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| image = Halo (series) logo.svg
| developer = {{plainlist|
* [[Bungie]] <br />(2001–2010)
* [[Halo Studios]] <br />(2011–present)}}
| publisher = [[Xbox Game Studios]]
| platforms = {{plainlist|
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*[[Twin-stick shooter]]}}
|caption=Logo since ''[[Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''}}
'''''Halo''''' is a [[military science fiction]] video game series and [[media franchise]], originally developed and created by [[Bungie]] and currently managed and developed by [[
''Combat Evolved'' started life as a [[real-time strategy game]] for personal computers, turning into [[First-person shooter|a first-person shooter]] exclusive to
''Combat Evolved'' was a critical and commercial success, serving as the Xbox's "[[killer app]]" and cementing Microsoft as a major player in the video game console space. Its sequels expanded the franchise's commercial and critical success, and have sold more than 81 million copies worldwide. With more than $6 billion in franchise grosses, ''Halo'' is one of the [[List of highest-grossing media franchises|highest-grossing media franchises of all time]], spanning novels, graphic novels, comic books, short films, animated films, feature films, and [[List of Halo media|other licensed products]].
==Plot==
Many millions of years ago, a species known as the Precursors assumed the Mantle of Responsibility - the guardianship of life in the galaxy. The Precursors chose an ancient form of humanity as their successors, over another species known as the Forerunners. In retaliation, the Forerunners attacked their former masters and drove the Precursors into extinction. Instead of fighting back, the Precursors allowed themselves to die, with some turning into dust intended to spread and later transform into themselves once again. This dust eventually became defective, infecting and contorting organisms into a new parasitic species, connected by a hivemind to the minds of the last Precursors: the [[Flood (Halo)|Flood]]. The [[Factions of Halo#Forerunner|Forerunners]] sent the humans to Earth, reverting them to a primitive civilization based in [[Africa]], and fought the Flood, which spread through an infestation of sentient life and overran much of the [[Milky Way Galaxy]]. Exhausting all other strategies, the Forerunners conceived the [[Halo Array]]— ring-shaped megastructures and weapons of last resort that would destroy all sentient life in the galaxy to stop the Flood. A civil war began between the Forerunners' commander, known as the Ur-Didact, who wanted to assimilate all the humans on Earth into his army as AIs, thus immune to the Flood, and his wife, the Librarian, who created the Ark, an instrument that was to shelter sentient species outside the galaxy and allow for the mass creation of Halo installations which could all be activated simultaneously. The Librarian, along with all the remaining Forerunners, trapped her husband inside a Forerunner repository of knowledge known as the Domain, and disappeared as the Array was activated, thus destroying all sentient life in the galaxy and ending the outbreak of the Flood— though some Forerunners are known to have left the Milky Way galaxy for a different, unknown galaxy.<ref name="halo 101">{{Cite web |title=The Halo Universe 101 |url=http://halo.xbox.com/en-us/abouthalo/halo101 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100425024422/http://halo.xbox.com/en-US/abouthalo/halo101 |archive-date=2010-04-25 |access-date=2009-11-19 |website=halo.xbox.com |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref>
{{stack|[[File:Halo3 ark-and-halo-reborn.png|thumb|300px|alt=A vast ring-shaped object, thousands of kilometers in diameter, hovers in space. The outside of the ring is metallic, while the inner portion features land and sea. The ring is under construction; portions of the ring are merely a skeletal framework.|A human ship approaches a Halo megastructure under construction. Portions of the Ark are visible at the bottom. From the video game ''[[Halo 3]]'' (2007).]]}}
Nearly a hundred thousand years later, in the [[26th century]], humanity— under the auspices of the Unified Earth Government, or UEG, and their United Nations Space Command, or UNSC— has colonized many worlds thanks to the development of faster-than-light "slipstream space" (i.e., [[hyperspace]]) travel. Tensions between the government and colonies desiring independence sparked violent clashes. The UNSC's Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) created the SPARTAN-II Project to create an elite group of enhanced [[supersoldiers]] to suppress the rebellions covertly. In the year 2525, human worlds came under attack by a [[Theocracy|theocratic]] alliance of alien races known as the [[Covenant (Halo)|Covenant]], whose leadership declared humanity heretics and an affront to their gods: the Forerunners. The Covenant began a genocidal holy war. Their superior technology and numbers proved to be decisive advantages; although effective, the Spartans were too few to turn the tide of battle in humanity's favor. After the Covenant invaded Reach in 2552, the UNSC's last major stronghold besides Earth, [[Master Chief (Halo)|Master Chief John-117]] was left as one of the few remaining Spartans.
