Microsoft quashes Gearbox-Halo rumors

343 Industries rep definitively says the Borderlands developer is not working on a new entry in the popular sci-fi shooter series.

For months, rumors have surrounded Gearbox Software and its involvement with the Halo franchise. They erupted last summer, when unconfirmed reports claimed that the suburban Dallas-based developer--currently polishing Borderlands--was developing Halo 4 for the Xbox 360's successor.

Gearbox is no stranger to the sci-fi series, having ported the original Halo: Combat Evolved to the PC in 2003. However, the studio's CEO and president Randy Pitchford has dodged questions about whether the "big" project he teased in February 2008 might be the studio's second Halo project. Just this week in an interview with Eurogamer, Pitchford refused to answer repeated yes-or-no questions about the Halo 4 rumor, appearing to even cut the interview short.

Typically, Microsoft would adopt similar evasive maneuvers. However, in a rare turn of events, the company has shot down the rumor outright. This afternoon, 343 Industries, the new internal Microsoft Halo label unveiled at Comic-Con last week, used its Halo Waypoint Twitter feed to declare, "For the record, Gearbox is NOT working on a Halo title for Microsoft."

When queried, Microsoft was all too happy to confirm the post. "Halo Waypoint is an official 343 Industries Twitter account," said a rep. "For the record, we can confirm that Gearbox is not working on a Halo project. We are focusing our efforts on Halo 3: ODST, Halo Legends, and Halo: Reach, as well as our new Xbox Live destination called Halo Waypoint."

For more about Gearbox's next 100-percent confirmed project, check out GameSpot's own interview with Randy Pitchford below:

59 Comments

  • Superslayer135

    Posted Aug 31, 2009 9:23 pm GMT

    Halo is a great franchise and when the games begin to lose thier high quality then you can say that its too much. Halo 1 for the PC was really fun and that game is what got me into fps.

  • L0rD_ShAde

    Posted Aug 1, 2009 8:33 am GMT

    I agree with ShroudedEagle that halo 1 for pc (multiplayer aspect) was way better than Halo 2.

  • ShroudedEagle

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 4:54 pm GMT

    Aww.... Gearbox did a really good job with Halo 1 for the PC, especially with Custom Edition. It was so much better than Halo 2 for the PC. Gearbox should be given permission to make Halo 3 for the PC.

  • Barighm

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 12:51 pm GMT

    @solidstein

    Bet lost. Bungie has already made it very clear that Reach is gonna be a full-blown FPS game and a prequel to the Halo trilogy. It will also boast a whole new set of multi-player stuff, but it will still be a Halo "sequel" in all those respects. The story is just a prequel.

  • Trogeton

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 12:19 pm GMT

    if people would do research more than they just make crap up and post it... there would not be this kind fake crap on the web

  • solidstein

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 12:15 pm GMT

    i bet u halo:reach is gonna be a fallout type of game

  • hatieshorrer

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 11:51 am GMT

    Halo 3: ODST Halo Legends Halo: Reach Halo Waypoint

    Thats plenty of Halo for one company.

  • Lane_McNair

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 11:46 am GMT

    It's just that I've completed the first 3 on Xbox/360, and the first 2 on PC. Halo 3 was the best in my opinion, and I'd really like to "finish the fight" on the PC as well.

  • Soilworker1234 posted Jul 31, 2009 10:45 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Soilworker1234

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 10:45 am GMT (hide)

    looks like a crappy fallout

  • sun_rider95

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 9:39 am GMT

    Lane_McNair I think never no reason why...I am waiting too but I also see that 2 new halo games are coming only to 360

  • Lane_McNair posted Jul 31, 2009 9:19 am GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    Lane_McNair

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 9:19 am GMT (hide)

    What I want to know is when Halo 3 is coming to the PC.

  • StJimmy15

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 9:09 am GMT

    Give me a new Halo every 2-2 and half years and I'll be fine. I don't mind the expansion since I haven't touched Halo in like 6 months, but Halo 4? Better be AMAZING..

  • payne6705

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 9:07 am GMT

    hmm the halo franchise is getting a little too saturated for my taste

  • hoseph1337

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 8:56 am GMT

    @cetanu07

    That lego halo was an april fool's joke in EGM, i believe.

  • Cetanu07

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 8:35 am GMT

    i know im gonna get a lot of thumbs down but i really dont care for halo.
    arent they making a lego halo?

