Frank O'Connor, the former franchise director for Halo, has outlined three potential directions Activision could take to revive the iconic science fiction shooter series. Now that Activision is at the helm of the next Halo game, O'Connor, who has extensive experience with the franchise dating back to his time at Bungie and later at 343 Industries, shared his thoughts on a LinkedIn post.
O'Connor's tenure with Halo concluded in 2023 during an internal restructuring that preceded 343 Industries' rebranding into Halo Studios, which has since undergone significant layoffs as part of Xbox's broader workforce reductions.
His first proposed path for Activision involves creating a "classic" Halo experience. This approach would focus on the series' signature heavy movement and chaotic sandbox gameplay, tailored for its core audience while also being scaled to attract a wider player base. O'Connor emphasized that a larger player count inherently benefits the multiplayer experience.
The second avenue suggested by O'Connor is a more radical reinvention of the Halo universe. This would entail a modernized and substantially different game that reimagines the franchise in a surprising yet compelling manner, potentially exploring new takes on the first-person shooter genre or even venturing into action RPG territory. Such a direction, he noted, could gain an initial advantage from fan curiosity and loyalty.
O'Connor's third suggestion, which he humorously termed "Call of Halo," proposes integrating the Halo intellectual property and sandbox into Activision's established development and business model. This would involve leveraging the player progression systems and monetization strategies that have proven successful in the Call of Duty series, enabling Activision to craft frequent, large-scale releases akin to its other major shooter franchise.
In addition to these three core paths, O'Connor offered two further recommendations. Firstly, he strongly advised Activision to recruit developers who were laid off from Bungie, Halo Studios, and other related entities, highlighting their wealth of talent and ideas that may have been previously stifled. Secondly, he cautioned against tying the next Halo title to hardware or service launch cycles, and urged against forcing its release on older platforms, citing Halo Infinite's Xbox One version as an example of a constraint.
With Activision yet to assemble a dedicated team for the project, the next Halo game is likely still several years away. The hope is that Master Chief's return will be smoother than previous iterations have experienced.