The rediscovery of the Halo rings later that year set the humans against the Covenant, who believed they were instruments of transcendence, not destruction. Master Chief and his artificial intelligence [[Cortana (Halo)|Cortana]] are instrumental in the destruction of a Halo ring to stop the Covenant and the threat of the Flood. Master Chief defeats the Prophet of Regret, leading to the Prophets of Truth and Mercy denouncing the Sangheili race as no longer the most
In the post-war era, the UNSC trains a new generation of Spartans, and tensions between the UNSC and colonist rebels resumed. The Master Chief and Cortana accidentally free the Didact and he briefly returns to assert supremacy over humanity, though he is foiled by the pair, resulting in Master Chief initially believing Cortana dead in the attempt. Cortana's survival through the Domain leads her to break with the UNSC and assert a new [[hegemony]] over the galaxy, with artificial intelligence (the "Created") in control.<ref name="halo mythos">{{Cite book |last1=Easterling |first1=Jeff |title=Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo |last2=Patenaude |first2=Jeremy |last3=Peters |first3=Kenneth |publisher=Bloomsbury |year=2016 |isbn=9781681193564 |editor-last=Fortune, Emil}}</ref> After two years of a scattered war between Cortana and the UNSC, Cortana attacks the
==Game series==
{{Further|List of Halo media|l1=List of ''Halo'' media}}
{{VG timeline
===2001–2010: Bungie era===▼
Video game developer [[Bungie]] was founded in 1991 by [[Alex Seropian]] in [[Chicago, Illinois]], who partnered with programmer [[Jason Jones (programmer)|Jason Jones]] to market and release Jones' game ''[[Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete]]''. Focusing on the [[Mac (computer)|Mac]] game market because it was smaller and easier to compete, Bungie became a preeminent game developer on the platform. What became ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' started as a [[real-time strategy]] game for the Mac, originally code-named ''Monkey Nuts'' and ''Blam!'',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Trautmann |first=Eric |title=The Art of Halo |publisher=Del Ray Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-345-47586-2 |location=New York |page=ix}}</ref> and took place on a hollowed-out world called Solipsis.<ref name="HaloHist" /> The planet eventually became a [[ringworld]] called "Halo", which became the game's title.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Toyama, Kevin |date=May 2001 |title=Cover Story: Holy Halo |journal=[[Next Generation Magazine]] |page=61}}</ref>▼
''Halo'' was announced on July 21, 1999, during the [[Macworld Conference & Expo]].<ref name="ignpreview">{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=Vincent |date=July 21, 1999 |title=Heavenly Halo Announced from Bungie |url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/068/068975p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020404231952/http://pc.ign.com/articles/068/068975p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 4, 2002 |access-date=March 11, 2008 |website=IGN}}</ref> The game morphed from a real-time strategy game into a third-person action game.<ref name="bungie.net20">{{Cite web |title=Inside Bungie: History |url=http://bungie.net/Inside/CustomPage.aspx?section=History&subsection=Main&page=6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060502035147/http://bungie.net/Inside/CustomPage.aspx?section=History&subsection=Main&page=6 |archive-date=May 2, 2006 |access-date=June 19, 2006 |publisher=[[Bungie]]}}</ref><ref name="ignpreview" /><ref name="CGW Hiatt">{{Cite magazine |last=Hiatt |first=Jesse |date=November 1999 |title=Halo The Closest Thing to the Real Thing |url=http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=cgw1199 |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |pages=94–96 |access-date=March 11, 2008 |archive-date=October 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021062437/http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=cgw1199 |url-status=live }}</ref> On June 19, 2000, Microsoft acquired Bungie and ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' became a launch title for the Xbox [[video game console]].<ref name="microsoftpressrelease">{{Cite web |date=June 19, 2000 |title=Microsoft to Acquire Bungie Software |url=https://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Jun00/BungiePR.mspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060501214618/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Jun00/BungiePR.mspx |archive-date=May 1, 2006 |access-date=March 11, 2008 |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> The game turned into a first-person shooter, and was modified to work with a controller. Though the first ''Halo'' was meant to include an online multiplayer mode, it was excluded because the [[Xbox Live]] service was not yet available.<ref name="gamestock">{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=Vincent |date=March 4, 2001 |title=Playable ''Halo'' at GameStock |url=http://xbox.ign.com/articles/098/098271p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020223014106/http://xbox.ign.com/articles/098/098271p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 23, 2002 |access-date=March 12, 2008 |website=IGN}}</ref>▼
