Halo Studios says it still intends to finish two Halo books after layoffs
Halo's next two books are still alive. Halo Studios says it intends to finish them despite deep job cuts and a change in who oversees the series.
The message came from franchise writer Alex Wakeford in a Halo Waypoint blog post. He said it is "absolutely our intent" to see Halo: Fireteam Noble cross the finish line.
Fireteam Noble is a full-length novel by author Troy Denning. It picks up after the story of Halo 5, the 2015 shooter in the long-running science-fiction series, and had been scheduled for release next year, Eurogamer reported.
Wakeford made a similar promise for a second project. He said the studio is "determined to see this through to completion" for Halo: Burn the Road Home, a novella, a shorter book-length story, by Kenneth Peters.
The reassurance follows a difficult stretch for the studio. Mass layoffs hit Halo Studios as part of a wider Xbox restructuring, and supervision of the Halo series moved to Activision. Xbox executive Matt Booty said a small team at Halo Studios will stay on to support the community and the Halo games still in play.
One public date survives. Halo Studios confirmed its Halo Fest fan event planned for December is still going ahead despite the restructuring.
The future of the games sits elsewhere. Activision, the maker of Call of Duty, is to make the next Halo game, BBC reported.
What that game will look like is not settled. According to reporting by Eurogamer, Activision is reportedly considering a reboot of the series, a fresh start that would set aside past continuity, with a team inside Sledgehammer Games leading the effort. That possibility has left some fans worried about a lore reset, a break in the shared story that connects games, books and shows, Eurogamer reported.
There is at least one familiar voice in the room. Former Halo franchise director Frank O'Connor has given Activision pointers on reviving the series, Eurogamer reported.
For fans, this means the books could provide continuity while the games face change. Two stories with authors and settings attached. No new dates yet. Just a stated intent to finish.
