch line-up, they revealed Halo Infinite will be there on day one.

After last year’s reveal of the new Halo title, there have been MANY questions. Is it a reboot? Is it even Halo 6? Is it open-world? What’s the deal with this thing? While we still have lots of questions, 343 is here to give more context to Halo Infinite.

For starters, this is in continuity with the past games and takes place after Halo 5 but will serve as a “spiritual reboot”. This means that fans can play it with all of the context of past games but new players can also jump in with a fresh understanding of Halo.

“This story will mark the beginning of a new chapter and challenge for the Chief, but it will also respect and continue threads that led to this point. If you’ve never played a Halo game before, this will be a great place to jump into the story,” reads a blog post from studio head Chris Lee. “You’re arriving in the middle a universe at war, with a sense of history underlying your entry into the world. But it will also feel fresh, full of potential, and new adventure.”

There are also still plans to allow players to play Halo Infinite well before launch but they’re not quite ready to talk about it at this time. Lee also noted that 2020 will be a big year for Halo Infinite, specifically E3 2020.

“As for what’s next, E3 2020 will be a big moment for Halo Infinite. Until we reach that destination in 2020, we’ll continue to embrace the mystery and wonder of Halo and the endless opportunity and potential of this engine, this hardware and, most of all, this team.”

Halo Infinite will launch on Xbox One, Project Scarlett, and PC Holiday 2020.