halo | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net KitGuru.net - Tech News | Hardware News | Hardware Reviews | IOS | Mobile | Gaming | Graphics Cards Tue, 19 Mar 2024 10:58:05 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.3 https://www.kitguru.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/cropped-KITGURU-Light-Background-SQUARE2-32x32.png halo | KitGuru https://www.kitguru.net 32 32 Former single-player Battlefield lead has ‘nothing positive to say’ about working with EA https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/former-single-player-battlefield-lead-has-nothing-positive-to-say-about-working-with-ea/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/former-single-player-battlefield-lead-has-nothing-positive-to-say-about-working-with-ea/#respond Mon, 18 Mar 2024 16:30:19 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=651862 A few weeks ago, Halo co-creator, Marcus Lehto, announced plans to leave EA and his newly formed Battlefield studio, Ridgeline Games. Just a day later, EA confirmed it was shutting down the studio entirely and handing future single-player Battlefield development over to Critereon, alongside other studios. Now, it seems Lehto's departure wasn't as amicable as …

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A few weeks ago, Halo co-creator, Marcus Lehto, announced plans to leave EA and his newly formed Battlefield studio, Ridgeline Games. Just a day later, EA confirmed it was shutting down the studio entirely and handing future single-player Battlefield development over to Critereon, alongside other studios. Now, it seems Lehto's departure wasn't as amicable as it first seemed. 

Lehto has been quiet on social media since announcing his departure from Ridgeline Games, a studio that he founded under EA two years ago, with plans to develop a new single-player Battlefield campaign. Rather than appointing new leadership to the studio after Lehto's departure, EA decided to shut down the whole operation and move development of projects to other studios.

In a new message posted to Twitter recently, Lehto states that he doesn't have “anything positive to say about EA”. Specifically, he takes issue with the circumstances around his departure and the following layoffs that ensued, leaving his former team out of jobs.

It is still unclear exactly what went on behind the scenes and Lehto doesn't appear to be spilling any specific information right now. However, with Ridgeline Games ‘winding down', there is a good chance someone will share some details on what life was like at the studio leading up to its abrupt closure.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: A lot of publishers are in tough positions right now. The desire to see constant growth on the balance sheet has led to many layoffs throughout the industry since the pandemic, impacting major publishers and platform holders like PlayStation and Xbox. The only company that seems to be getting through this unscathed is Nintendo, although Nintendo has always had a different philosophy when it comes to the gaming business, something that shines through with their consistent quality releases. 

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Long-rumoured Halo battle royale reportedly cancelled https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/long-rumoured-halo-battle-royale-reportedly-cancelled/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/long-rumoured-halo-battle-royale-reportedly-cancelled/#respond Tue, 16 Jan 2024 11:00:06 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=643970 While Halo Infinite may not have been the grand revival that Microsoft were hoping for the franchise, series co-developer Certain Affinity looked to be prepping to offer their own take on the franchise with a battle royale game. Though never officially announced, the long-in-development title has now reportedly been cancelled. According to trusted leaker Shpeshal_Nick, …

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While Halo Infinite may not have been the grand revival that Microsoft were hoping for the franchise, series co-developer Certain Affinity looked to be prepping to offer their own take on the franchise with a battle royale game. Though never officially announced, the long-in-development title has now reportedly been cancelled.

According to trusted leaker Shpeshal_Nick, Project Tatanka (as it was known) has been cancelled, with the industry insider – alongside his co-hosts –  making the claim via their XboxEra podcast.

For the uninitiated, Project Tatanka was being developed by Halo series co-developer Certain Affinity, with work on the game beginning as far back as 2020. Though it was never officially announced, its existence was all-but-confirmed multiple times over the years by the studio itself.

Even at the time of the initial leak, the battle royale genre was far past its peak, and while the genre’s popularity has ebbed and flowed since it is possible that Microsoft deemed a BR game tied to Hale Infinite specifically to be unsustainable.

With Project Tatanka now no longer happening, the future for Halo is even less certain. Of course, another Halo game is inevitably on its way, but what exactly it will be is a mystery for now.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Halo Infinite? Are you disappointed by the cancellation of the BR mode? Why do you think it was cancelled? Let us know down below.

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More evidence points towards UE5-powered Halo game  https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/more-evidence-points-towards-ue5-powered-halo-game/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/more-evidence-points-towards-ue5-powered-halo-game/#respond Thu, 11 Jan 2024 13:00:32 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=643135 Back in October last year we reported on a leak which claimed that following the relative failings of Halo: Infinite, the team at 343 Industries dropped future use of their bespoke Slipspace Engine – instead opting to use Unreal Engine 5 for the next title. Though yet to be officially confirmed, new evidence has corroborated …

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Back in October last year we reported on a leak which claimed that following the relative failings of Halo: Infinite, the team at 343 Industries dropped future use of their bespoke Slipspace Engine – instead opting to use Unreal Engine 5 for the next title. Though yet to be officially confirmed, new evidence has corroborated the report.

As discovered by the Xbox-focused Idle Sloth (and shared by WCCFTECH), whispers of the next Halo game have started up. Former Art Director at 343 Industries – Justin Dinges – revealed via LinkedIn that between April 2022 and March 2023 he had “Worked on Halo's next unannounced release.”

Dinges is a 343i veteran having worked at the studio for over 12 years before his departure in March of last year – lending a great deal of credence to his words.

Adding further evidence towards the next Halo being built using UE5, 343 Industry’s ‘senior character systems designer’ (Ian Slutz) also shared via LinkedIn that they have been “building player systems and assets in Unreal Engine 5”. This specific line has since been deleted, either lending more or less proof to its legitimacy depending on your perspective.

With all the documented problems 343i had with its Slipspace Engine, switching to UE5 makes a great deal of sense and will hopefully allow for faster development in the long-run.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the switch to UE5? Are you still playing Halo Infinite? What would you like to see 343i do with the next entry? Let us know down below.

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A new Halo game is reportedly in development using Unreal Engine https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/a-new-halo-game-is-reportedly-in-development-using-unreal-engine/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/a-new-halo-game-is-reportedly-in-development-using-unreal-engine/#respond Mon, 16 Oct 2023 15:30:21 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=634362 Earlier this year, Microsoft announced some restructuring plans, which impacted many parts of the business. On the gaming side, 343 Industries was hit the hardest with a lot of lay-offs, including most of the campaign team that had worked on Halo Infinite. Now, rumours claim that a new small-scale team has been set up to …

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Earlier this year, Microsoft announced some restructuring plans, which impacted many parts of the business. On the gaming side, 343 Industries was hit the hardest with a lot of lay-offs, including most of the campaign team that had worked on Halo Infinite. Now, rumours claim that a new small-scale team has been set up to begin building the next Halo game using Unreal Engine.

While I did enjoy Halo Infinite, it didn't turn out to be the big, franchise-reinvigorating game that many were hoping for. After the game's launch, many developers spoke up about issues at 343 Industries, revealing that the SlipSpace engine still had plenty of issues and relied heavily on legacy code from the older Halo games. Now, 343 Industries seems to be pivoting in a new direction.

