Tag: 343 Industries
News Halo TV Showrunner Admits Budget Limited Fall Of Reach Screen Time
The team "couldn't afford" to spend more episodes on it
The second season of the Halo TV series has had some interesting moments, but many questions (and plenty of theories) were raised when the Fall of Reach (simply titled 'Reach' in the show) was limited to just a single episode. Now, in this week's Xbox podcast, the show's executive producer and...
Poll What Did You Think Of The Halo TV Show's Latest Episode? (S2, E5)
Kwan and Laera save the day
Paramount's second season of the Halo series is well underway, and this week episode five aired. We now know most of the main cast in the show have managed to survive the Covenant's invasion of Reach. While we won't go into any major details, the latest episode eventually slowed things down with far less action. John and...
Random Halo TV Show's Latest Episode Pays Respect To OG Xbox
Here's a look
In case you missed it, Halo's fourth episode of Season 2 aired this week, and in one segment in the episode, fans have spotted a neat little Easter egg paying respects to the series' video game history. Early on in this episode at the beginning of the Covenant invasion of Reach, Master Chief and Corporal Perez stumble across an...
Poll Are You Enjoying Season 2 Of The Halo TV Show?
We've reached the halfway mark, Chief
We're now halfway through the second season of Paramount's Halo series with Episode 4 of Season 2 airing yesterday. Leading into this episode, there was a lot of excitement about the Covenant's invasion of Reach finally getting underway. So we're curious to know at this point what everyone here on Pure Xbox...
News Halo Infinite's Firefight Mode Brings Five Additional Maps Into Rotation
Loads of new firefights to be had!
Halo Infinite recently added a new variation of Firefight into its multiplayer mix — dubbed Firefight: King of the Hill — and the new mode has just received five new maps as part of a playlist refresh. Existing Halo Infinite maps Breaker, Cliffhanger, Fragmentation, Highpower and Scarr are now live and...
News 343 Devs Pitched '20-30 Game Ideas Over 12 Years', Including New ODST Spin-Off
Ah, what could have been
Halo studio 343 Industries has been heavily focused on Infinite in recent years, as Microsoft attempted to breathe new life into the series after the bumpy ride that was Halo 5. While we very much enjoyed the team's 2021 release, it sounds like we could have seen a lot of different Halo styles in recent years if 343 and Xbox...
News 343 Drops First Halo: Master Chief Collection Update Since July
When the team starting to wind down development
343 Industries has just dropped another Halo: The Master Chief Collection update - the first since July 2023 when the team shared an end of development message with its employees. This new patch is only a minor update for the game across Xbox and PC, but it does show that the team
News Halo TV Show Master Chief Actor Reveals Why Cortana Looks Different In Season 2
The new showrunner played a part
Paramount's second season of the Halo The Series is now streaming, and if you've been wondering why Cortana looks different this time around, Master Chief's actor Pablo Schreiber has shed some light on this change. While Cortana's original live-action model didn't go down so well with some fans in the first season,...
News 343 Hires New Art Director To Lead 'A Very Exciting New Era' For Halo
"I am incredibly proud to join 343 Industries"
Halo developer 343 Industries appears to making moves for its next major release. Following on from hints last month at an 'unannounced' project being in the works, the team has hired a brand-new art director to lead the series "into a very exciting new era". The news comes from LinkedIn, where former...
News Halo TV Showrunner Describes Season 2 As 'Grittier, More Grounded, More Visceral Ride'
Kiki Wolfkill: "It's our job to step up and do the best we can"
We've already heard one of the Halo TV Show's new actors talk up Season 2 - calling it the Halo he "wanted to see", but if you still aren't convinced, some higher-ups working on Paramount's hit series have also chimed in. Speaking to GamesRadar+ again, the show's executive producer and...
News Halo TV Show Actor Says Season 2 Is A Great Time To 'Jump In'
It "takes it more in a direction like the games"
Season 2 of Halo on Paramount Plus kicks off this week and so far the critic reception has gone down pretty well. If you are wondering whether now is the time to jump in or not, one of the newcomers to the show's cast thinks it's the perfect time. When asked by GamesRadar+ if fans should hop straight...
Roundup Halo TV Show Season 2 Impressions Are Starting To Go Live Ahead Of Launch
Here's what the critics are saying so far
Halo The Series returns this week on Paramount Plus, as the TV network's Halo adaptation moves into its second season. Ahead of the release of Season 2, some early reviews have gone live from various outlets - giving us a glimpse at how this second season of Halo the Series is shaping up. Now, it should be...
News Halo Infinite's New Map Pays Homage To Halo: Combat Evolved On OG Xbox
No, it's not an illusion
A major update landed for Halo Infinite this week, and the game's newest multiplayer map was already said to "evoke the feeling" of Halo: Combat Evolved in its design and overall look. While the jury may be out on that, players have discovered that new map 'Illusion' features an even more direct homage to the original Halo...
