Halo is one of the most popular and iconic Xbox-exclusive franchises and has a large community. The games are praised for exciting storylines and intense first-person shooter action like no other. Amid Helldivers 2‘s massive success, fans are hell-bent on getting a spin-off title in the series.
A new report has now surfaced online stating there could have been many Halo spin-off titles by now and players would have had Helldivers 2-like experiences as several games were pitched by the developers over the years but never got the nod from Microsoft and Xbox.
343 Industries Pitched Several Halo Spin-Off Titles, Including an ODST Game
343 Industries has only developed mainline entries in the Halo franchise ever since the release of the fourth installment, but former developers at the studio that worked on the franchise have revealed that 20-30 spin-off game ideas were pitched, including an ODST title similar to Helldivers 2, but were never greenlit by the higher-ups.
A user took to X/Twitter and stated that they had received information that former ex-developers at 343 pitched an ODST game that was “almost exactly like Helldivers.” Helldivers 2 has been a tremendous success and sees players play in co-op and go against deadly aliens and robots on planets. Another user added that they had learned about this in 2022 and that it “apparently existed” at some point.
In response to a player quoting the main post and saying that it could have been a “gold mine of cool stuff,” former developer and senior designer on Halo Infinite, Kevin Schmitt, said that the team at 343 pitched “20-30 game ideas over the 12 years,” including single-player, multiplayer, and ODST-themed titles.
He further added that some titles were “galaxy-spanning, some more intimate…and one that was really dark.” When a fan asked who was the problem with these games getting shot down, whether it was in-house leaders or people at Xbox/Microsoft, Schmitt replied, “Oh boy, how I wish I could answer this.”
Fans Are Enraged Over the Revelations About a Possible Halo ODST Game
Fans were left upset and confused as to why the pitched games never saw the light of day. Players said that from their perspective, it seems like the companies do whatever they can to hold the franchise back, which could give players fun experiences.
A player said that it is “infuriating” that none of the games were allowed to be developed, adding that the universe is massive with “endless stories to tell.” Another fan added that it’s “heartbreaking to hear on so many levels,” with another saying, “How can mere words inflict so much pain?” Fans are clearly brokenhearted for not getting amazing spin-offs even after an ample number of pitches.
While fans are upset over this, Kevin Schmitt followed up with another post saying that the game pitching is “rarely corpo greed or some other nefarious reason,” adding that “it’s a lot about timing.” What are your thoughts about this new reveal? Let us know in the comment section below.
