‘Halo 5: Guardians’ to release in Fall of 2015

After being initially set for a Fall release, coinciding with the release of the next generation Xbox One, Microsoft has announced that Halo 5: Guardians will be released in the fall of 2015. Returning with Master Chief at the helm, Halo 5 will likely be a cornerstone for Microsoft next generation system like it’s predecessors.

The Halo franchise has been a huge part of the success that surrounded Microsoft’s first two game systems. Halo 2 (8.25 million sold) and Halo: Combat Evolved (6.43 million) hold the top two spots for highest selling games on the original Xbox while Halo 3 (14.5 million) and Halo: Reach (4.79 million) are both top ten in the highest selling games for the Xbox 360.

Bonnie Ross, general manager of 343 Industries, says Halo 5 will be a bigger effort than Halo 4. “That applies to content and scope of the game, as well as the technology in what’s now a brand new and more powerful engine.”

According to 343 Industries, Halo 5 will run at 60 frames-per-second on the current gen and will run on a completely new engine separate from the last versions.

“In the past, “Halo” games have pushed the Xbox forward, showcasing the console and its ecosystem in entertaining and innovative ways. Making a “Halo” game that runs at 60 frames per second, on dedicated servers, with the scope, features and scale we’ve been dreaming of for more than a decade, is non-trivial.  It’s a task that we, at 343 Industries, are taking very seriously to ensure we deliver the “Halo” game that fans deserve, and a game that is built from the ground up for Xbox One.   “

Along with ‘Halo 5: Guardians’, Microsoft will release the Halo live-action television series which will be executive produced by legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg.

While there were rumors of the Halo franchise eventually porting to the Playstation 4, Halo 5: Guardians is expected to be an Xbox One exclusive. More on Halo 5 will be available when Microsoft kicks of E3 in June.