News Halo TV Star Sends Blunt Message To Fans About No-Helmet Master Chief
"There's no point discussing it"
Paramount's Halo TV series has had its fair share of ups and downs so far, but one of the showrunner's most controversial decisions up to now has been revealing no-helmet Master Chief. Yep, Halo's main star goes helmet-free at t
News 343 Industries Reveals Multiple New Features Coming To Halo Infinite In 2024
Starting with the January Update!
343 Industries has today pulled back the curtain on what to expect from Halo Infinite's next update that arrives on January 30th, as well as teasing a few features that will be arriving later in 2024. Let's get stuck in, shall we?! Halo Infinite "Content Update 29" drops on the 30th, introducing a new Arena map...
News Phil Spencer Closes Out 2023 Playing Halo Infinite Firefight With Xbox Fans
"Thanks for the invite"
It's nice to spend some of the festive season resting up and playing video games, and to nobody's surprise, it looks like Xbox boss Phil Spencer spent some of the final hours of 2023 gaming with fans. As we can see over on Phil's Twitter feed, the boss enjoyed some Halo Infinite Firefight at the tail end of December -...
News 343 Industries 'Thank You Card' Causes Concern For The Future Of Halo: MCC
"Together, we have achieved a significant milestone"
Halo: The Master Chief Collection has ended up getting an almost 10-year update cycle after its rough launch back in 2014, and a new developer message is hinting that work on the game might finally be wrapping up in 2023. Doing the rounds on social media is a 'thank you' message posted by some of...
News 343 Has 'Nothing In Active Development' For Halo Infinite Single-Player
"We made the decision just over a year ago"
Halo Infinite has been on the up-and-up over its last few multiplayer seasons, but in a recent interview with outlet Kinda Funny, the team explained that this content surge won't carry over to campaign anytime soon. During a wide-ranging chat on the Xcast podcast, 343's Brian Jarrad talked about the...
Feature Firefight Makes An Absolutely Triumphant Return In Halo Infinite
The series' famous co-op mode returns!
Back in early October, 343 Industries announced Firefight's grand return to Halo - in the form of 'Firefight: King of the Hill' mode for Halo Infinite. Fast forward two months and we've been hands-on with the game mode ahead of its addition to Halo Infinite Season 5 - and it's safe to say
News Halo Infinite Dev Posts Lengthy Response To 'Increased' Bundle Prices
"I understand this isn't necessarily what everyone wants to hear"
Halo developer 343 Industries has finally begun implementing a long-promised Halo Infinite feature - customisation items that work across different 'Spartan Cores' within multiplayer. While this feature's addition is certainly welcome, it's brought an unfortunate consequence that's...
News Halo Infinite's Networking Is Being 'Fundamentally Changed' To Address De-Sync Issues
"We decided to pursue fundamental changes"
Pretty much since the launch of the game in late 2021, the Halo Infinite community has been very vocal about player de-sync issues in online multiplayer. Well, it looks like our prayers are being answered as 343 provides a huge update on the future of its under-the-hood multiplayer tech. Taking to Twitter...
News 343 Adds New Big-Team Infection Mode To Halo Infinite
As an "experimental" playlist
343 Industries has been doing good work with Halo Infinite over the last few seasons, adding plenty of new maps, modes, weapons and more into the multiplayer mix in recent months. Sometimes, the team gets a little experimental with its new modes, and that's exactly what it's done with the new 'Workshop BTB Infection' m
News 343 Shares New Look At Remade Halo 3 Maps For Upcoming Halo Infinite Mode
Are you excited for 'Halo 3 Refueled'?
'Halo 3 Refueled' is a new Halo Infinite multiplayer mode arriving later on during Season 5, and ahead of its addition next month, the team at 343 Industries has showcased a bunch of new images featuring its selection of remade maps. We have classics like Guardian, High Ground, Narrows and The Pit here - and...
News Halo Infinite Hits Highest PC Player Count In Over A Year As Season 5 Lands
The Steam numbers are up
There's quite a bit of hype building around Halo Infinite Season 5 at the moment - and that hype is already translating into a healthy PC player bump for 343 Industries and Microsoft. We're not talking astronomical numbers here, but the Steam version of Halo Infinite surpassed 15k concurrent players yesterday for the first...
News 343 Reveals Exact Release Times For Halo Infinite Season 5
Here's when you can go hands on in your region
Excitement is starting to build around Halo Infinite Season 5; the game's next content drop that's set to bring lots of new goodies to Halo Infinite multiplayer. Ahead of its nearby release, 343 Industries has revealed exactly when we can all jump in and try the new content out. Halo Infinite Season 5...
