Plans For A Halo 3 Anniversary Were In 343 Industries Crosshairs, But It Was Strapped On Resources To Pursue

The current identity for Halo is being reassessed at Xbox. Although Halo Infinite was received fairly well and still receives report up to now, the IP is shifting directions. It was revealed previously that the firm is now working on the series with Unreal Engine 5. And, 343 Industries is no more now with ‘Halo Studios’ as the dedicated developer for the franchise.

Come 2026 there are plans for Halo, says Microsoft. In one interview, Microsoft commented that plans are ramping up for the series & Xbox 25th anniversary next year. But, there has been plenty that was kicked under the rug as well. One former employee told that nearly two dozen different pitches were rejected by greater Microsoft for Halo over the years. And another is added to the list as of recently.

According to an interview with Video Gamer, Halo 5 concept art lead & Halo Infinite associate art director Darren Bacon told that plans were shaping for a Halo 3 Anniversary after all. For those unfamiliar, Halo 2 Anniversary came bundled in Halo: The Master Chief Collection which arrived on the 10 year anniversary. So this proposal was likely set to release in 2017 going by that logic.

“I recall, yeah, there was a desire for the team to revisit [Halo 3]. I think that they were trying to align it with an anniversary of some sort. […] That’s the thing, it’s always just a resource battle of where to put your focus.” The reason for the limited resources was at a time that 343 Industries was balancing between Halo 5 post-launch support alongside early development on Halo Infinite also.

And although there was no greenlight for Halo 3 Anniversary, it appears 2025 might welcome a new announcement. According to insider Rebs Gaming, an reveal is anticipated to take place sometime in 2025. You can read the full report by heading here.

Would you have wanted Halo 3 Anniversary to release?

Source: Video Gamer