''Halo'' was not intended to be the Xbox's flagship game due to internal concerns and gaming press criticism, but Microsoft VP of game publishing [[Ed Fries]] did not act on these concerns. The Xbox's marketing heavily featured ''Halo'', whose green color palette meshed with the console's design scheme.<ref name="gamasutra-fries">{{Cite web |last=Alexander, Leigh |date=August 14, 2009 |title=Interview: Former Microsoft Exec Fries Talks Xbox's Genesis |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24831 |access-date=August 17, 2009 |website=[[Gamasutra]] |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606120130/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24831 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' introduced many gameplay and plot themes common to the whole trilogy. Players battle various aliens on foot and in vehicles to complete objectives, while attempting to uncover the secrets of the [[eponym]]ous Halo. ''Halo'' limited the number of weapons players could carry to two, forcing them to carefully select their preferred armament.<ref name="gamespotreview">{{Cite web |last=Fielder |first=Joe |date=November 9, 2001 |title=''Halo: Combat Evolved'' review at GameSpot |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/halo-review/1900-2823816/ |access-date=August 2, 2006 |website=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=January 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126121430/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/halo-review/1900-2823816/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Players fight with ranged and melee attacks, as well as grenades. Bungie referred to the "weapons-grenades-melee" format as the "Golden Triangle of ''Halo''".<ref name="golden">{{Cite AV media |title=[[Halo 3 marketing|Is Quisnam Protero Damno!]] |last=Bakken, Lars |publisher=[[Bungie]] |year=2007 |place=Washington |display-authors=etal}}</ref> The player's health is measured in both [[hit point]]s and a perpetually recharging energy shield.<ref name="gamespyreview">{{Cite web |last=Accardo |first=Sal |date=November 15, 2001 |title=GameSpy's review of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' for the Xbox |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/november01/halo/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019185322/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/november01/halo/ |archive-date=October 19, 2006 |access-date=September 2, 2006 |publisher=[[GameSpy]]}}</ref> Released for the Xbox in November 2001, [[Windows]] and [[Mac OS X]] [[porting|port]]s were later developed by [[Gearbox Software]], and released in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Halo: Combat Evolved'' PC version on Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/halo |access-date=August 22, 2006 |website=[[Metacritic]] |archive-date=January 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103155627/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/halo |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Halo: Combat Evolved'' Mac version at GameSpot |url=http://www.gamespot.com/mac/action/halo/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041010011636/http://www.gamespot.com/mac/action/halo/index.html |archive-date=October 10, 2004 |access-date=August 22, 2006 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref><!-- REPLACE REFS --> A stand-alone expansion, entitled ''Halo: Custom Edition'', was released as a Windows exclusive, and allowed players to create custom content for the game.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}{{VG timeline▼
| subtitle = Mainline number entries in '''bold'''
| compressempty = yes
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| 2021 = '''''[[Halo Infinite]]'''''
}}
▲Video game developer [[Bungie]] was founded in 1991 by [[Alex Seropian]] in [[Chicago, Illinois]], who partnered with programmer [[Jason Jones (programmer)|Jason Jones]] to market and release Jones' game ''[[Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete]]''. Focusing on the [[Mac (computer)|Mac]] game market because it was smaller and easier to compete, Bungie became a preeminent game developer on the platform. What became ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' started as a [[real-time strategy]] game for the Mac, originally code-named ''Monkey Nuts'' and ''Blam!'',<ref>{{Cite book |last=Trautmann |first=Eric |title=The Art of Halo |publisher=Del Ray Publishing |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-345-47586-2 |location=New York |page=ix}}</ref> and took place on a hollowed-out world called Solipsis.<ref name="HaloHist" /> The planet eventually became a [[ringworld]] called "Halo", which became the game's title.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Toyama, Kevin |date=May 2001 |title=Cover Story: Holy Halo |journal=[[Next Generation Magazine]] |page=61}}</ref>