According to the Seasoned Gaming on the Bitcast podcast, 343 Industries has set up a team to work on the next Halo game and they are using Unreal Engine. Of course, Halo Infinite also had some prototype work done in Unreal Engine, before all development moved over to the studio's own engine. However, after feedback from development on Infinite, we wouldn't be surprised to see the next Halo game finally move over to Unreal.

As for when we might see a new Halo game, if early work is only just beginning this year, it will take several more years to build out the game, test it and ship it. Given that we already know to expect next-gen consoles in 2028, the next Halo could end up being a send-off for the Xbox Series X, or an early next-gen game for Microsoft's next console.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: While I have no doubt that there is work being done on a new Halo game at 343 Industries, we're still so far off from that game becoming reality that it feels a bit silly to be talking about it now. In the meantime, Halo Infinite continues to get multiplayer-focused updates, including some brand new Firefight maps as part of the game's fifth season.

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Master Chief is coming to Rainbow Six: Siege https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/master-chief-is-coming-to-rainbow-six-siege/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/master-chief-is-coming-to-rainbow-six-siege/#respond Tue, 15 Aug 2023 16:00:06 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=626386 In the many years following the launch of Rainbow Six: Siege we have seen Ubisoft slowly but surely bring an increasing number of odd and interesting crossover skins into the tactical FPS. Following the likes of Pickle Rick, 2B from NieR: Automata and wrestling stars The Undertaker and Becky Lynch, Master Chief is now set …

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In the many years following the launch of Rainbow Six: Siege we have seen Ubisoft slowly but surely bring an increasing number of odd and interesting crossover skins into the tactical FPS. Following the likes of Pickle Rick, 2B from NieR: Automata and wrestling stars The Undertaker and Becky Lynch, Master Chief is now set to drop into Rainbow Six: Siege.

Though not yet announced by Ubisoft themselves, the Xbox-focused Twitter account Klobrille shared footage of Master Chief’s character model within Rainbow Six: Siege, saying “Master Chief is coming to Rainbow Six Siege.”

The skin will be for the character Sledge (as can be seen by the equipped sledgehammer). Alongside the skin, a Cortana weapon charm is included in the bundle, giving the crossover that little bit more personality.

Though it started off as quite a serious game when it first released back in 2015, over the years (and undoubtedly in part due to the success of Fortnite), Siege has been inundated with an increasingly odd roster of crossover characters.

This certainly is in no way the oddest addition to Siege, with the aforementioned Pickle Rick and The Undertaker (alongside Lara Croft from Tomb Raider; Leon Kennedy from Resident Evil and Kazuma Kiryu from the Yakuza series) having been added to the game in the past many years. It will be interesting to see whether a PlayStation character makes their way into the game next.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this skin? Would you purchase it? What PlayStation character would you like to see added? Let us know down below.

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Halo Infinite gets new 8v8 Squad mode https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/halo-infinite-gets-new-8v8-squad-mode/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/halo-infinite-gets-new-8v8-squad-mode/#respond Wed, 12 Jul 2023 11:15:01 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=622832 While the game may not have been the rebirth that some had hoped, Halo Infinite has continued to slowly but surely improve over the years thanks to the continued efforts of 343 Industries. The latest update to Halo Infinite introduces new maps, modes and an 8v8 Squad Battle playlist. Making the announcement on their blog, …

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While the game may not have been the rebirth that some had hoped, Halo Infinite has continued to slowly but surely improve over the years thanks to the continued efforts of 343 Industries. The latest update to Halo Infinite introduces new maps, modes and an 8v8 Squad Battle playlist.

Making the announcement on their blog, the Halo Infinite team said “If you find Big Team Battle too chaotic at 12v12 but 4v4 is just not enough, then let us introduce you to the new Squad Battle playlist! Resembling the BTB of old, Squad Battle pits 8v8 in a mix of Slayer and Objective modes on community made maps that lend themselves well to both infantry and vehicular combat. Some might even look a little familiar to Halo veterans…”

Alongside this new playlist, 3 new Forge mode maps have dropped. Based on Halo 3, the new remakes are:

  • Kusini Bay
    • Available modes: One Flag CTF, Slayer, King of the Hill
  • Vallaheim
    • Available modes: CTF (3 captures), Slayer, Total Control
  • Rat’s Nest
    • Available modes: CTF (5 captures), Slayer, King of the Hill

With all the internal shakeups which have been happening over at 343i it is encouraging to see that the team are still continuing to support Halo Infinite. Of course, the game’s scope has been heavily reduced from its initial pitch, but still, the updates are welcome.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this update? What is your ideal PvP player count? How should 343i progress with Halo? Let us know down below.

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Halo Infinite will no longer get new Seasonal cutscenes https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/halo-infinite-will-no-longer-get-new-seasonal-cutscenes/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/halo-infinite-will-no-longer-get-new-seasonal-cutscenes/#respond Wed, 21 Jun 2023 13:00:24 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=620264 In recent months we have seen a large number of live service titles scale back their operations, be it through a reduced single player or a lessened story – among others. Unfortunately, one of the games hit by such a downscaling is Halo Infinite, with the game said to no longer be getting seasonal cutscenes. …

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In recent months we have seen a large number of live service titles scale back their operations, be it through a reduced single player or a lessened story – among others. Unfortunately, one of the games hit by such a downscaling is Halo Infinite, with the game said to no longer be getting seasonal cutscenes.

Games such as Fortnite and Destiny have popularised the notion of a seasonal cutscene – typically offering a decent amount of narrative and context to what will probably just end up being a grind gameplay-wise. Following the many lay-offs which have been taking place over the past months, the team at 343i has now revealed that they will be scrapping all future seasonal cutscenes, with community director Brian Jarrard taking to Twitter to say:

“PSA: As we've refined our top priorities and shifted resources internally this year, we had to make the decision to forego seasonal narrative cutscenes to make room for the team to continue focusing on highly requested features, content, and improvements for Halo Infinite.”

They continued, “These trade-offs are never easy to make, and we truly appreciate your support as the team works to make Halo Infinite the best experience possible. While the job is far from over, Season 4 marks another big step forward and we remain committed to this journey with the Halo community.”

With single-player story content no longer on the way, and seasonal cutscenes being cut from future seasons it will be interesting to see whether Microsoft and 343i have a long term plan for the Halo franchise.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this decision? Did you enjoy the previous seasonal cutscenes? Do you like Halo more for its multiplayer or single player? Let us know down below.

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Microsoft offers updates on Halo, Redfall, Perfect Dark and more https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/microsoft-offers-updates-on-halo-redfall-perfect-dark-and-more/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/microsoft-offers-updates-on-halo-redfall-perfect-dark-and-more/#respond Fri, 16 Jun 2023 11:45:28 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=619748 In the wake of Microsoft’s recent Xbox Games Showcase, the console manufacturer has engaged in a host of interviews. Now, Xbox’s game studio chief has weighed in on a number of titles which we did not see at the event, including Halo, Redfall and Perfect Dark. In an interview conducted by Stephen Totilo and published …

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In the wake of Microsoft’s recent Xbox Games Showcase, the console manufacturer has engaged in a host of interviews. Now, Xbox’s game studio chief has weighed in on a number of titles which we did not see at the event, including Halo, Redfall and Perfect Dark.

