Halohas long been regarded as Xbox’s flagship franchise, but the series is no longer what it used to be. The originalHalotrilogy was groundbreaking and changed FPS games as you know them; however, that impact is just not present anymore in the recent installments. It’s no surprise fans areworried about the future ofHalo, especially concerning a rumored remaster. While not officially confirmed yet, aHalo: Combat Evolvedremaster is reportedly in the works, with even Phil Spencer alluding to it at the end of this year’s Xbox Games Showcase.
Reliable insider YouTuberRebs Gamingspoke to two sources close to the project, however, and concerningly, these sources apparently haven’t heard anything about the multiplayer. This leads many to believe that theHalo: Combat Evolvedremaster may not include the multiplayer modeat all. This seems like apotentially fatal mistake, but when viewed from Xbox’s perspective, the frustrating decision does make a certain amount of sense.
Halo Isn’t Xbox’s #1 Brand Anymore
Halo Is Being Replaced By A Different FPS
While many people still seeHaloas the face of Xbox, the company’s recent efforts haven’t focused as much on that part of the brand. Looking at what Xbox has pushed the most as of late, it feels clear thatXbox’s premier franchise is nowCall of Duty. Even though many players are droppingCall of Duty: Black Ops 6, it’s still selling like gangbusters, and undoubtedly racking in a lot more cash for Microsoft thanHalois.
Call of Dutyappears to be the primary focal point of Xbox right now, especially for Xbox Game Pass, despite numerous shortcomings regardingCOD’s availability on the service. UnlikeHalo, which has declined from its peak position at the forefront of gaming culture,Call of Dutyremains the top FPS multiplayer game series on the market today, and it’s not surprising that Xbox doesn’t want to release another multiplayer FPS title that isn’tCOD.
Xbox Wants Call Of Duty To Be The Top Multiplayer FPS Game Available
Why Create More Competition For Yourself?
I think it’s quite telling that after Xbox announced its acquisition of Activision Blizzard in January 2022, there have beenpractically no first-party multiplayer FPS game releases from Xboxthat aren’tCall of Duty. The only one that released wasQuake Championsin August 2022, which was essentially dead on arrival and didn’t even receive console ports. Since then,Halo Infinite’splanned Battle Royale mode was canceled, andDOOM: The Dark Agesremoved the series' staple multiplayer.
These elements could have been cut for numerous reasons, but I think a likely reason was to prevent the games from competing withCall of Duty, Xbox’s biggest franchise. Why make a highly successfulHaloBattle Royale when that’ll affectWarzone? Xbox still releases plenty of FPS games, but they’re either single-player or cooperative experiences. Making theHalo: Combat Evolvedremaster campaign-only would still be a huge letdown, but it makes perfect sense for Xbox to go down this route so thatHalo’smultiplayer doesn’t compete withCall of Duty.