▲''Halo'' was announced on July 21, 1999, during the [[Macworld Conference & Expo]].<ref name="ignpreview">{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=Vincent |date=July 21, 1999 |title=Heavenly Halo Announced from Bungie |url=http://pc.ign.com/articles/068/068975p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020404231952/http://pc.ign.com/articles/068/068975p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 4, 2002 |access-date=March 11, 2008 |website=IGN}}</ref> The game morphed from a real-time strategy game into a third-person action game.<ref name="bungie.net20">{{Cite web |title=Inside Bungie: History |url=http://bungie.net/Inside/CustomPage.aspx?section=History&subsection=Main&page=6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060502035147/http://bungie.net/Inside/CustomPage.aspx?section=History&subsection=Main&page=6 |archive-date=May 2, 2006 |access-date=June 19, 2006 |publisher=[[Bungie]]}}</ref><ref name="ignpreview" /><ref name="CGW Hiatt">{{Cite magazine |last=Hiatt |first=Jesse |date=November 1999 |title=Halo The Closest Thing to the Real Thing |url=http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=cgw1199 |magazine=[[Computer Gaming World]] |pages=94–96 |access-date=March 11, 2008 |archive-date=October 21, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111021062437/http://halo.bungie.org/pressscans/display.html?scan=cgw1199 |url-status=live }}</ref> On June 19, 2000, Microsoft acquired Bungie and ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' became a launch title for the Xbox [[video game console]].<ref name="microsoftpressrelease">{{Cite web |date=June 19, 2000 |title=Microsoft to Acquire Bungie Software |url=https://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Jun00/BungiePR.mspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060501214618/http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2000/Jun00/BungiePR.mspx |archive-date=May 1, 2006 |access-date=March 11, 2008 |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> The game turned into a first-person shooter, and was modified to work with a controller. Though the first ''Halo'' was meant to include an online multiplayer mode, it was excluded because the [[Xbox Live]] service was not yet available.<ref name="gamestock">{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=Vincent |date=March 4, 2001 |title=Playable ''Halo'' at GameStock |url=http://xbox.ign.com/articles/098/098271p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020223014106/http://xbox.ign.com/articles/098/098271p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 23, 2002 |access-date=March 12, 2008 |website=IGN}}</ref>
▲''Halo'' was not intended to be the Xbox's flagship game due to internal concerns and gaming press criticism, but Microsoft VP of game publishing [[Ed Fries]] did not act on these concerns. The Xbox's marketing heavily featured ''Halo'', whose green color palette meshed with the console's design scheme.<ref name="gamasutra-fries">{{Cite web |last=Alexander, Leigh |date=August 14, 2009 |title=Interview: Former Microsoft Exec Fries Talks Xbox's Genesis |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24831 |access-date=August 17, 2009 |website=[[Gamasutra]] |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606120130/http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24831 |url-status=live }}</ref> ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' introduced many gameplay and plot themes common to the whole trilogy. Players battle various aliens on foot and in vehicles to complete objectives, while attempting to uncover the secrets of the [[eponym]]ous Halo. ''Halo'' limited the number of weapons players could carry to two, forcing them to carefully select their preferred armament.<ref name="gamespotreview">{{Cite web |last=Fielder |first=Joe |date=November 9, 2001 |title=''Halo: Combat Evolved'' review at GameSpot |url=http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/halo-review/1900-2823816/ |access-date=August 2, 2006 |website=[[GameSpot]] |archive-date=January 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126121430/http://www.gamespot.com/reviews/halo-review/1900-2823816/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Players fight with ranged and melee attacks, as well as grenades. Bungie referred to the "weapons-grenades-melee" format as the "Golden Triangle of ''Halo''".<ref name="golden">{{Cite AV media |title=[[Halo 3 marketing|Is Quisnam Protero Damno!]] |last=Bakken, Lars |publisher=[[Bungie]] |year=2007 |place=Washington |display-authors=etal}}</ref> The player's health is measured in both [[hit point]]s and a perpetually recharging energy shield.<ref name="gamespyreview">{{Cite web |last=Accardo |first=Sal |date=November 15, 2001 |title=GameSpy's review of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' for the Xbox |url=http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/november01/halo/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061019185322/http://archive.gamespy.com/reviews/november01/halo/ |archive-date=October 19, 2006 |access-date=September 2, 2006 |publisher=[[GameSpy]]}}</ref> Released for the Xbox in November 2001, [[Windows]] and [[Mac OS X]] [[porting|port]]s were later developed by [[Gearbox Software]], and released in 2003.