Rumour Halo's Next Story Campaign Is In Development On Unreal Engine
"Yes, they do have a team working on the next Halo campaign"
Earlier this year, we heard reports that 343 Industries had decided not to bother pursuing any sort of single-player DLC for Halo Infinite - instead focusing on multiplayer content post-launch. However, that doesn't mean the team hasn't started work on an entirely new Halo campaign, and a...
Reaction Halo Infinite Should Focus On More Co-Op Experiences After The Return Of Firefight
The survival mode is coming in Season 5, but we want more
During yesterday's Halo Infinite Season 5 trailer, the team at 343 Industries revealed that some form of Firefight is returning to the game with 'Firefight King of the Hill'. We don't have all the details just yet on what this objective-based spin on Firefight will actually look like, but...
News Halo Infinite Season 5 Brings Firefight Back To The Series
Firefight King of the Hill is coming during the next season
343 Industries has just lifted the lid on Halo Infinite Season 5, and it looks jam-packed with multiplayer goodies. The new season begins on October 17, and above is just a taste of what's on the way to Halo Infinite. We're getting a returning game mode from Halo 4 in the form of...
News Halo Infinite's 'Husky Raid' Mode Introduces Eight New Small-Scale Forge Maps
All wrapped up in "everyone’s favorite linear CTF mode"
Developer 343 Industries has introduced another new game mode to Halo Infinite - this time a returning classic that debuted in the team's very first outing, Halo 4. 'Husky Raid' is a tighter spin on Capture the Flag, where Spartans duke it out on small, narrow maps that funnel players right...
News Halo Infinite Update Improves Forge Mode & Adds Halo: Reach Map Remake
Lots to get into here!
Halo Infinite developer 343 Industries has just deployed another update for the game's multiplayer suite, and there are quite a few improvements, additions and changes tucked into this patch. First up, the team has added a new multiplayer map to the game in the form of 'Dredge'. OK, it's not entirely new — it's a tweaked...
News Halo Infinite Adds Two More Classic Maps To 'Squad Battle' Playlist
Halo 2 and 4 featured in new update
343 Industries has expanded on Halo Infinite's recently-added nostalgia-fuelled playlist by adding two more classic maps to its rotation. 'Squad Battle' was launched as a new matchmaking option two weeks ago — an 8v8 mode taking place on remade Halo 3 maps — and now Halo 2 and Halo 4 have joined the fray...
Random Fake 'Halo 3 Remastered' Ads Appear On Times Square Billboard
This would be one way to announce it!
'Halo 3 Remastered' doesn't exist in any form right now — at least as far as we know publicly — but the small fact that it's not a real thing doesn't seem to be stopping some Halo fans from pretending to believe. As we've spotted over on the Halo subreddit, some fans of the series appear to be paying to...
News 343's Master Chief Collection Modders Are Making The Halo 3 'E3 2006 Trailer' Playable
Can you BELIEVE it?!
Last week, we poured over 343's 'Digsite Deliveries' blog post that detailed loads of old, unreleased Halo content being added to the Master Chief Collection - and the team is now back and at it again. This new post, 'Digsite Discoveries', is showcasing even more old school Halo content being reworked for MCC on PC, and the team...
News Halo Infinite Adds 8v8 'Squad Battle' Mode On Remade Halo 3 Maps
Fans wants this as a permanent playlist!
Halo developer 343 Industries has unveiled its latest rotational multiplayer playlist for Halo Infinite, and it seems to be going down very well so far. The new matchmaking mode, Squad Battle, is an 8v8 playlist featuring Slayer and objective game types on community-made maps, and it's a huge throwback to...
News 343 Is Bringing Loads Of Never-Before-Seen Halo 1 & 2 Content To Master Chief Collection On PC
Maps, weapons, assets and more!
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is already a mammoth catalogue of games containing all of the Bungie- era Halo titles and more, but it's about to get even bigger on PC. As part of the team's 'Digsite' project, 343 has shown off a bunch of old archived Halo goodies that are being re-worked for MCC on PC. There's...
News 343 Industries: Halo Infinite's 'Consistency' Has Improved, But 'Quality' Needs More Work
It's all about "Consistency, Satisfaction and Quality"
Halo Infinite Season 4: Infection finally arrives this week on June 20th, and ahead of that date, the game's Head of Live Service has had some interesting comments to share about the future of Halo Infinite's overall development. Speaking to Xbox Wire, Sean Baron explained that he believes Halo...
News Halo Infinite Campaign AI Is Coming To Multiplayer With The 'Forge AI Toolkit'
The team goes in-depth on the future of Forge
In a new blog post, 343 Industries has announced that campaign AI is coming to Halo Infinite's Forge mode in the future. The idea of adding AI to help with PvE creations has been floating around for months, but the Halo dev has now officially committed to the feature as Season 4 approaches. When talking...
