Halo 5: Guardians

Halo 5: Guardians is the upcoming ninth installment in the Halo franchise. It is the second game in the Reclaimer Saga and continues the story of the Master Chief. Originally alluded to in a teaser trailer shown at Microsoft's E3 Media Briefing on June 10, 2013, Guardians was officially announced on May 16, 2014. Exclusive to the Xbox One, the game is in development and is set to be released in fall 2015, with the first major coverage of the game unveiled at E3 2014.

Development
What would later be revealed as Halo 5: Guardians was first revealed with a teaser released on June 10, 2013 during that year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. The trailer indicated that a major Halo release would occur for the Xbox One console in 2014, leading many to believe that this particular game would be the next entry in the Reclaimer Saga and the sequel to Halo 4. However, Microsoft stressed the trailer's phrasing that 2014 would mark the beginning of a "journey", with the implication that this may not mean the release of the then still officially unannounced Halo 5.

Halo 5: Guardians was formally announced on May 16, 2014 by 343 Industries General Manager Bonnie Ross. Ross describes Halo 5: Guardians as a bigger effort than the preceding Halo 4 in terms of the content and scope of the game as well as the technology underpinning it. The game's engine is said to have been completely retooled to take full advantage of the Xbox One's hardware and ecosystem; according to Frank O'Connor, the engine is all-new apart from a number of core features retained from the previous one. Ross states that Halo 5 will incorporate lessons the 343 Industries team learned from Halo 4 with regard to technology, performance, aesthetics, and scale in response to feedback received from the fan community. She also mentioned that the game will run at 60 frames per second and will feature dedicated servers.

In E3 2014, 343 Industries' statements about a "journey" beginning in the fall of 2014 were revealed to be referring to a multimedia project dubbed Halo: The Journey by 343 Industries, set to begin with the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, containing remastered "Anniversary" editions of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, as well as high-resolution versions of Halo 3 and Halo 4. Additionally, it was announced that a multiplayer beta of Guardians is set to be released on December 27, 2014. Exclusive unlockable content for the beta is to be available via The Master Chief Collection and the digital series Halo: Nightfall.

Since the development of Halo 4, the 343 Industries team has undergone several internal changes. Nicolas "Sparth" Bouvier has replaced Kenneth Scott as senior art director, although Scott has been stated to continue serving in an advisory role. Josh Holmes has also been replaced by Tim Longo (known for his previous work on Star Wars: Republic Commando and the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot) as creative director. Christopher Schlerf has been supplanted by Brian Reed as Halo franchise lead writer after Schlerf's departure from 343 Industries. Most of the game's soundtrack is to be composed by Kazuma Jinnouchi, replacing Halo 4 ' s Neil Davidge as the principal composer.

Story and characters
The primary protagonist of the Halo series, SPARTAN-II supersoldier Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, returns in Halo 5: Guardians following the end of Halo 4. It has been noted that John has begun to question all of his former beliefs and has disappeared following events further detailed in "The Next 72 Hours", a story arc of the ongoing comic series Halo: Escalation. New cinematics and terminals in The Master Chief Collection will likewise link to the story of Guardians. In media released so far, the Master Chief's modified Mark VI MJOLNIR armor is seemingly unchanged from Halo 4. In the initial teaser trailer, the Master Chief is shown wearing a hooded cloak with his armor having suffered considerable damage. He is seen in the possession of an empty data crystal chip on a chain, alluding to his loss of Cortana at the end of Halo 4.

Halo 5: Guardians also features another playable character, Agent Locke, a "legendary manhunter" on a mission to find the Master Chief. Locke will be introduced in Ridley Scott's digital series Halo: Nightfall, which will have narrative connections to Halo 5. Although he will be a prominent character, Locke will not be replacing John-117 as the protagonist. Locke was first shown in promotional artwork unveiled with the game's formal announcement, wearing what appears to be MJOLNIR [GEN2] armor with a dark coloration and an Office of Naval Intelligence symbol emblazoned on the chest.

