Master Chief on PS5? Rumors Point to a Halo Reveal This Friday
Well, strap in, because the rumor mill is churning out a big one: Halo might finally be planting its Mjolnir-armored boot on PlayStation soil.
The whispers started getting louder after known Halo dataminer grunt.api dropped a cryptic post showing just the PS5 logo, pointedly excluding the Switch. Now, industry reporter Rebs Gaming has apparently corroborated this, claiming it relates to a new Halo game reveal set for this Friday, October 24th, coinciding with the Halo World Championship event. The kicker? This new title is reportedly destined for the PS5. No Switch port in sight, apparently.
This lines up with Halo Studios (the folks formerly known as 343 Industries) already promising they'd be "sharing more about what [they've] been working on" at the Championship event, specifically mentioning updates on their move to Unreal Engine 5. So, smoke, meet potential fire.
Combat Evolved… Again?
So, what could this mystery game be? The smart money seems to be on yet another remake of the original Halo: Combat Evolved. Yeah, I know, we already got Anniversary back in 2011. But the theory goes that this new remake would spearhead the franchise's transition to Unreal Engine 5.
It makes a certain kind of sense, aligning with Microsoft's recent strategy of letting some big Xbox flags fly on Sony's turf – just look at Gears of War: Reloaded making the jump. It's the new Microsoft reality, I guess. This also tracks with earlier claims from grunt.api that Halo was hitting PS5 "very soon," but it wouldn't be Infinite or The Master Chief Collection. A ground-up CE remake fits that bill perfectly.
Or Maybe a Multiplayer Reboot?
There's another possibility, though. Rebs Gaming also recently reported on a completely new, multiplayer-only Halo title supposedly in the works. The idea is that this would be a long-term, live-service destination for Halo multiplayer, eventually replacing the current efforts with Halo Infinite.
Honestly, revealing a dedicated multiplayer game does fit the theme of a World Championship event a bit better than a single-player remake. After years of Infinite's updates and the relative quiet on the mainline game front, a fresh multiplayer start might be exactly what they think the franchise needs to chase that ongoing revenue stream.
Place Your Bets
Of course, this is all firmly in rumor territory until Friday. Halo Studios hasn't confirmed a damn thing besides something being shown. But the signs are pointing towards a significant announcement, and the PS5 angle adds a whole new layer of intrigue (or console war fuel, depending on your perspective). Will it be Master Chief's original adventure rebuilt in UE5 and hitting the PlayStation? Or a brand new arena for Spartans to shoot each other in, designed for the long haul? We'll find out soon enough.