For those unaware, Halo Infinite wrapped with a fairly open-ended conclusion, leaving the door wide open for a direct continuation. That could have taken the form of a sequel, or more realistically, campaign DLC. Since the game’s release, we have learned that campaign DLC was indeed planned but later cancelled, based on reports from Rebs Gaming that outlined the project’s early direction and eventual shelving.
It is no secret that Halo Infinite was originally positioned as a 10-year live service platform, intended to grow and evolve over time. What ultimately shipped fell well short of that ambition.
How Halo continues its story outside of games
I will avoid spoilers here for anything post Halo Infinite, but the Halo games since 343 Industries took over, and now under Halo Studios, have unfortunately felt increasingly disjointed. While the studio got off to a strong start, despite my own issues with the gameplay, Halo 4 delivered a largely cohesive story that directly continued from the events of Halo 3.
Sadly, this was the last time the mainline Halo games felt meaningfully connected. The jump from Halo 4 to Halo 5 proved confusing for anyone who had not kept up with the expanded universe through books, with the introduction of Blue Team for the first time in the games, leaving some players confused.
That confusion was only compounded by the fact that Halo 5’s story is widely regarded as the weakest in the franchise. As a result, large portions of its narrative were quietly abandoned in favour of the direction taken with Halo Infinite. While that was likely the right decision, very little was done to bring game-only players up to speed, especially when Halo 5’s ending is picked up directly in a book rather than a game.
This is not a new phenomenon either. Halo 3: ODST also received its narrative follow-up outside the games, with Halo: New Blood focusing on Buck, a fan favourite character, whose story is continued in Halo: New Blood following on from the events of ODST and detailing his eventual recruitment into the Spartan IV programme.
The Halo Infinite sequel
If you have not pieced things together yet, the sequel to Halo Infinite is, in fact, a book. Halo: Edge of Dawn was released within the past week and is written by Kelly Gay.
She is a well-established name within the Halo universe, having authored several well-regarded entries, alongside her own Gods and Monsters and Charlie Madigan series.
The book picks up immediately after the ending of Halo Infinite, acting as a direct continuation of the campaign rather than a standalone side story. It expands on the Endless, reveals the chosen name of the Weapon, Master Chief’s new AI companion following Cortana’s departure, and provides deeper insight into Zeta Halo itself.
Without spoiling any details, the story raises an important question about the future. When Halo 7 eventually releases, will players be expected to already understand these developments, or will the game retread ground that has already been covered in the books, something the series has rarely, if ever, done before?
As a lifelong fan who also enjoys the novels, because they are all genuinely great books, it is still disappointing to see major story developments reach only a small portion of the audience. At times, it genuinely feels as though Halo has become a book series first, with the occasional game used to move things forward.
Halo’s story has increasingly continued outside the games, with major plot developments now unfolding in books rather than playable campaigns. Does that approach work for you, or does it make the series harder to follow if you only play the games? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, and take part in the poll below.
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