In an interview conducted by Stephen Totilo and published to Axios Gaming, Microsoft’s game studio chief Matt Booty spoke on a whole number of topics. In discussing Halo Infinite’s tumultuous development, Booty said “I feel confident in the leadership team, but the team that got us here is probably not the same team that's going to take us forward” adding that “challenges across Microsoft and across Xbox” led to a downsizing of the team – though according to Booty this matches “where we're at in the production phase.”

Talking about the ever-elusive Perfect Dark, Booty offered few words, though did claim that “I've played builds. I looked at it. I'm very excited for people to see what we're doing,” adding that many of the departures which the team has seen since the start of development “were amicable.”

Finally, Booty discussed the launch of Redfall as well as its future, saying “I feel accountable that we could have done a better job with Arkane”. In defending the game however, Booty claimed “It was a miss, but how much of a miss? I want to support them to be able to keep working to deliver the game they had in mind”. When asked whether Redfall’s developers Arkane Austin will remain open following Redfalls bad launch, Booty stated “That is the plan right now. They are hard at work on updates and continued content for Redfall.”

While the talk on all three projects were rather quick and shallow, it is encouraging at least to see Xbox making references to these games – especially Redfall and Halo.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Xbox’s Showcase? Is Arkane Austin in danger? Let us know your thoughts down below.

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Halo creative lead joins Netflix to work on a AAA multiplatform game https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-creative-lead-joins-netflix-to-work-on-a-aaa-multiplatform-game/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-creative-lead-joins-netflix-to-work-on-a-aaa-multiplatform-game/#respond Tue, 18 Apr 2023 11:50:57 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=611962 343 Industries has gone through a lot of changes in the last six months, with many members of the leadership team leaving Microsoft. Joseph Staten, who was brought back to Microsoft in an effort to steer Halo Infinite back on track, has moved on from his 18 years at Microsoft to help Netflix with its …

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343 Industries has gone through a lot of changes in the last six months, with many members of the leadership team leaving Microsoft. Joseph Staten, who was brought back to Microsoft in an effort to steer Halo Infinite back on track, has moved on from his 18 years at Microsoft to help Netflix with its burgeoning gaming arm. 

Netflix established Netflix Games last year and has acquired several studios to aid in creating new content. For now, most games offered on Netflix are smaller, less graphically demanding titles, but Staten will be joining Netflix as part of a push to create bigger AAA games.

In a tweet this week, Staten announced that he is now Creative Director at Netflix Games and will be working on a “brand new AAA multiplatform game and original IP”. Interestingly, it is specified that this game will be multiplatform, indicating it will be sold as a locally playable game on consoles and PCs, rather than a game exclusively streamed through Netflix.

While the tweet does note the game will be based on an original IP, we don't know if that means an already existing Netflix Original IP, or a brand new IP altogether.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: AAA game development is often a long and expensive process so it could be a long time before we see this game announced. If the costs mount up too much, it could be cancelled, as we saw with Google quickly pulling the plug on Stadia's in-development exclusives. 

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Halo franchise director leaves Microsoft https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-franchise-director-leaves-microsoft/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-franchise-director-leaves-microsoft/#respond Mon, 17 Apr 2023 11:30:50 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=611859 343 Industries has gone through some major changes this year. A round of layoffs at Microsoft in early 2023 saw the majority of the campaign team let go and other major studio leads have also departed the studio in recent months. Now, Frank O'Connor, the franchise director for Halo, is also leaving.  In an update …

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343 Industries has gone through some major changes this year. A round of layoffs at Microsoft in early 2023 saw the majority of the campaign team let go and other major studio leads have also departed the studio in recent months. Now, Frank O'Connor, the franchise director for Halo, is also leaving. 

In an update to O'Connor's LinkedIn page, as spotted by Windows Central, we can see that his time as Franchise Director of Halo came to an end at the start of April. This is the latest in a series of high-profile exits, with leads like Kiki Wolfkill, Bonnie Ross, Tom French and Joseph Staten all leaving 343 Industries following Halo Infinite.

While Halo Infinite was supposed to set up ‘the next 10 years of Halo', the game ultimately fell flat at release. While the multiplayer and campaign direction had promise, 343 was not prepared for the pace and speed at which new content has to be developed to keep up a live service model. Despite rumours that campaign expansions would arrive down the line, no work on story DLC is said to have taken place.

While Halo Infinite did let us down in some key areas, the game's Forge mode has led to some incredible community creations. Unfortunately, Forge arrived a year after launch, which was too late for a lot of people.

Microsoft has not formally announced a new franchise director for Halo. Chances are, the studio will stay small for a while until it is ready to really ramp up on its next game.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: A lot has changed at 343 Industries over the past six months. Do you think new leadership could help turn Halo around? 

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343 is switching to Unreal Engine for future Halo games https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/343-is-switching-to-unreal-engine-for-future-halo-games/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/343-is-switching-to-unreal-engine-for-future-halo-games/#respond Tue, 31 Jan 2023 16:57:24 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=592013 Over the last couple of years, 343 Industries' struggles with the Halo IP reached a boiling point, resulting in a round of layoffs at the studio this year. At this point, many of those in leadership positions during Halo Infinite's development have moved on and just under 100 employees have been let go. The studio …

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Over the last couple of years, 343 Industries' struggles with the Halo IP reached a boiling point, resulting in a round of layoffs at the studio this year. At this point, many of those in leadership positions during Halo Infinite's development have moved on and just under 100 employees have been let go. The studio will continue to be in charge of Halo, but its future is now uncertain. 

While Halo Infinite was supposed to be a ‘new starting point' for the franchise, ushering in ‘the next ten years of Halo', 343 seems to now be cutting its losses and moving on to new projects. According to Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, 343 is now starting over again with a shift over to Unreal Engine.

While Halo Infinite was initially announced as using a new, purpose-built engine called ‘Slipspace', this set of tools was essentially a heavily modified version of the legacy Halo engine, which led to a lot of issues during development, ultimately resulting in costly delays to the game. Moving forward, the report claims that future Halo games will be developed with Unreal Engine instead, starting off with an upcoming Battle Royale spin-off codenamed ‘Tatanka'.

We've heard of Tatanka before, but it was previously billed as a Battle Royale mode for Halo Infinite. This new report suggests that Tatanka will actually be a separate entity, although it is still being co-developed with Certain Affinity. Apparently, the decision to move over to Unreal Engine was made in late 2022, ahead of January's studio cuts.

If you were still hoping for new Halo Infinite campaign content, then there is more bad news on that front. The report goes on to confirm that the campaign team has essentially been gutted and while previous messaging from 343 had led fans to believe that campaign expansions could be on the horizon, no additional single-player content for Infinite was ever actively in the works.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I was a huge fan of Halo Infinite's campaign and the ending had me looking forward to future content. Unfortunately, the lingering questions left over from that game may never be answered, as it seems Halo is heading towards another soft reboot. 