  • SkidRow18

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 7:57 am GMT

    wow so many halo....hope they dont release halo games every year like ea sports or cod, keep it fresh, release it like for the next xbox or years later

  • athenian29

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 7:29 am GMT

    @jasonpa

    The pistol has a built-in suppressor. What do you expect? It's supposed to sound "flat."

  • guyguyguy1234

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 7:20 am GMT

    Halo Reach is good for now

  • gameguy0697

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 6:46 am GMT

    come on1 they can't even say ANYTHING about Halo 4 roomer
    boo!!!

  • NuKkU

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 6:38 am GMT

    thats good we really dont need that many Halo games

  • jasonpa

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 6:16 am GMT

    I really did love Halo Ce and Halo 2 i played so much I started having master chief dreams. LOL! Halo 3 was a disappointment for me, which is why I traded it in for Gears 2. But ODST seems better, I watched that VidDoc, with Nathan Fillion, which by the way I love him as an actor, he truly does make anything more interesting, even White Noise 2. But anyways, the Pistol does sound flat, it sounds like an airgun, but I'm sure they'll change that hopefully before it ships. The graphics and sound look better, and I get the sense that ODST will make people wonder why Halo 3 wasn't as good as the expansion for it.

  • DDR_Midian

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 5:36 am GMT

    Heard the word Halo too much now. I enjoyed 3 when it came out but too much is too much is too much. The game was decent, but the franchise is definitely not worthy of this overkill.

    Watch the thumbs down's roll in.

  • StarlightHunter

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 5:22 am GMT

    I agree with TurboGuru, I enjoyed Halo 1 and 2 alot more than 3. But Halo is a great franchise and allways will be one of the top FPS's out their. I'm looking forward to ODST alot and Halo Reach is going to be great aswell.

  • jasonpa

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 5:19 am GMT

    Honestly the campain in Halo 3 was better than COD 4, it was longer, it had a better story, it flowed better, and in the end you felt bad for Master Chief, and it was interesting to see the interaction between the arbitor and the admiral. Everyone disses the online play for Halo 3, yet every other developer has copied their ranking system, they way they update their map packs and playlists. Even GOW that had the most inivative online play copied Halo 3's format to some degree. I don't think COD 4's online play was great at all. You still play in someone's room off their host, you don't have access to all the weapons until you rank up, which means the first few weeks you'll spend your time getting slaughtered. The class system, and the weapons system is new and innovative but at the same time to me it's not appealing at all. Why would I play a game online to have no fun getting slaughtered. Why would I play a game that doesn't last very long either? There's not much incetive to play in my eyes. I think Halo 3 fell victim to too much hype and too high of expectations. I'll get Modern Warfare 2, I may play the online more, but only because i have a friend who plays it online on his PS3 and since I have a PS3 it may be fun to play with him. But ultimately most of my online play will be with GOW2 and Halo 3.

  • TurboGuru

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 5:16 am GMT

    @jaspona

    Ive always loved Halo 1 and Halo 2 and I never compare them against each other because they are different, like you said, Halo 2 was about the arbitur's story etc.

    I guess the general disgruntlement for Halo 2 appeared because soo many of us expected to play the cheif again all the way through, and didnt really give a crap about the arbitur.... but the more you played, the more the story got interesting. Halo 2 Multiplayer is still epic.

    Halo 3 is the biggest disappointment when it comes to Storyline and Multiplayer, the campaign just felt lifeless, no surprises, and soo dumbed down too, nothing majestic like Halo1,2.

    Finally, I'm glad the pistol is coming back, but things like the AR in halo 3 bug me.... great for brining it back but WHY the hell did they change the sound, its soo flat.

  • jasonpa

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 5:08 am GMT

    The graphics for ODST seem better, the cutscenes are better, the original Pistol is back, and even if you don't have Halo 3, you still get access to Halo 3 multiplayer plus all the map packs, which is why the game is full retail. It's a longer expansion than first noted, and is packed with extras. Which I will pay since I traded in Halo 3 for the best shooter ever since Halo, Gears of War 2. Halo Reach is being made because it's a way to make a Halo game still with Master Chief without making Halo 4. Instead we will play through the first battles of the war, most likely with lots of Spartan soldiers, but playing as John Spartan. I don't blame them for trying to make up for 2 games that failed to live up to expectations. However the expectations were far too high. Halo 3 is still better in my eyes than COD 4, Killzone 2, or Resistance and you can disagree with me, that's your right, but in the end it will still be better.

