Halo Studios reportedly out weighs having Activision’s Sledgehammer Games help build future Halo projects
- 0-20%: Unlikely – Lacks credible sources
- 21-40%: Questionable – Some concerns remain
- 41-60%: Plausible – Reasonable evidence
- 61-80%: Probable – Strong evidence
- 81-100%: Highly Likely – Multiple reliable sources
A new report from insider RebsGaming claims that Halo Studios is increasingly relying on outsourced development for its future projects, following heavy use of external studios on the recently launched Halo: Campaign Evolved, as well as the canceled multiplayer game codenamed Project Ekur. According to the report, this strategy traces back to comments from Halo Studios head Pierre Hintze, who developers reportedly said intended to outsource as much development as possible. Hintze was also recently the subject of claims of mismanagement and harassment.
RebsGaming says the credits for Halo: Campaign Evolved confirm that all areas of development were outRival, FX Chamber, Devoted, Digic, Keywords Studios, Sparxsoft, Snowed In Studios (owned by Keywords), Skybox Labs, Sprung Studios, Virtuos, Sparx (owned by Virtuos), Ninja Theory, Turn 10 Studios, and Rare
A separate studio, Abstraction, is also said to have contributed, though it isn’t directly credited. Abstraction’s contract with Halo Studios was apparently terminated mid-development last year due to development issues, and the studio later left Virtuos to become independent again. RebsGaming says Abstraction’s former employees are instead listed in the game’s Special Thanks section. Some studios were seemingly responsible for major areas of development from start to finish. Virtuos reportedly delivered end-to-end art production, covering world creation, characters, vehicles, and weapons, while Abstraction is said to have designed and developed campaign missions from concept through blockout and final polish, including scripted events and gameplay balancing.
According to RebsGaming, Halo Studios was simultaneously outsourcing another project, codenamed Project Ekur, which had previously been described as the next Halo multiplayer title before its cancellation. A outsourcing even more heavily than prior Halo titles
Halo in Activision’s Hands?
The report also revisits rumors that Activision could become involved in future Halo development. This idea originated last month when journalist Jez Corden said he’d heard that Microsoft might have Activision develop Halo games. RebsGaming says a source who previously provided accurate information about Campaign Evolved has now claimed that Microsoft is exploring a proposal involving Activision, including having Sledgehammer Games (Call of Duty: WWII, Call of Duty: Vanguard) help develop a Halo game.
The samealo pitch in June, though it remained in an early blockout stage focused only on basic mechanics like player movement. That prototype was said to have been canceled in early July. However, RebsGaming notes that canceling the prototype doesn’t necessarily rule out future Activision involvement, since Microsoft is reportedly still evaluating the proposition without having greenlit anything
Based on Campaign Evolved, Ekur, and the aforementioned Activision prototype, RebsGaming concludes thatthe majority of future Halo development will likely be out franchise, since outsourcing can accelerate development timelines and expand the amount of content a team can produce. However, he also raises concerns about how well Halo Studios has managed its external partners so far
As an example, the report cites social media comments from Halo co-creator Marcus Lehto, who criticized the design of the Alpha Halo ring shown in the game’s main menu as looking out of scale, lacking mystery, and appearing visually unappealing. RebsGaming notes that the same ring appears in the game’s final cutscene with a notably different, more atmospheric design that closely resembles the original Halo: Combat Evolved aesthetic, which he cites as evidence of poor oversight across outsourced teams.
Ultimately, it seems Halo Studios will continue to rely on external partners to develop new titles (though there’s currently no roadmap we know of). That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but as shown by the relatively poor performance of Halo: Campaign Evolved, they will have to improve the pipeline, choose the right partners, and ensure consistency if they wish to do better.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief.
In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech’s gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews.
Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications.
His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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