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343 Industries will “continue to develop Halo” following recent layoffs https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/343-industries-will-continue-to-develop-halo-following-recent-layoffs/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/343-industries-will-continue-to-develop-halo-following-recent-layoffs/#respond Mon, 23 Jan 2023 11:21:38 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=590877 Last week, Microsoft announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs across its different businesses. Some of these layoffs have impacted Microsoft-owned game development studios, including 343 Industries. Not long after this, rumours began claiming that 343 would no longer be developing Halo, and instead, the studio would shrink and simply ‘oversee' the franchise. As it turns …

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Last week, Microsoft announced plans to cut 10,000 jobs across its different businesses. Some of these layoffs have impacted Microsoft-owned game development studios, including 343 Industries. Not long after this, rumours began claiming that 343 would no longer be developing Halo, and instead, the studio would shrink and simply ‘oversee' the franchise. As it turns out, that might not be true. 

In a statement published shortly after the layoffs were announced, 343 Industries studio head, Pierre Hintze, said: “Halo and Master Chief are here to stay. 343 Industries will continue to develop Halo now and in the future, including epic stories, multiplayer, and more of what makes Halo great.”

This statement doesn't expressly rule out the idea that 343 might team up with another developer to try and breathe new life into Halo. Whatever plans were in place for future Halo Infinite content have likely been scrapped or scaled back now, as the studio sent a lot of talent walking out the door. Halo Infinite multiplayer will continue to see development, but we may not see the campaign expansions we were all hoping for.

Due to statements around ‘live service' a grand ‘ten-year plan' for Halo and other teases, there was a lot of hope and expectation placed on Halo Infinite and now over a year on from release, it is clear that Microsoft will not be able to deliver on this vision. Still, Halo isn't a dead IP yet.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru Says: Based on what we've heard about Infinite's development, the project was poorly managed at points and 343's new ‘Slipspace Engine' caused plenty of headaches. Hopefully these are all areas that are addressed for any future projects. If 343 were to bring in another studio to co-develop Halo, which one would you like to see working on it? Just looking at Microsoft-owned studios, id Software seems to be a perfect fit here. 

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NetEase acquires SkyBox Labs, co-developers of Halo and Minecraft https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/joao-silva/netease-acquired-skybox-labs-co-developers-of-halo-and-minecraft/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/joao-silva/netease-acquired-skybox-labs-co-developers-of-halo-and-minecraft/#respond Mon, 09 Jan 2023 12:30:35 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=589599 SkyBox Labs isn't necessarily known for the specific games developed by the studio. However, it has helped develop world-renowned franchises such as Halo, Age of Empires and Minecraft. NetEase has now acquired SkyBox Labs, hoping to bring some of that expertise into its ranks. SkyBox Labs is a Canadian game studio founded in 2011 by …

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SkyBox Labs isn't necessarily known for the specific games developed by the studio. However, it has helped develop world-renowned franchises such as Halo, Age of Empires and Minecraft. NetEase has now acquired SkyBox Labs, hoping to bring some of that expertise into its ranks.

SkyBox Labs is a Canadian game studio founded in 2011 by EA veterans. Over the last 12 years, the studio has been mostly developing games with Microsoft Studios, such as Age of Empires II HD expansions, Age of Mythology and Rise of Nations extended editions, Halo series, and even Minecraft.

During that time, the studio still developed a few titles on its own, namely Dragon Arena, Parade Runner, Tastee: Lethal Tactics and Stela, and co-developed EA Sports UFC. At this point, the studio is working on Fallout 76, Halo Infinite and various Minecraft games.

According to NetEase Games, SkyBox Labs will work independently from its new mother company as it continues to develop games for PC and consoles with its current partners. According to Shyang Kong, co-founder of SkyBox Labs, the decision to acquire the Vancouver-based studio was to grow the company's presence in Canada and co-developing more AAA games for some of the biggest game studios worldwide.

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KitGuru says: Are you a fan of SkyBox Labs' work? Do you think that the acquisition will benefit the Canadian developer?

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Halo: MCC Winter Update now live with Steam Workshop support https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/halo-mcc-winter-update-now-live-with-steam-workshop-support/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/halo-mcc-winter-update-now-live-with-steam-workshop-support/#respond Thu, 08 Dec 2022 12:30:05 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=585675 Alongside Halo Infinite, the team at 343 Industries are continuing to support the rest of the franchise’s titles through further updates to the Halo Master Chief Collection. The Winter update – which is live right now – brings with it some major improvements and additions, including Steam Workshop support. Making the announcement on their blog, …

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Alongside Halo Infinite, the team at 343 Industries are continuing to support the rest of the franchise’s titles through further updates to the Halo Master Chief Collection. The Winter update – which is live right now – brings with it some major improvements and additions, including Steam Workshop support.

Making the announcement on their blog, Alex Wakeford of 343i said “As 2022 comes to a close, we’ve got a new MCC update to share with you that's available today!” The update touches upon all aspects of the Master Chief Collection, from campaign to multiplayer and beyond. Some of the biggest changes coming with this update includes:

  • Acrophobia and Bandana Skulls added to Halo 4
  • Campaign moa collectibles added to Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 4
    • Each week, a different subset of these collectibles are enabled
  • Match Rejoin feature for Social and Ranked matchmaking.
    • You have up until the match ends to rejoin
    • If you were booted from the match however, you will not be allowed to rejoin
  • Retroactive granting of Spartan Points
  • Steam Workshop support for easy mod installation

It is truly interesting to see just how different Halo MCC is today when compared to the game’s launch all the way back in 2014, and with 343i showing no signs of slowing down support, who knows where the game will be at this time next year – or even on the collection’s 10th anniversary in 2024! The full patch notes for the Winter update can be found HERE.

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KitGuru says: What do you think of the Winter update? Are you excited for Steam Workshop support? What more would you like to see 343i bring to Halo MCC? Let us know down below.

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Details surrounding Halo Infinite’s Battle Royale mode has leaked https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/details-surrounding-halo-infinites-battle-royale-mode-has-leaked/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/details-surrounding-halo-infinites-battle-royale-mode-has-leaked/#respond Tue, 08 Nov 2022 11:44:13 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=581580 One year on from its launch, Halo Infinite is not in the best position currently. Thankfully, both 343i and Xbox are aware of this and are working diligently to try and right this ship. One way in which the team hopes to do so is through the release of a Battle Royale mode – new …

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One year on from its launch, Halo Infinite is not in the best position currently. Thankfully, both 343i and Xbox are aware of this and are working diligently to try and right this ship. One way in which the team hopes to do so is through the release of a Battle Royale mode – new details of which have now leaked.

As reported on and collated by TwistedVoxel, a number of details surrounding Halo Infinite’s upcoming Battle Royale mode have leaked from multiple sources (namely Twitter users ‘Bathrobe Spartan’ and ‘Ains’).

According to the pair, Halo Infinite will share some similarities with other BR titles, while shaking up the formula in other ways. As with most BR titles, Infinite’s will feature an initial intro phase, along with a deployment and release phase – with players being able to join the game throughout these initial phases.

After dropping into the arena, however, Halo Infinite will reportedly spawn you in with an initial weapon loadout – a mechanic which differs greatly from most other BR titles (which will typically spawn you in with no weapons whatsoever).

