Xbox Scarlett Console Has Halo Infinite As A Launch Title, And Here’s Why That’s A Big Deal

As part of the Xbox E3 2019 briefing, Microsoft announced that Halo Infinite will be a launch title for next-generation Xbox, which is codenamed Project Scarlett. Any time a new Halo game is released it is a big deal, but news that Halo Infinite is a launch title for the new console platform is especially noteworthy.

That’s because Halo hasn’t been a launch title for new Xbox hardware since all the way back in 2001 when Halo: Combat Evolved was released alongside the original Xbox.

Halo 2 was released in 2004, a year prior to the launch of the Xbox 360 in 2005. Halo 3 was released in 2007, which was a full six years before the Xbox One came out in 2013. Halo 5 launched in October 2015, two years into the Xbox One’s lifecycle. Halo Infinite, however, will launch day and date with the new Xbox Scarlett.

Halo Infinite will be playable on the entire Xbox family of devices, as well as PC. That means it’ll also play on Xbox One S and Xbox One X. Given the incredible specs of the new Scarlett system, Halo Infinite is likely to look and play best on that system (at least on console; PC players can crank it up as high as their PC will allow).

Halo Infinite being a launch title may help improve sales of the next-generation Xbox. However, unlike with previous console generations, older hardware is also supported so people will not need to buy the new Scarlett console to play it.

Project Scarlett is the name of Microsoft’s wider plan for next-generation consoles, according to Brad Sams. The console discussed during the Xbox E3 briefing is the one that’s codenamed Anaconda, according to Sams, while a lower-spec model known under the working title Lockhart is also reportedly in the works.

The original Halo was instrumental in helping the OG Xbox get off the ground, and Microsoft may be looking for Halo Infinite to be similarly important for Scarlett. Halo Infinite runs on a brand-new engine, Slipspace, and Microsoft might be looking to Halo Infinite to be a showcase of what the engine is capable of achieving, though this only speculation.

The new Halo Infinite trailer focused on the game’s story. We saw Master Chief in a tough spot before he gets rebooted–but without Cortana. The game is a “spiritual reboot,” so it remains to see what kind of story it will tell. But we do know Master Chief is the focus of it.

It might be a while before we see and learn more about Halo Infinite. Developer 343 Industries says it will stay dark until E3 2020 where it plans to talk about Halo Infinite more. It is always possible plans could change, but that seems to be the plan for now.

With Double Fine Buyout At E3 2019, Microsoft Now Has 15 Game Studios

In recent years, Microsoft was criticized for a–perceived or otherwise–lack of exclusive content and compelling games, but those days may be behind the company. In 2018, Microsoft acquired Undead Labs (State of Decay), Playground Games (Forza Horizon), Obsidian (Fallout: New Vegas), Ninja Theory (Hellblade), inXile (Wasteland), and Compulsion Games (We Happy Few), while also creating a brand-new southern California studio in The Initiative.

At E3 2019 this week, Microsoft acquired Brutal Legend and Psychonauts studio Double Fine and created another brand-new studio to focus on developing the Age of Empires franchise. Together with Microsoft’s own Global Publishing studio, Microsoft now has 15 studios under its Xbox Game Studios banner.

No Caption Provided

It appears Microsoft has now more than enough talent to release new games on a semi-regular basis. Some of Microsoft’s other studios include Halo developer 343 Industries, Gears of War studio The Coalition, and mainline Forza Motorsport team Turn 10. Microsoft also has Sea of Thieves developer Rare and the Minecraft team at Mojang under its catalog of owned studios.

At the Xbox E3 briefing today, Ninja Theory announced its new multiplayer game Bleeding Edge, while Playground showed off the wild new Lego expansion for Forza Horizon 4. 343, meanwhile, showcase a new story trailer for Halo Infinite, while The Coalition revealed more Gears 5 footage. Undead Labs announced a new expansion for State of Decay 2 called Heartland, while the Age of Empires studios announced Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition.

In a blog post, Microsoft confirmed that company veteran Shannon Loftis is heading up the new Age of Empires studio while Microsoft has hired former Warner Bros. veteran Peter Wyse to run the new Global Publishing team.

The only Xbox Game Studio without an announced project is The Initiative, which is a the Santa Monica-based studio that was only just formed last year and is only just getting started on its first title.

Xbox Game Studios Developers

  • 343 Industries
  • The Coalition
  • Compulsion Games
  • Double Fine
  • Microsoft Studios Global Publishing
  • The Initiative
  • inXile
  • Mojang
  • Ninja Theory
  • Obsidian
  • Playground Games
  • Rare
  • Turn 10 Studios
  • Undead Labs
  • Age of Empires

Keanu Reeves At E3 2019: Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Reveals Who He Plays In The Game

One of the best, most surprising reveals so far at E3 2019 has been the news that action movie star Keanu Reeves has a role in CD Projekt Red’s hugely anticipated role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077. Now, we’ve learned a little more about Reeves’ role in the ambitious new RPG from the creators of The Witcher.

Reeves plays the character Johnny Silverhand. He’s described by CD Projekt Red as a “legendary rockerboy” who gets his name from the fact that he has a robotic, silver arm. Silverhand is a “key” character in Cyberpunk 2077, so we may see a lot of him.

Reeves not only provided the voice and likeness of Silverhand, but he also performed full-body motion capture. This means Silverhand will look and act like Reeves. That’s good news, because as behind-the-scenes John Wick training videos have shown, Reeves is a talented actor who commits to his craft to ensure the best possible result.

In the new Cyberpunk 2077 trailer from E3, Silverhand says, “Wake the f**k up, Samurai, we have a city to burn.” You can re-watch Reeves’ on-stage appearance from E3 in the video embed above.

In Cyberpunk 2020, which Cyberpunk 2077 is loosely based on, Johnny Silverhand is a singer and guitarist who has seen better days.

After years of development, Cyberpunk 2077 is finally releasing on April 16, 2020 across PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. In other news, CD Projekt Red has confirmed that the game’s PC edition is digital-only in North America.

E3 2019: Where to Preorder Every Bethesda Game at E3

If you buy something through this post, IGN may get a share of the sale. For more, read our Terms of Use.

The Bethesda E3 2019 conference revealed some much appreciated freebies for the gamers who stayed faithful to Fallout 76. We also got to see new Doom Eternal gameplay trailers as well as a release date, and a glimpse of an exciting new thriller, Ghostwire Tokyo from Tango Gameworks (the studio behind The Evil Within 2).

Continue reading…