Halo: Reach designer Niles Sankey has disclosed that the first two Modern Warfare games served as a substantial inspiration for Bungie's final entry in the Halo series. Sankey shared on Twitter that while Bungie excelled in areas like enemy AI and vehicular combat, Infinity Ward's approach to other aspects of game design, particularly in the Modern Warfare titles, was influential.
He specifically mentioned that several moments in Halo: Reach were inspired by Infinity Ward's work. The squad interactions involving the Nobel team and the "Objective Survive" mode were spiritually derived from sequences in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, with Bungie aiming to escalate those concepts further. The tonal execution of the Modern Warfare games was a key factor, which Sankey described as "absolutely brilliant."
This revelation may surprise some players given the historical rivalry between the Halo and Call of Duty franchises. During the development of Call of Duty 4, Infinity Ward reportedly prototyped a sci-fi shooter codenamed "HK," or "Halo Killer," intended to directly challenge Halo's dominance. However, Call of Duty achieved mainstream success with its modern military setting before venturing into science fiction.
The Modern Warfare series propelled Call of Duty to new heights, and Infinity Ward eventually explored sci-fi with 2016's Infinite Warfare, though it differed from their original concept and received mixed reception. Halo: Reach, on the other hand, is often regarded as one of Bungie's strongest titles, noted for its darker, more grounded tone and tragic narrative. Sankey's comments suggest that leveraging the dramatic storytelling techniques of the Modern Warfare games was a strategic decision that enhanced Halo: Reach's campaign.