Halo 5 for Xbox One listed for December release by Walmart

A new Halo for Xbox One — possibly Halo 5 (the one teased at E3 2013) — could be released in December of this year, if a product listing posted by Walmart is accurate.

The retailer currently lists Halo for Xbox One on its website as shipping on October 1, 2014, but the product description — which we aren't sure if accurate — states "Halo 5 a Microsoft console exclusive, is a pre-release general shooter game to be released in December of 2014." Aside from that brief description, all we have is something that looks like placeholder box art.

Although Walmart specifically refers to it as Halo 5, there's speculation that this could be incorrect and that it is instead a product placeholder for Halo 2 Anniversary, which has been rumored to release this year instead of Halo 5. Speaking to Master Chief voice actor, Steve Downes, earlier this year, he told us not to expect Halo 5 in 2014.

“I think you may be ahead of yourself on Halo 5,” Downes told us at the time. “I wouldn’t expect anything until 2015. What you can look forward to this year is an anniversary edition of Halo 2.” In a follow-up email to us, Downes issued a reworded response while adding that he was not actually confirming Halo 2 Anniversary.

For its part, Microsoft has offered the same response for months. That is: "We can confirm your next 'Halo' journey will begin in 2014, but beyond that we don't have any details to share at this time."

The big question is will the next Halo journey be a continuation of the Reclaimer story, or a next-gen release of Halo 2 Anniversary? We've reached out to Microsoft, but don't expect a confirmation. If it helps, Microsoft's new head of Xbox, Phil Spencer, did confirm that Halo news will be coming at Microsoft's E3 press briefing.