<ref>{{Cite web |title=''Halo: Combat Evolved'' PC version on Metacritic |url=https://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/halo |access-date=August 22, 2006 |website=[[Metacritic]] |archive-date=January 3, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103155627/http://www.metacritic.com/games/platforms/pc/halo |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=''Halo: Combat Evolved'' Mac version at GameSpot |url=http://www.gamespot.com/mac/action/halo/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041010011636/http://www.gamespot.com/mac/action/halo/index.html |archive-date=October 10, 2004 |access-date=August 22, 2006 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref><!-- REPLACE REFS --> A stand-alone expansion, entitled ''Halo: Custom Edition'', was released as a Windows exclusive, and allowed players to create custom content for the game.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}
The success of the game led to a sequel, ''[[Halo 2]]'', which was announced on August 8, 2002, at Microsoft's [[X (Xbox show)|X02]] press event.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 8, 2002 |title=Halo 2 and Project Gotham Racing 2 Announced! |url=http://xbox.ign.com/articles/367/367129p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020813001604/http://xbox.ign.com/articles/367/367129p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 13, 2002 |access-date=March 19, 2008 |website=IGN}}</ref> It featured improved graphics, new weapons and enemies, and a multiplayer mode on Xbox Live.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Blevins |first=Tal |date=August 20, 2004 |title=Halo 2 Hands-On |url=http://xbox.ign.com/articles/540/540845p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040821185343/http://xbox.ign.com/articles/540/540845p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 21, 2004 |access-date=March 19, 2008 |website=IGN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Mirabella |first=Fran |date=May 24, 2004 |title=Halo 2 Multiplayer Hands-On Vol. 4 |url=http://xbox.ign.com/articles/518/518409p1.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040529173854/http://xbox.ign.com/articles/518/518409p1.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 29, 2004 |access-date=March 19, 2008 |website=IGN}}</ref> ''Halo 2'' was released on the Xbox on [[2004#November|November 9, 2004]], and later for [[Windows Vista]] on May 17, 2007. The game was released in two different editions: a standard edition with just the game disc and traditional Xbox packaging; and the Collector's Edition with a specially designed steel case, along with an additional bonus DVD, extra booklet, and slightly different user manual. ''Halo 2'' introduced new gameplay elements, chief among them the ability to hold and fire two weapons simultaneously, known as "[[dual-wielding]]".<ref name="ugo halo2 retro">{{Cite web |title=''Halo'' Retrospective: Halo 2 |url=http://www.ugo.com/games/halo-retrospective/?cur=halo-2 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210014408/http://www.ugo.com/games/halo-retrospective/?cur=halo-2 |archive-date=February 10, 2008 |access-date=February 19, 2008 |publisher=[[UGO Networks]]}}</ref> Unlike its predecessor, ''Halo 2'' fully supported online multiplayer via [[Xbox network|Xbox LIVE]]. The game uses "matchmaking" to facilitate joining online matches by grouping players looking for certain types of games.<ref name="ugo halo2 retro" /> This was a change from the more traditional "server list" approach, which was used to find matches in online games at this time.<ref name="halo2mostplayed">{{Cite web |date=February 21, 2006 |title=Halo 2 tops Live most-played list |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=62981 |access-date=December 10, 2006 |website=[[Eurogamer]] |archive-date=December 16, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216143357/http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=62981 |url-status=live }}</ref>
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Following ''Halo 3''{{'}}s release, Bungie became an independent company once more. They created two more ''Halo'' games as part of their deal with Microsoft: a side story, ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'' (2009), and a prequel, ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' (2010). ''Reach'' was Bungie's final work on a ''Halo'' release.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}
===2010–present: 343 Industries
{{Main|Halo 4|l1=''Halo 4''|Halo 5: Guardians|l2=''Halo 5: Guardians''|Halo Infinite|l3=''Halo Infinite''}}
