Halo 5: Everything We Know

Here is everything we know about the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians.

The internet went bonkers on May 16 when Halo 5: Guardians was officially announced by 343 studio head Bonnie Ross via an Xbox Wire. Halo 5 is coming exclusively for the Xbox One in Fall 2015, and will run at 60 fps, potentially making it the best looking Halo game to ever hit platforms.

What Halo 5: Guardians looks like is anyone’s guess, since we’ve only seen this little teaser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blW40AVWXrE

Where Master Chief is anyone’s guess, but it looks like his new adventure will take him to some kind of desert alien planet. Is this maybe another Forerunner planet like Requiem? All we know is that Chief is going to take on some pretty massive Prometheans this time around. They can’t be happy Master Chief destroyed the Didact after all.

Most interesting is what Chief is carrying in his hand: the AI chip that used to carry Cortana, his companion and voice inside his head, before she passed away at the end of Halo 4. Does this mean that our favorite Spartan is out to resurrect his friend? Is this the main plot of Halo 5? It would certainly make for some very captivating story-telling if done right. We remember the last time Chief and Cortana were separated. He traveled into the belly of the beast to find her, shooting through hordes of Flood. So I guess dropping into another Forerunner planet to resurrect Cortana wouldn’t be that crazy, right?

You will be able to play the multiplayer beta this holiday season along with Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a full-blown next-gen remaster of the four main Halo games. 

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Microsoft and 343 revealed a new trailer at E3 2014, focusing on the new multiplayer:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cb5RWjZiW8o

There’s also this little piece of concept art:

Again, this definitely hints at a desert world of some kind. Is this a Forerunner civilization — a city amongst the rocks? It definitely looks like a cool place to shoot a crapload of things. The only reason this might not be a Forerunner world is the fact there are Engineers (you remember the Covenant hackers from ODST?) flying in the sky. At least, that’s what those weird jellyfish look like. But note also on the far right of the concept art, right before the big rock pillar…Is that some sort fo monument? It looks like some kind of humanoid figure sitting down and watching over the city. Is that a statue of the Didact? Or some other Forerunner hero? Who knows. Just fun to guess at these things I guess. 

Here are even more predictions.

Perhaps the hint that has people going the most crazy is this promotional poster, which was released along with Ross’ blog post:

Who is that Spartan on top of Chief? He’s a brand new Spartan named Agent Locke. What he’s up to in Halo 5: Guardians is anyone’s guess…But we will learn a whole lot more about him in Ridley Scott’s Halo Nightfall digital feature coming this November alongside Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Chief seems to be a reflection of Agent Locke. Could it be that the Halo series is getting a new protagonist? Ross has assured us that Halo 5 is very much about Master Chief. If the ending to Halo 4 proved anything at all, it’s that Chief is getting old. He’s battle-worn, scarred, and not in the best place emotionally. Could it be time for him to take a backseat? Or is this new character a new sidekick for Chief now that Cortana is in the big database in the sky? Sorry, too soon…

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Either way, the main Halo games haven’t had a new protagonist since Halo 2, when the Arbiter took center stage for more than half of the game…I liked the twist, but most people hated it.

Oh boy, a brand new character that’s NOT Cortana or Palmer, the protagonist of Spartan Ops. What does this mean for the Halo franchise? Has Chief gone AWOL, journeying into deep space to find Cortana, leaving Earth unprotected? Is this Spartan our new protector? Will Halo 5 tell two parallel stories (would make sense with a subtitle like “Guardians”)? 

Finally, Ross hinted that our journey begins this year in a very big way. That could mean 3 things:

  1. Spartan Ops Season 2, which we were promised but never received. Where the hell is Dr. Halsey?! We need to find her. Rather, she needs to find Chief. There’s a whole story still to be told.
  2. A Halo 5 multiplayer beta, which would not be unlike Microsoft Studios. Of course, back in the Bungie days, gamers could count on a beta, which was a good way to get a taste for the new gameplay and also get some player feedback. Halo 4 did NOT have a multiplayer beta before release, probably because it was the start of a brand-new era for the franchise and 343 didn’t want to spoil the surprise. Halo 4 matchmaking plays great, of course, so we have no qualms. Still, it would be nice to get our hands on a beta…just because we’re impatient.
  3. Ross was just talking about The Master Chief Collection, which leaked the same day Halo 5 was announced. This remastered collection would gather all 4 numbered installments of Halo in one box. Presumably, this collection will be for the Xbox One, although no one has confirmed as much. This would mean fans will get some Halo in 2014 after all.

Den of Geek US will keep you posted with any and all news about the Halo universe. Also, check out our coverage of the Halo TV series and digital feature heading our way in the coming months.

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