According to ‘Ains’, this battle royale mode is planned to release alongside the game’s 4th Season, which is said to be arriving sometime in mid-2023. Until then, fans will have to make do with Halo Infinite’s current set-up – though at least the game’s 3rd Season is set to bring with it ray-tracing.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of the details surrounding the Battle Royale mode so far? Are you interested in it? What does 343i need to do to make Halo Infinite relevant again? Let us know down below.

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Xbox Games Studios boss addresses Halo Infinite’s live-service failings https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/xbox-games-studios-boss-addresses-halo-infinites-live-service-failings/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/mustafa-mahmoud/xbox-games-studios-boss-addresses-halo-infinites-live-service-failings/#respond Tue, 08 Nov 2022 10:01:01 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=581581 Halo Infinite has had an interesting yet unfortunate life so far. After a year’s delay, the game launched to mostly positive reviews, with both campaign and multiplayer fans alike enjoying Infinite’s combat, mechanics, and launch content. Unfortunately, the team has somewhat dropped the ball since, with a decided lack of post-launch content. The head of …

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Halo Infinite has had an interesting yet unfortunate life so far. After a year’s delay, the game launched to mostly positive reviews, with both campaign and multiplayer fans alike enjoying Infinite’s combat, mechanics, and launch content. Unfortunately, the team has somewhat dropped the ball since, with a decided lack of post-launch content. The head of Xbox Games Studios has now directly addressed the matter.

As part of the Friends Per Second Podcast – in which he also revealed that Obsidian Entertainment’s Grounded has been played by over 13 million people – Head of Xbox Game Studios Matt Booty discussed the post-launch situation surrounding Halo Infinite as being a “classic runner’s mistake of tripping and stumbling as you come across the finish line.”

According to Booty, the COVID-19 global pandemic played the biggest part in Halo Infinite’s slow content rollout post-launch, with him claiming “Shipping a game is just the beginning. There’s got to be a plan for content,” adding that “The burden is on us.”

Maintaining a live-service title is much harder than one might assume, which explains why so many different games try and fail to do so. It does make sense that a game such as Halo Infinite has hopes to become a thriving live service title, but so far there has been a great deal of talking and not too much action. Hopefully 343i and Xbox manage to turn the Halo Infinite ship around – if nothing else, at least the game is set to look nicer thanks to an upcoming ray-tracing update.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Matt Booty’s statement? How can Halo Infinite be fixed? Can it be fixed? Let us know your thoughts down below.

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Certain Affinity is working on a big new game mode for Halo Infinite https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/certain-affinity-is-working-on-a-big-new-game-mode-for-halo-infinite/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/certain-affinity-is-working-on-a-big-new-game-mode-for-halo-infinite/#respond Mon, 26 Sep 2022 12:08:25 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=575831 Back in April, Halo Infinite support studio, Certain Affinity, announced that it was ‘deepening' its partnership with 343 Industries. At the time, this was heavily rumoured to be a Battle Royale mode. We still don't have confirmation or denial on that, but Certain Affinity does currently have a huge team working on something ‘big and …

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Back in April, Halo Infinite support studio, Certain Affinity, announced that it was ‘deepening' its partnership with 343 Industries. At the time, this was heavily rumoured to be a Battle Royale mode. We still don't have confirmation or denial on that, but Certain Affinity does currently have a huge team working on something ‘big and new'. 

Certain Affinity CEO, Max Hoberman, spoke to VentureBeat about the studio's on-going projects in an interview, confirming that the studio is “doing lead development” on an unannounced mode for Halo Infinite. This is the studio's largest project right now, with around 100 developers working on it.

Interestingly, Hoberman also reveals that the studio has been working on the mode for two years already. Previously, clues datamined from Halo Infinite showed that a Battle Royale mode of some kind was being explored. Other reporters also claimed to have heard about Infinite's impending large-scale multiplayer mode.

Officially, a Halo Battle Royale has not been announced. It was first thought that the mode would be a big late 2022 release for Microsoft, but the Xbox Games Showcase came and went without any official news. 343 recently revamped its multiplayer roadmap and shifted resources around to try and deliver quicker updates starting in 2023.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The standard Battle Royale formula is pretty played out at this point, so it will be interesting to see if Halo's take on it can bring some creative new twists. Of course, Halo Battle Royale is still just a rumour, and has not yet been announced. That should change in 2023 though. 

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Halo co-creator working on single-player Battlefield at EA’s new Ridgeline Games studio https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-co-creator-working-on-single-player-battlefield-at-eas-new-ridgeline-games-studio/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-co-creator-working-on-single-player-battlefield-at-eas-new-ridgeline-games-studio/#respond Mon, 12 Sep 2022 14:31:41 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=574132 Back in October 2021, following the shuttering of his own independent studio, Halo co-creator, Marcus Lehto, joined EA to form a brand new studio. Now, under Lehto's leadership, Ridgeline Games (formerly EA Seattle) will now be tasked with developing future single-player Battlefield titles.  Battlefield used to be well known for its campaigns, but after Battlefield …

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Back in October 2021, following the shuttering of his own independent studio, Halo co-creator, Marcus Lehto, joined EA to form a brand new studio. Now, under Lehto's leadership, Ridgeline Games (formerly EA Seattle) will now be tasked with developing future single-player Battlefield titles. 

Battlefield used to be well known for its campaigns, but after Battlefield 4, EA began to turn its focus towards multiplayer. Nowadays, Battlefield campaigns are minimal and primarily act as a tutorial for the main game, rather than a core part of the experience. EA is looking to change that now with Ridgeline Games.

We've known about Lehto joining EA for a while, and previously, the Seattle-based studio did begin hiring for developers. Those job listings confirmed that this studio would be working on a Battlefield campaign of some sort.

Now, EA has officially announced Ridgeline Games as its latest homegrown studio, with Marcus Lehto, one of the co-creators of Halo, at the helm of future Battlefield single-player campaign projects.

As for when we'll see Ridgeline's first game, that still remains to be seen. We also don't know if this will be a standalone single-player Battlefield game, or if Ridgeline will be creating a single-player mode for DICE's next big Battlefield game. Whatever Ridgeline is working on will be in pre-production now, so it could be a couple of years before we hear much more.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: With EA investing in single-player Battlefield once again, we'll hopefully get a return to the glory days of the series. 

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Halo-inspired sci-fi shooter Splitgate is ceasing development https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/halo-inspired-sci-fi-shooter-splitgate-is-ceasing-development/ https://www.kitguru.net/tech-news/mustafa-mahmoud/halo-inspired-sci-fi-shooter-splitgate-is-ceasing-development/#respond Mon, 05 Sep 2022 10:00:40 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=573132 First person shooters are one of the most popular genres in video games. That being said, it has historically been dominated by a few large franchises. One promising new multiplayer FPS game, Splitgate, is unfortunately ceasing development – though it is actually for an exciting reason. Making the announcement on their blog, the Splitgate team …

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First person shooters are one of the most popular genres in video games. That being said, it has historically been dominated by a few large franchises. One promising new multiplayer FPS game, Splitgate, is unfortunately ceasing development – though it is actually for an exciting reason.