While Bungie remained involved in the ''Halo'' series by developing games such as ''ODST'' and ''Reach'', the rights to ''Halo'' remained with Microsoft. To oversee everything ''Halo'', Microsoft created an internal division, [[343 Industries]], to oversee the franchise.<ref name="latimes-halo legend">{{Cite news |last=Fritz, Ben |date=July 22, 2009 |title=Video game publishers Microsoft, Ubisoft invading Hollywood's turf |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/07/video-game-publishers-microsoft-ubisoft-invading-hollywoods-turf.html |url-status=dead |access-date=July 22, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090724220359/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com//entertainmentnewsbuzz//2009//07//video-game-publishers-microsoft-ubisoft-invading-hollywoods-turf.html |archive-date=July 24, 2009}}</ref><ref name="343 takes helm">{{Cite news |last=Milian |first=Mark |date=May 11, 2011 |title='Halo' and creators move on after divorce |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/05/11/bungie.halo/ |access-date=July 10, 2014 |archive-date=November 9, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121109221558/http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/05/11/bungie.halo/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Orry |first=James |date=July 21, 2009 |title=Is 343 Industries Microsoft's Halo studio? |url=http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/halo_reach/news/is_343_industries_microsofts_halo_studio.html |access-date=January 6, 2013 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303221610/http://www.videogamer.com/xbox360/halo_reach/news/is_343_industries_microsofts_halo_studio.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="two">{{Cite news |last=Milian |first=Mark |date=May 11, 2011 |title=Halo' and creators move on after divorce |publisher=CNN |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/05/11/bungie.halo/index.html?_s=PM:TECH |access-date=January 5, 2013 |archive-date=January 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140108135329/http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/gaming.gadgets/05/11/bungie.halo/index.html?_s=PM:TECH |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[File:343 Industries logo.svg|alt=343 Industries was formed internally at Microsoft Game Studios in 2007 following Bungie's separation, to supervise the development of all Halo franchise products including games, television and film projects.|thumb|343 Industries was established by Microsoft Game Studios in 2007 to oversee the ''Halo'' games and associated media. ]]
343 had already codeveloped the ''[[Halo Legends]]'' animated series and had overseen production of ''Halo: Reach'' and 2011's ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'', a [[Video game remaster|remaster]] of the franchise's debut title.<ref>{{Cite news |date=June 6, 2011 |title=Microsoft leaks details about next Halo game |work=[[VentureBeat]] |url=https://venturebeat.com/2011/06/06/microsoft-e3-halo-game/ |access-date=August 6, 2012 |archive-date=June 12, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180612143437/https://venturebeat.com/2011/06/06/microsoft-e3-halo-game/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The next game in the series, ''[[Halo 4]]'', was announced at [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]] 2011 as the first entry in what would be originally known as the "Reclaimer Trilogy".<ref name="ReclaimerB">{{Cite web |last=Yin-Poole |first=Wesley |date=August 28, 2011 |title=Halo 4, 5, 6 the "Reclaimer Trilogy" |url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-28-halo-4-5-6-the-reclaimer-trilogy |access-date=July 1, 2013 |website=Eurogamer |archive-date=June 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629061432/http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-08-28-halo-4-5-6-the-reclaimer-trilogy |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="ReclaimerA">{{Cite web |title=343 Industries opens up on Halo 4, The Reclaimer Trilogy |url=http://www.gamespot.com/articles/343-industries-opens-up-on-halo-4-the-reclaimer-trilogy/1100-6331567/ |access-date=November 13, 2014 |website=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |archive-date=October 14, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014130634/http://www.gamespot.com/articles/343-industries-opens-up-on-halo-4-the-reclaimer-trilogy/1100-6331567/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The game included many staples of previous games, such as new or redesigned weapon types,<ref name="G4 - Promethean Guide">{{Cite web |last=Rosenberg |first=Adam |date=November 7, 2012 |title=Halo 4 Promethean Guide – Enemies, New Weapons, And What It Takes To Win |url=http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/729366/halo-4-promethean-guide-enemies-new-weapons-and-what-it-takes-to-win/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114050202/http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/729366/halo-4-promethean-guide-enemies-new-weapons-and-what-it-takes-to-win/ |archive-date=January 14, 2013 |access-date=November 11, 2012 |website=[[G4 (U.S. TV channel)|G4]]}}</ref> an improved map-editing tool<ref name="polygon-forge">{{Cite web |last=McElroy |first=Griffin |date=July 7, 2012 |title='Halo 4' Forge mode in development at Certain Affinity |url=http://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/7/7/3143361/halo-4-forge-mode-in-development-at-certain-affinity |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053931/http://www.polygon.com/gaming/2012/7/7/3143361/halo-4-forge-mode-in-development-at-certain-affinity |archive-date=September 21, 2013 |access-date=June 6, 2013 |website=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]}}</ref> and expanded multiplayer options and maps.