Activision to lead next main Halo game in Xbox reset
Activision is building the next main Halo game.
Microsoft confirmed the assignment as part of its wider Xbox reset. The project will be the next full entry in the main science-fiction shooter series after Halo Infinite, released in 2021, rather than a spin-off or side story. GameSpot
Xbox chief content officer Matt Booty set out the plan in an update titled ‘Continuing Our Reset’, published on Xbox Wire on 22 September 2026. He said Microsoft is putting together a new, purpose-built team inside Activision to lead it. That means a group hired and organised specifically for Halo, rather than an existing team splitting its time. Xbox Wire
Microsoft said the Halo work sits apart from ongoing development and plans for Call of Duty. Activision has started assembling the Halo team to develop what Microsoft calls the next Halo chapter. Activision president Rob Kostich said the goal is to make the greatest Halo game ever, according to Game File. Game File
The Hollywood Reporter described the project as a full-feature, mainline instalment, as summarised by GameSpot. That description matters for players. It signals a large-scale sequel in the central storyline, not a smaller experiment.
The change means a reduced role for Halo Studios. Microsoft said the studio will wind down significantly, with a small team staying on to support the Halo community and games already in-market. The company said it is eliminating 268 roles across Halo Studios.
Halo Studios has carried that name only since October 2024, when Microsoft renamed 343 Industries, the previous Halo developer. The studio had said it would build future Halo games with Unreal Engine, a widely used game-making toolkit, instead of its own Slipspace engine.
Activision’s remit will also expand to manage World’s Edge, another Xbox studio, alongside leading Halo development. BBC
For fans, this means a familiar series in a new home. Halo helped establish Xbox. Call of Duty is Activision’s best-known series. The next chapter brings those two histories under one roof.