Making the announcement on their blog, the Splitgate team released an “Important Announcement About Splitgate's Future” where they said:

“Splitgate achieved a level of success that we could not have anticipated and that few indie games are fortunate to reach. That initial success brought an opportunity to turn what started as a college dorm dream project into a AAA game that could stand toe-to-toe with shooters from the biggest publishers in the industry. But this also meant that as we’ve brought on top-tier talent from across the industry, we’ve spent a lot of our time trying to rework old content and systems that were originally built by a handful of people.”

Explaining further, they revealed that “After careful consideration and much deliberation the 1047 Games team has determined that in order to build the game fans deserve – and to build it in a way that isn’t trying to retrofit and live operate an existing product – we are ending feature development of Splitgate.”

Though somewhat disappointing, the silverlining comes in the fact that “We’re turning our attention away from iterative, smaller updates and going all-in to focus on a new game in the Splitgate universe which will present revolutionary, not evolutionary, changes to our game. It will be a shooter, it will have portals, and it will be built in Unreal Engine 5. Oh,  and it will be free.”

As mentioned, Splitgate has seen great success and so while it is curious to see the team ceasing development on a populous and well-liked game, their reasons for doing so makes a great deal of sense and should hopefully in the long-run lead to even better gaming experiences for fans of the first Splitgate. Hopefully we get to see this new game soon.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

KitGuru says: What did you think of Splitgate? Are you excited for this new game? What improvements do you want to see made for this new project? Let us know down below.

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Halo co-creator will be working on new Battlefield campaign at Seattle studio https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-co-creator-will-be-working-on-new-battlefield-campaign-at-seattle-studio/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-co-creator-will-be-working-on-new-battlefield-campaign-at-seattle-studio/#respond Tue, 05 Jul 2022 15:09:04 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=566930 Back in October 2021, following the shuttering of his own independent studio, Halo co-creator, Marcus Lehto, joined EA to form a brand new studio. As it turns out, the newly created EA Seattle studio will primarily be focusing on Battlefield, looking to provide new single-player, or potentially co-op enabled campaigns. Battlefield used to be well …

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Back in October 2021, following the shuttering of his own independent studio, Halo co-creator, Marcus Lehto, joined EA to form a brand new studio. As it turns out, the newly created EA Seattle studio will primarily be focusing on Battlefield, looking to provide new single-player, or potentially co-op enabled campaigns.

Battlefield used to be well known for its campaigns, but after Battlefield 4, EA began to sour on the idea of single-player games. Rather than creating a big narrative arc with set-piece moments, DICE began to chip away at the single-player side of Battlefield, leading to smaller, episodic campaigns that were more like tutorial missions for different map scenarios, rather than something grand and cinematic like Bad Company. After that, more resources were pushed to the multiplayer side, but as we've seen with Battlefield 2042 recently, putting all of your eggs in one basket can lead to disastrous results.

At the new Seattle studio, led by Halo co-creator, Marcus Lehto, EA will be looking to build “rich, exciting stories with memorable characters and powerful experiences all in the Battlefield universe”, according to a recent job listing. The job specifically calls for a design director, who will be responsible for mission and narrative design, mechanics and other in-game systems.

Nothing has been announced yet, but DICE does apparently have a three-year plan to save the Battlefield franchise. Bringing back cinematic, well-polished campaigns could be a good step towards that goal. For now though, DICE maintains that its only focus right now is Battlefield 2042, so whatever this new Seattle studio has planned, it is likely still a few years away.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Perhaps we can finally get the Bad Company sequel that fans have been asking for over the last decade, rather than another semi-futuristic, or World War era shooter. 

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343i is “internally exploring” adding microtransactions to Halo: MCC https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/343i-is-internally-exploring-adding-microtransactions-to-halo-mcc/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/343i-is-internally-exploring-adding-microtransactions-to-halo-mcc/#respond Fri, 24 Jun 2022 18:15:33 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=565634 Ever since Bungie parted ways with Microsoft to work on Destiny, 343 Industries have been in charge of the Halo franchise – to varying levels of success. The latest controversy comes from the team’s most recent community update, where they announced that the team is “internally exploring” the notion of adding microtransactions into Halo: The …

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Ever since Bungie parted ways with Microsoft to work on Destiny, 343 Industries have been in charge of the Halo franchise – to varying levels of success. The latest controversy comes from the team’s most recent community update, where they announced that the team is “internally exploring” the notion of adding microtransactions into Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

As part of the latest Halo community update blog, Alex Wakeford of 343i discussed the team’s move away from Seasons, saying “what has previously been named “Season Points”—points earned by completing challenges and levelling up to unlock items—will eventually be renamed “Spartan Points” in a future update.”

Explaining this change further, Wakeford claimed that “For players who are new to the [Halo Master chief Collection], or who may not have dedicated much time specifically to unlocking items during the seasonal updates, or are simply completionists looking to catch the last outstanding items they need, we are internally exploring a potential new feature for the future in the form of purchasable Spartan Points.”

343i did make an attempt to calm any concerns from fans, saying “It is prudent to note here that we are happy with the current system of how players earn Spartan Points, by completing challenges and levelling up through play. This would be an optional, additive alternative for players who might find the vast scope of content to be an intimidating amount of playtime and want to get ahead on (or skip) the grind, or maybe want to grab specific items they want.”

It is interesting to see the team specifically talk about skipping the grind, especially as The Master Chief Collection itself has suffered from progression issues as a consequence of 343i intentionally slowing down the rate of Season Points acquisitions over time. It will be interesting to see whether the team does indeed end up adding these new purchasable Spartan Points. The full blog post can be found HERE.

KitGuru says: What do you think of this announcement? Are there any merits to the inclusion of microtransactions? Do you think 343i will reverse this decision? Let us know your thoughts down below.

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Microsoft Flight Simulator gets free content update for 40th anniversary https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/microsoft-flight-simulator-gets-free-content-update-for-40th-anniversary/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/microsoft-flight-simulator-gets-free-content-update-for-40th-anniversary/#respond Mon, 13 Jun 2022 11:17:11 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=564165 Microsoft Flight Simulator is Microsoft's longest running video game IP. This year to celebrate its 40-year anniversary, Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC and Xbox Series X/S will be getting a free content update, including classic planes from previous iterations of MFS, as well as a new collaboration with Halo. The nod to the past will …

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Microsoft Flight Simulator is Microsoft's longest running video game IP. This year to celebrate its 40-year anniversary, Microsoft Flight Simulator on PC and Xbox Series X/S will be getting a free content update, including classic planes from previous iterations of MFS, as well as a new collaboration with Halo.

The nod to the past will re-introduce some classic airports and several of the most famous planes from earlier versions including Microsoft Flight Simulator X and Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004: A Century of Flight. The development team has also been listening to feedback and will add new vehicle types to the game, including helicopters and gliders.

Here are the new aircrafts being added with this content update:

Historical Aircraft:

  • Wright Flyer
  • Ryan NYP (“Spirit of St. Louis”)
  • Douglas DC-3
  • De Havilland Canada DHC-2-Beaver

Helicopters:

  • Bell-407
  • Guimbal Cabri G2

Gliders:

  • DG Flugzeugbau LG8-18
  • DG Flugzeugbau DG1001E neo

True-to-Life Airliner:

  • Airbus A310

Many of these aircraft were made in collaboration with the best third-party developers including iniSimulations, MilViz, Bluemesh, Aeroplane Heaven, and others.