<ref name="bulletin101012">{{Cite web |last=Shea |first=Jessica |date=October 10, 2012 |title=The Halo Bulletin: 10.10.12 |url=http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2012/10/10/The-Halo-Bulletin-101012-.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130606053235/http://blogs.halowaypoint.com/Headlines/post/2012/10/10/The-Halo-Bulletin-101012-.aspx |archive-date=June 6, 2013 |access-date=October 14, 2012 |publisher=HaloWaypoint.com}}</ref> ''Halo 4'' was released worldwide on November 6, 2012,<ref>{{Cite web |date=April 18, 2012 |title=Halo 4 release date confirmed for November by Microsoft |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/17755467 |access-date=June 14, 2012 |website=[[Newsbeat|BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat]] |publisher=BBC |archive-date=May 2, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120502122545/http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/17755467 |url-status=live }}</ref> achieving record sales for the franchise.<ref name="usatoday - sales">{{Cite web |last=Molina |first=Brett |date=November 12, 2012 |title='Halo 4' snags $220 million on first day |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2012/11/12/halo-4-sales-first-day/1700277/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121204192355/http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/gaming/2012/11/12/halo-4-sales-first-day/1700277/ |archive-date=December 4, 2012 |access-date=November 12, 2012 |website=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> In a new addition to the series, a story-driven multiplayer campaign entitled ''[[Spartan Ops]]'' was released over the weeks following ''Halo 4''{{'}}s release, telling what happened after the end of the main game.<ref name="ign-spartanops">{{Cite web |last=Dyer |first=Mitch |date=April 9, 2012 |title=Spartan Ops and Infinity Change Halo 4 Multiplayer |url=https://uk.ign.com/articles/2012/04/09/spartan-ops-and-infinity-change-halo-4-multiplayer |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131013073242/http://www.ign.com/articles/2012/04/09/spartan-ops-and-infinity-change-halo-4-multiplayer |archive-date=October 13, 2013 |access-date=July 23, 2012 |website=[[IGN]] |publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]}}</ref> In announcing the formation of 343 Industries, Microsoft also announced that Xbox Live would be home to a central hub for ''Halo'' content called Halo Waypoint.<ref name="microsoft-waypoint press release">{{Cite web |date=July 23, 2009 |title=Halo Legends and Halo Waypoint Announced at Comic-Con |url=http://halo.xbox.com/article-Halo-Legends-Waypoint.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726104727/http://halo.xbox.com/article-Halo-Legends-Waypoint.html |archive-date=July 26, 2009 |access-date=July 25, 2009 |publisher=Xbox.com}}</ref> Waypoint is accessed from the [[Xbox 360 Dashboard]] and offers players access to multimedia content in addition to tracking their ''Halo'' game "career". O'Connor described Waypoint as intended to be the prime destination for ''Halo''.<ref name="kotaku-waypoint overview">{{Cite web |last=McWhertor, Michael |date=July 25, 2009 |title=Halo Waypoint Further Detailed By Microsoft |url=http://kotaku.com/5322449/halo-waypoint-further-detailed-by-microsoft |access-date=July 25, 2009 |website=Kotaku |archive-date=July 26, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090726223028/http://kotaku.com/5322449/halo-waypoint-further-detailed-by-microsoft |url-status=live }}</ref>
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The third part of the Reclaimer Saga, ''[[Halo Infinite]]'', was announced during [[E3 2018]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Watts |first=Steve |title=E3 2018: Halo Infinite Revealed As New Halo Xbox One Game |url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/e3-2018-halo-infinite-revealed-as-new-halo-xbox-on/1100-6459571/ |access-date=June 10, 2018 |website=GameSpot}}</ref> It brings the focus back to Master Chief, and Halo's roots by taking place on the new Zeta Halo. The story mainly focuses on exploring the deeper lore of the ''Halo'' series, finding what happened to Cortana, and battles with the Banished.<ref name="playingthehits">{{Cite web |last=Byford |first=Sam |date=December 6, 2021 |title=Halo Infinite Campaign Review: Playing the Hits |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/6/22820011/halo-infinite-campaign-review-xbox-series-x |access-date=February 27, 2022 |website=[[The Verge]] |publisher=[[Vox Media]]}}</ref> It released December 2021.<ref name="verge_2021-08-25">{{cite web|last=Warren|first=Tom|date=August 25, 2021|url=https://www.theverge.com/22637945/halo-infinite-release-date-launch|title=Halo Infinite is launching on December 8th|website=[[The Verge]]|access-date=October 26, 2021|archive-date=October 26, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211026180621/https://www.theverge.com/22637945/halo-infinite-release-date-launch|url-status=live}}</ref>
