In a new Halo Infinite development update, players discovered a hidden audio file that teases the plot of the game. It seems to indicate that 343 Industries is not abandoning the plotlines set up from Halo 5 despite how poorly received the game was when it released in 2015.
Halo Infinite was meant to come out last November to tie-in with the release of Xbox Series X but was delayed following a negative reception to the game’s first reveal. The game will feature a new vision of the series, opening it up with a large sandbox world. Up until this point, 343 hasn’t shared too much on the story of the sci-fi title, which has made people wonder if the game will deviate from the largely disappointing Halo 5. However, a new audio file seems to indicate otherwise.
Halo Waypoint gives an update on the world of Halo Infinite, and in that, fans managed to discover an audio file (via Zach Robertson) that contains a conversation between Master Chief and Halsey. The message sets up that Cortana has a strong grasp on the universe, teeing her up as the villain in the game. The blog post also contains teases of the story as well. “Players will not only experience the immediate story of Chief’s reawakening to confront the Banished and Cortana but if they look around, they may find glimpses of the future as well,” said Justin Dinges, the Campaign Art Lead on the game.
Halo Infinite has been labeled as a “spiritual reboot”, but that doesn’t mean it will be abandoning the story set-up in Halo 5. There is plenty of evidence that this “spiritual reboot” will continue to build on some elements of the existing franchise. “Spiritual Reboot” is a term we use to describe our approach to introducing new ideas while staying true to what it felt like to play the classic games,” said Troy Mashburn, the Gameplay Director on Halo Infinite.
Halo Infinite is meant to come out later this year, but no exact release date has been given. The new blog post definitely shows a very clear vision, new direction, and a lot of confidence in the new game, even if the game has had some troubles. There has been a large turnover of staff on Halo Infinite in the last year, but perhaps it’s not a sign of total chaos quite yet as this new update is promising.
Halo Infinite will release later this year on Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.