Aside from these real-life vehicles, the development team has also worked with 343 Industries to bring Halo Infinite's Pelican to the game. You can download and start flying the Pelican for free today by claiming it from the in-game marketplace.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Are you excited about the upcoming updates to Microsoft Flight Simulator?

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Halo Infinite campaign co-op is finally on the way https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-infinite-campaign-co-op-is-finally-on-the-way/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-infinite-campaign-co-op-is-finally-on-the-way/#respond Wed, 08 Jun 2022 14:06:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=563666 It looks like Halo Infinite will finally be getting campaign co-op soon. In a new developer update, 343 Industries has announced the first public flight test for online campaign co-op, which should roll out fully to all players during this current season.  This is in line with the roadmap 343 published around the launch of …

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It looks like Halo Infinite will finally be getting campaign co-op soon. In a new developer update, 343 Industries has announced the first public flight test for online campaign co-op, which should roll out fully to all players during this current season. 

This is in line with the roadmap 343 published around the launch of Season 2. Aside from online campaign co-op, 343 is also working on local co-op and split-screen, which will be arriving later in a separate update.

Halo Insiders that are signed up for Infinite flights will have the chance to test campaign co-op online in July. If all goes well, its full release shouldn't be too far behind.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Many Halo fans prefer to play the campaign in co-op, so this will be good news for those that have held off on a proper playthrough. 

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343 addresses disappointment in new Halo Infinite roadmap https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/343-addresses-disappointment-in-new-halo-infinite-roadmap/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/343-addresses-disappointment-in-new-halo-infinite-roadmap/#respond Fri, 29 Apr 2022 12:00:12 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=558805 Earlier this week, 343 Industries revealed the new roadmap for Halo Infinite, which unfortunately includes another extended six-month season, with highly anticipated features still months away. Unfortunately, according to Halo Infinite lead, Joseph Staten, this is the best we're going to get right now, as the team continues to tackle more pressing issues.  During a …

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Earlier this week, 343 Industries revealed the new roadmap for Halo Infinite, which unfortunately includes another extended six-month season, with highly anticipated features still months away. Unfortunately, according to Halo Infinite lead, Joseph Staten, this is the best we're going to get right now, as the team continues to tackle more pressing issues. 

During a recent livestream, (via PureXbox), Staten addressed recent disappointment in the Infinite roadmap, which plans out a six-month long season 2, ending in November, with features like campaign co-op and Forge mode still months down the line. Speaking on the matter, Staten said that “none of us inside of 343 look at this roadmap and are happy with it”.

According to Staten, the team also wants to create content at a faster pace and speed up the seasonal content rollout. However, due to on-going “quality of life issues”, 343 has to take more time to continue fixing up the game.

Season 02 of Halo Infinite will kick off next week, accompanied with new game modes and a new battle pass. Later in the year, we expect to see a new Battle Royale mode introduced for the game, although 343 Industries is not developing this. Instead, it is being handled by Certain Affinity, a support studio that has also worked on other Halo games in the past.

KitGuru Says: What do you all think of 343's current content plans for Infinite? Would a new Battle Royale mode save the game at this point? 

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Halo Infinite campaign co-op coming in August, Forge beta in September https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-infinite-campaign-co-op-coming-in-august-forge-beta-in-september/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-infinite-campaign-co-op-coming-in-august-forge-beta-in-september/#respond Mon, 25 Apr 2022 10:17:21 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=558163 Halo Infinite players have grown impatient recently due to fatigue from the game's extended, 6-month long Season 01. This extended season has led to some content droughts, but Season 2 is just on the horizon, going live next week with new game modes. Unfortunately, according to 343's new roadmap, Season 2 will also be incredibly …

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Halo Infinite players have grown impatient recently due to fatigue from the game's extended, 6-month long Season 01. This extended season has led to some content droughts, but Season 2 is just on the horizon, going live next week with new game modes. Unfortunately, according to 343's new roadmap, Season 2 will also be incredibly long. 

Most of us expected Halo Infinite to switch to quarterly seasons starting with Season 02, like most other games that offer a battle pass and seasonal updates. However, the new roadmap from 343 shows that Season 02 will instead run from May until November. Season 03 is listed as beginning on the 8th of November, but it does not have an end date just yet.

While Season 02 will be lasting much longer than anticipated, the roadmap does give us a few things to look forward to. For starters, new game modes will finally be entering the Infinite playlist at launch, and there will be new timed events taking place in May and July. There is also a new battle pass, and campaign co-op will finally be going live.

In Season 02, online co-op for Infinite's campaign should go live in August, but splitscreen co-op is going to take a bit longer and has been pushed to Season 03, which will run from November and into 2023.

Finally, 343 is also targeting a September launch for Halo's Forge mode, which will go a long way towards providing variety and keeping core players engaged. However, the full version of Forge isn't expected until Season 03.

While Season 02 will be longer than expected, 343 did add that it will be “delivering more content faster”, as well as more regular roadmap updates as development continues.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: The roadmap doesn't look too bad, but it is somewhat frustrating to see major features still so far off, as well as another lengthy six-month season. It felt like Infinite lost so much momentum this year, but hopefully this next season will have more content drops throughout compared to the first. What do you all think of Infinite's new 2022 roadmap? 

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Halo composer settles lawsuit against Microsoft https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-composer-settles-lawsuit-against-microsoft/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-composer-settles-lawsuit-against-microsoft/#respond Wed, 20 Apr 2022 09:45:35 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=557722 Marty O’Donnell, best known for his work as a composer at Bungie in the days of Halo, and eventually, the early days of Destiny, filed a lawsuit against Microsoft two years ago. O’Donnell and fellow composer, Mike Salvatori, claimed that Microsoft owes the pair royalties dating back 20 years. Now, months after an attempt to …

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Marty O’Donnell, best known for his work as a composer at Bungie in the days of Halo, and eventually, the early days of Destiny, filed a lawsuit against Microsoft two years ago. O’Donnell and fellow composer, Mike Salvatori, claimed that Microsoft owes the pair royalties dating back 20 years. Now, months after an attempt to block the release of the Halo TV series, the pair have settled the case with Microsoft. 

The lawsuit was filed at a Washington state court in June 2020, but the case only became public recently once it went into mediation. The two composers claimed to be owed royalties for music used in the Halo games under a licensing contract. Microsoft disagreed and claimed the pair were on a work-for-hire contract.

This week, we finally got an update on the case, with Marty O'Donnell tweeting that the issue has been “amicably resolved” with Microsoft. Unfortunately, details of the settlement are unknown, but it seems that part of the deal allows O'Donnell to share footage and music created while working on Halo on his personal YouTube channel.

The settlement comes just ahead of Halo Infinite's big Season 2 launch, and just after the premier of the Halo TV series, which has been airing on Paramount+ for several weeks now.

KitGuru Says: It is going to be interesting to see some of the videos from the days spent recording the Halo soundtrack. Some of the footage is already up, but O'Donnell has more to share. 