On October 6, 2024 during the year's ''Halo'' World Championships, 343 Industries unveiled a seven-minute video where they officially announced their rebranding as Halo Studios, while also confirming that multiple new games in the series were currently in development, and that said games would use [[Unreal Engine 5]] as opposed to the proprietary Slipspace Engine.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bailey |first=Kat |date=2024-10-06 |title=Future Halo Games Moving to Unreal Engine 5 as 343 Industries Rebrands, 'Multiple Projects' in Development |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/future-halo-games-moving-to-unreal-engine-as-developer-343-industries-officially-changes-its-name |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=IGN |language=en}}</ref> Studio head Pierre Hintze explained that the decision to rebrand the studio came from an internal shift in development philosophy behind the franchise, giving the team a "clean break" as was the case with transitioning between Bungie and 343.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Skrebels |first=Joe |date=2024-10-06 |title=Halo Studios: New Name, New Engine, New Games, New Philosophy |url=https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2024/10/06/halo-studios-unreal-engine-interview/ |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=Xbox Wire |language=en-US}}</ref> Halo Studios also unveiled "Project Foundry", described as a "multi-discipline research and reflection" project experimenting with the series' aesthetics in Unreal Engine 5, while also acting as a reference tool for training developers on future entries.<ref>{{Cite web |last=343 INDUSTRIES |first=Official |date=October 6, 2024 |title=A New Dawn |url=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/a-new-dawn |access-date=2024-10-06 |website=Halo Waypoint |language=en-us}}</ref>
===Spin-offs===
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==Cultural impact==
The main trilogy, particularly its protagonist, are considered iconic and a symbol of today's video games; a wax replica of Master Chief was made by [[Madame Tussauds]] in [[Las Vegas]], where [[Pete Wentz]] compared the character to notable characters from previous generations like [[Spider-Man]], [[Frodo Baggins|Frodo]], and [[Luke Skywalker]].<ref name="wax">{{Cite web |date=September 10, 2007 |title=Master Chief Invades Madame Tussauds |url=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo3/articles/20070910-madametussaud.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070916150920/http://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/h/halo3/articles/20070910-madametussaud.htm <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=September 16, 2007 |access-date=September 21, 2007 |publisher=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref> ''[[GamesTM]]'' stated ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' "changed video game combat forever", and ''Halo 2'' showcased Xbox Live as a tool for communities.<ref name="gamesTM-61">{{Cite journal |date=September 2007 |title=Hail to the Chief |journal=[[gamesTM]] |issue=61 |pages=30–41}}</ref> Game Daily noted ''Halo 2''{{'}}s launch was "easily comparable to the biggest in other sectors of the entertainment industry", marking the first time a video game launch has become a major cultural event in the United States.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brightman, James |date=November 17, 2004 |title=Halo 2's Success A Part of Pop Culture |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/halo-2s-success-a-part-of-pop-culture/67308/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090220012915/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/halo-2s-success-a-part-of-pop-culture/67308/ |archive-date=February 20, 2009 |access-date=November 13, 2007 |publisher=GameDaily}}</ref> ''Halo'' has been described as a series that "has reinvented a genre that didn't know it needed to be reinvented", with aspects of the main trilogy being duplicated in other first-person shooter games multiple times.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Beatty, D'Marcus |title=Halo Influence on the Gaming Industry |url=http://www.cheatcc.com/extra/haloinfluenceonthegamingindustry2.html |access-date=November 13, 2007 |publisher=CheatCC.com |archive-date=November 12, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071112111413/http://www.cheatcc.com/extra/haloinfluenceonthegamingindustry2.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called ''Halo'' "the equivalent of ''[[Star Wars]]''".<ref name="variety-halo care">{{Cite news |last=Graser, Mark |date=September 4, 2010 |title='Halo': the care and feeding of a franchise |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |url=https://
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