Halo Infinite, the new entry to the long-running Microsoft franchise, will not be developed by 343 Industries alone. The project will be developed Burnaby, British Columbia-based studio SkyBox Software. The studio has had some experience with the Halo franchise before.
Skybox Software has helped develop Age of Empires II HD, Project Spark, EA Sports UFC along with Halo 5: Forge. 343 Industries head honcho Chris Lee commented on the co-development stating that “343 Industries is excited to continue our partnership with SkyBox Labs on Halo Infinite, with their team doing great work across many areas of our project.” In addition to this, SkyBox’s Shyang Kong added that “We have been working closely with 343 Industries on Halo projects for a number of years, and we’re thrilled to be part of this exciting time in Halo’s history.”
Rather than just a single mode, Skybox Studios will be helping develop large parts of the new Halo. They will be involved in developing AI, visuals, and networking on the game. This does seem like a large amount of the title, which could be a bad sign. However, this allows 343 Industries to focus more on the creative side of the project. They will not need to worry themselves with more granular parts of the game. On top of that, it would be good to have some help on the project considering the disaster that was Halo: The Master Chief Collection. This also means that development time could be cut down on the project, which could lead to an earlier release date than we all initially expected.
But what do you think? Are you excited that someone else will be helping out on one of the most anticipated games this generation? Or do you think it is a foreboding sign that all is not well on the good ship Master Chief? Sound off in the comments below!