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Halo Infinite is getting a Battle Royale mode this year https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-infinite-is-getting-a-battle-royale-mode-this-year/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-infinite-is-getting-a-battle-royale-mode-this-year/#respond Mon, 18 Apr 2022 09:46:48 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=557513 There have been plenty of rumours surrounding Certain Affinity recently. Not only is the studio reportedly working on its own original IP for Xbox Game Pass, but the studio has also recently “deepened” its relationship with 343 Industries and is currently working on a big Battle Royale mode for Halo Infinite.  Infinite Leaks, a group …

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There have been plenty of rumours surrounding Certain Affinity recently. Not only is the studio reportedly working on its own original IP for Xbox Game Pass, but the studio has also recently “deepened” its relationship with 343 Industries and is currently working on a big Battle Royale mode for Halo Infinite. 

Infinite Leaks, a group of dataminers dedicated to unearthing secrets hidden within the Halo Infinite files, have discovered a ton of evidence pointing towards a new Battle Royale mode for Halo Infinite. Originally, the mode's existence was confirmed by Jez Corden, who also recently revealed some additional details about the project, which has been in the works at Certain Affinity for over two years already.

For starters, the mode, codenamed “Tatanka”, is a battle royale mode and much like Call of Duty Warzone, it will essentially be treated as its own game. The goal with this mode is to bring new players into the Halo franchise and get a piece of that massive audience of BR enthusiasts.

Currently, the mode is targeting a Season 3 or Season 4 release, so it should be announced properly over the summer. Prior to launch, there were many calls for 343 to add Battle Royale to Infinite, but the team chose to focus on its core multiplayer and campaign fans at launch, before branching out into new territory later down the line.

None of this has been officially confirmed yet, but we can expect more news in the coming weeks. Given how much data leaked in the latest updates for the game, Infinite's Season 02 patch should also contain a lot of new information.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: I was never one of those people that felt like Halo Infinite needed a Battle Royale to be successful, but with Infinite's Battle Pass-oriented, F2P multiplayer approach, it should certainly help. Will you be playing Halo's Battle Royale mode when it comes out? 

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The Master Chief Collection is more popular than Halo Infinite right now https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/the-master-chief-collection-is-more-popular-than-halo-infinite-right-now/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/the-master-chief-collection-is-more-popular-than-halo-infinite-right-now/#respond Thu, 14 Apr 2022 12:00:02 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=557208 Following an enjoyable honeymoon period, many Halo fans have fallen off of the Halo Infinite train. 343i’s slow rate of updates certainly hasn’t helped. This frustration felt by fans has now led to Halo: The Master Chief Collection surpassing Infinite in concurrent players. As noted by ResetEra user NekoNeko, Halo: The Master Chief Collection recently …

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Following an enjoyable honeymoon period, many Halo fans have fallen off of the Halo Infinite train. 343i’s slow rate of updates certainly hasn’t helped. This frustration felt by fans has now led to Halo: The Master Chief Collection surpassing Infinite in concurrent players.

As noted by ResetEra user NekoNeko, Halo: The Master Chief Collection recently surpassed Halo Infinite when it came to peak concurrent users in a 24 hour period on Steam. As of writing, Halo Infinite has peaked with 8,092 players in the last 24 hour period, putting the free-to-play game in the top 100 on Steam currently.

Halo the Master Chief Collection, on the other hand, rests above Infinite with 9,144 peak players. Though the difference is small, it is worth noting that Halo: The Master chief Collection is a paid game, while Infinite’s multiplayer is free-to-play.

Of course, these stats pertain only to Steam. We do not know how many players are using Xbox Game Pass or simply an Xbox console. Still, it is interesting none-the-less to see the 5-month-old game drop to such lows. Hopefully its player base returns when 343i releases their next major update – whenever that is. The studio is now receiving help from external studios including Certain Afinity, so hopefully we hear some good news soon.

KitGuru says: Are you playing Halo Infinite? Do you see yourself returning? Can Halo Infinite have a comeback? Let us know down below.

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Halo Infinite mod enables third-person combat https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-infinite-mod-enables-third-person-combat/ https://www.kitguru.net/gaming/matthew-wilson/halo-infinite-mod-enables-third-person-combat/#respond Tue, 12 Apr 2022 10:38:22 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=556993 Modders are slowly but surely beginning to figure out how to make changes to Halo Infinite. The latest mod to make headlines completely shifts gameplay, enabling a third-person view of Master Chief and the Zeta Halo.  Since the beginning, Halo has been a first-person shooter franchise, while other Microsoft IP, like Gears, tackled third-person shooting. …

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Modders are slowly but surely beginning to figure out how to make changes to Halo Infinite. The latest mod to make headlines completely shifts gameplay, enabling a third-person view of Master Chief and the Zeta Halo. 

Since the beginning, Halo has been a first-person shooter franchise, while other Microsoft IP, like Gears, tackled third-person shooting. A modder going by the name ‘Halo Opulant' has shifted this, with a new mod offering a third-person camera option in Halo Infinite.

The mod works with all the weapons you can find throughout the campaign, meaning the full game from start to finish should be playable in third-person mode.

Rather than using Nexus, this particular mod has been uploaded to Halo Customs, which also hosts a number of custom maps for the other Halo titles available in the Master Chief Collection.

Discuss on our Facebook page, HERE.

KitGuru Says: Halo looks surprisingly good as a third-person shooter. Hopefully later this year with Forge mode, we'll see new custom maps and modes begin to pop up for Infinite. 

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343i responds to Halo Infinite content delays https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/343i-responds-to-halo-infinite-content-delays/ https://www.kitguru.net/desktop-pc/mustafa-mahmoud/343i-responds-to-halo-infinite-content-delays/#respond Fri, 01 Apr 2022 19:00:20 +0000 https://www.kitguru.net/?p=555812 Halo: Infinite launched late last year to a positive reception from long-time fans of the series. The surprise early release of the multiplayer title, as well as a mostly solid campaign kept fans satisfied during the launch period. Months later, and with little additional content, fans have started to get frustrated – with 343i officially …

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Halo: Infinite launched late last year to a positive reception from long-time fans of the series. The surprise early release of the multiplayer title, as well as a mostly solid campaign kept fans satisfied during the launch period. Months later, and with little additional content, fans have started to get frustrated – with 343i officially responding to these qualms.

In a post on Reddit responding to frustrated fans, a 343i representative explained the current situation, saying “We're certainly not happy to be unable to meet player and community expectations, it's a difficult situation that's going to take the team time to work through.”

Offering details on what the team is currently working on, 343i said “Right now the focus is on S2 and we'll have more to share on that in the coming weeks. Meanwhile a lot of production planning, costing, planning, hiring, etc.. is all happening which doesn't really lend to detailed regular updates.”

HaloInfinite Ring Night

They concluded by saying “We understand the community is simply out of patience and frankly, I think understandably tired of words. We just need some time for the team to get the details sorted and then we can certainly share as much as we can.”

The response has not been taken well by Halo fans, with the comment seeing a net-negative response. It is unfortunate to see that after a year of delays, 343i is still unable to meet the desires of the fans. Hopefully the team does not get discouraged by the current reception, and are able to claw themselves back into a positive position. Time will tell.

KitGuru says: What do you think of Halo Infinite currently? Are you disappointed by the lack of content? How can 343i satiate fans? Let us know down below.

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