Frank O'Connor has also stated that the game will feature "plenty of strong female characters".

Appearances
Before the releasing of the First Look trailer, three weapons were identified. Agent Locke was seen wielding the BR85HB battle rifle from Halo 4 (albeit with a different sight attachment, possibly a reflex sight), while the Master Chief was seen with his signature MA5 assault rifle, apparently the MA5D variant from Halo 4. A Master Chief figure made by McFarlane Toys is seen with a Z-110 Boltshot.

Several visually diverse locations have been shown in media released so far. The 2013 teaser trailer shows a desolate, deserted location as the setting of John-117's encounter with an enormous Forerunner machine somewhat evocative of descriptions of a war sphinx or seeker from The Forerunner Saga. A piece of concept art by Sparth depicts a human urban settlement in a mountainous location, with the hovering overhead. D79-TC Pelicans and other craft are seen flying nearby. Another concept piece by Sparth, unveiled with the game's formal announcement, depicts a cavern with several structures of an alien design with a statue of a Sangheili and what appear to be two suns are seen looming in the sky. In the Gamescon multiplayer trailer a Type-52 Phantom can be seen flying past a window on the Halo 5: Guardians remake of the Halo 2 multiplayer map Midship.

The background of the preliminary box artwork shows an arid location with angular, towering vertical structures. While the background of the wallpaper version is similar in mood and lighting, the structures are different, including a dish-like structure and a cupola similar to those seen in the concept with the Sangheili statue.

Note: all subjects below are listed tentatively based on their appearance in media released so far; as such, the following does not reflect the full feature list of the final game.

Gameplay
Halo 5: Guardians will feature a new set of gameplay enhancements known as "Spartan abilities", which are available to all players at any time. These include the thruster pack, ground pound, clamber, slide, charge, sprint, and smart scope. The thruster pack is now built into the Spartan's armor and allows omnidirectional movement. While using sprint, the player's shields do not recharge. The smart scope allows players to aim down the weapon's sights in a manner similar to many other modern shooters, although with non-scope weapons this is purely a cosmetic effect and provides little to no actual accuracy enhancement; 343 Industries will use the Multiplayer Beta to gauge the effects of this feature on the game's gameplay balance.

Multiplayer
With Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer, 343 Industries seeks to highlight the "arena shooter" aspects of classic Halo multiplayer gameplay. The unlockable custom loadouts and killstreak rewards present in Halo 4 will be disposed of in favor of a "level playing field"; all players will start with identical equipment as in the pre-Halo: Reach games, with a focus on controlling weapons present on the map.

The Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta will be used to gather data and feedback on the new multiplayer model. The multiplayer beta will feature a game mode with a specific armor set and gameplay arena showcased in the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta announcement trailer.

Two multiplayer maps have been revealed so far. The first is a remake of the Halo 2 map Midship, now featuring a carapace-like aesthetic reminiscent of the Harvester in Spartan Ops. The other map has a human urban theme.

E3 2013 teaser
In their E3 2013 conference, Microsoft showed a teaser trailer intended to showcase the future direction of the Halo franchise on the Xbox One. Rather than announcing Halo 5 in particular, the trailer announced the presence of the Halo franchise on the new console, set to debut in 2014 with a then-unspecified Halo title.

The teaser opens with a hooded figure journeying through a desert on an alien world. The figure, revealed to be John-117 clad in battered MJOLNIR armor, clutches Cortana's empty data crystal chip as he encounters an enormous Forerunner machine rising from the sand.

Multiplayer Beta teaser
First shown during Microsoft's E3 2014 press conference, this announcement trailer unveils the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta. It depicts Blue and Red teams of SPARTAN-IVs in War Games training aboard a dedicated space station.

Multiplayer Beta First Look
First shown during Microsoft's Gamescom 2014, this trailer presents the first details of the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta available in Halo: The Master Chief Collection.