News Would Activision Be A Good Fit For Halo? Xbox's Matt Booty Shares His Thoughts
"It would have to come from the studios"
Xbox Game Studios boss Matt Booty has certainly been doing the rounds over the past few days following the very well-received Xbox Games Showcase 2023, and his latest interview has gone live today courtesy of Axios. As part of the discussion, Booty explained how his team at Microsoft
News Halo Infinite Promises To 'Unleash Mayhem' Next Week In New Season 4 Trailer
"Will you survive?"
Are you ready for Halo Infinite Season 4? 343 Industries is preparing to deploy the latest update for the game across Xbox consoles and PC next week on June 20th, 2023, and you can check out the brand-new launch trailer above. As previously confirmed, Halo Infinite Season 4 is bringing back the popular Infection game mode later...
News Forge Is Getting Some Major Updates With Season 4 Of Halo Infinite
Minigames, new objects, water planes and more!
We know that Season 4 is going to be a big one for Halo Infinite, with a brand-new progression system making its debut later this month. Now though, the team at 343 has unveiled what's changing for Forge mode during the coming season, and it's sounding like a solid set of improvements and new features...
Soapbox I Hope Halo Infinite's New Progression System Keeps Me Hooked For Good
In for the long haul
Halo Infinite has had an attention retention problem pretty much since launch back in late 2021. 343's latest Halo title has the best core mechanics that the team has ever produced, but there's just something missing when it comes to keeping me hooked and wanting to play for hours on end. I don't seem to be alone in that...
News Halo's Longtime Franchise Director Has Left Microsoft
It follows Joseph Staten's departure earlier this month
Halo lead Joseph Staten only recently announced he would be leaving Microsoft, and now it seems another Halo veteran has moved on. According to Axios' Stephen Totilo, Microsoft has confirmed the departure of Halo franchise director Frank O'Connor. He contributed to Master Chief's journey for...
News Ex-Halo Lead Announces New Project After Leaving Team Xbox
Moving onto pastures new
Earlier this month, Halo veteran and long-time Xbox developer Joseph Staten revealed that he was leaving Microsoft, and he's not taken long to announce where he's heading. In a new social media post today, the Halo Infinite project lead has revealed his new destination. Staten is heading over to Netflix to direct something...
News Halo Infinite Season 3 Is Going Down Well, Despite Xbox Performance Issues
Fixes are on the way
Halo Infinite Season 3 is now underway, as developer 343 Industries revamps the game's multiplayer with three new maps, a fresh 100-tier battle pass, new menu themes and much more besides. Overall, the new additions for Season 3 seem to be going down pretty well, with players enjoying the injection of fresh content after the...
News Yes, Halo's Joe Staten Really Has Rejoined Xbox Publishing
It's social media "official" now
At the start of this year when Microsoft announced mass layoffs and some changes within the Xbox division, it was also revealed Halo Infinite's Head of Creative Joseph Staten would be rejoining Xbox Game Studios Publishing. It's admittedly been quite hard for some fans to accept, but now it seems his move back to...
News Ray Tracing Is Coming To Halo Infinite On Xbox Series X
The feature is now live on PC
343 Industries seems to be getting into its stride when it comes to Halo Infinite post-launch updates, with the stacked Season 3 now live across Xbox and PC. While the update added new ray tracing features to the PC version of the game, the team has also revealed that RT is coming to consoles too. Well, one console at...
News Halo Infinite Season 3 Maps Detailed As Forge Passes One Million Creations
The new season arrives next week
It's a big month for Halo Infinite! The team at 343 Industries is finally delivering on its promise of more content with the release of Season 3, which arrives March 7th. Ahead of launch, the team has released a new trailer showcasing the season's brand new Arena and Big Team Battle maps. We've got three...
News Halo Infinite's 'Biggest Multiplayer Update' Yet Shown Off In Season 3 Launch Trailer
Echoes Within arrives March 7
Halo Infinite is getting its biggest multiplayer update to date next month, when 'Echoes Within' arrives across Xbox consoles and PC on March 7th. The game's third major season includes 3 new hand-crafted maps, new weapons & equipment, fresh Forge content and more. It's all shown off in the launch trailer up above,...
Report Xbox Is 'All But Starting From Scratch' On Next Halo Project, Moving Over To Unreal Engine
Following Infinite's troubled development
Halo Infinite seems to be all over the gaming news right now, and sadly, not for the reasons you'd want it to be. Following Microsoft's recent round of company layoffs, we've been hearing a lot about restructuring at Halo dev 343 Industries, and a new report sheds even more light on what looks like a major...
News Xbox Research Survey Asks Fans If They Are 'Done Playing Halo Infinite'
343 guilty stark
Plenty of discussion regarding the future of Halo Infinite, and the studio behind it at 343 Industries, has been ongoing recently in the wake of mass layoffs at Microsoft. While we don't know the full details of just how badly the team has been affected by Microsoft's internal changes (there were certainly some job losses), it seems...