  • jasonpa

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 5:03 am GMT

    They are pumping out Halo games to captialize on it's popularity right now and make as much money as they can. Also to most Halo fans 2 and three were dissappointments. Not to me. I loved Halo 2, I thought the story could have been flushed out better towards the end, but the cliffhanger angle just made me want to buy Halo 3 even more. So it was a marketing angle. Playing as the arbitor added a side of the story and emotion that wasn't in the first game. People forget that usually in a trilogy you see more about the enemies in the second act. It makes you feel more for the hero, and get more invested in the outcome. I think Halo 3 was the dissappointment. Yes it had a closer feel to the first game, but the campaign was too short, but not as short as COD 4. The multiplayer in me eyes is far better than COD 4, but nothing new really added to it made not want to play it as much. So just like Stallone with the Rocky and Rambo series, MS and bungie made ODST to redeem themselves.

  • crownprince713

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 4:27 am GMT

    They don't want any hype right now...but its possible they're making it for the next xbox 360

  • BabyFacedMoFo

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 3:15 am GMT

    Borrrriiiing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • games100

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 2:57 am GMT

    all i can say is, I can not wait for borderlands!

  • lightwarrior179

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 2:43 am GMT

    I think it would be good for both the Halo franchise and it's fans if the franchise takes a breather for a while. It wouldn't be good for any franchise of Halo's stature to be over-used.

  • the_sorrow_MGS_

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 2:39 am GMT

    @ ShadowJake: I couldn't agree more! While I would love to see Halo 4 some day, I just hope its in like 2014

  • ShadowJake

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 12:42 am GMT

    I really like halo (i own halo ce, halo 2, halo 2 pc, and halo 3) but I dont want them to suck all the fun out by constantly pumping out games. Halo 3 ODST and Halo Reach are fine but after that they need to take a break for a couple years. A game every year gets old quick. Hopefully this never happens to gears cuz thats my favorite series and its current release speed is just fine (although a little more work into the laggy multiplayer would have been great)

  • macca366

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 12:30 am GMT

    In my opinion it would be overkill if gearbox was working on a halo franchise game while ODST and Reach are on the way.

    However, I must admit, I'm always happy to fight the covenant and the flood =P

  • MammonPatriot

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 12:13 am GMT

    Well, as long as they don't recycle this too much like Nintendo does to Mario, Zelda, and Metroid.

  • NightRaVeN75

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 12:10 am GMT

    and whats this about a xbox live destination called halo waypoint, sounds interesting

  • NightRaVeN75

    Posted Jul 31, 2009 12:08 am GMT

    there cant be a halo 4 anyway, chief has defeated the flood and covenant for good

  • gamer082009

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 10:21 pm GMT

    You'd be a fool to think there's no Halo 4 being made as we speak...it is. Trust me, companies don't stop making sequels until the series has proven to become a failure at retail, and trust me Halo is far from failing at sales. As long as people buy it, they'll keep makin em.

  • red_alien_ posted Jul 30, 2009 10:10 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    red_alien_

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 10:10 pm GMT (hide)

    who cares

  • Pete5506

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 9:32 pm GMT

    I don't see why there need to make any more Halo games

  • JOKER677

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 9:22 pm GMT

    the hell is "quashes" shouldnt it be squashes?

  • atm0073

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 9:00 pm GMT

    Good; this rumor has been floating around for quite some time now.

  • alexkn64 posted Jul 30, 2009 8:45 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    alexkn64

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 8:45 pm GMT (hide)

    Honestly, if Microsoft was going to make another Halo game, I could see them going to id.

  • shootingrobot98

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 8:28 pm GMT

    Halo should keep itself fresh, like the GTA series, by not releasing itself every year, not like the Call of Duty or Guitar Hero series, which have mostly the same stuff as last year rebranded with a new title and better graphics.

  • terror_ninja posted Jul 30, 2009 7:12 pm GMT (does not meet display criteria. sign in to show)

    terror_ninja

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 7:12 pm GMT (hide)

    OMFG!!!! we dont need any more halo!!!!

  • VGA_assassin

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 7:05 pm GMT

    Cowboy-Bebop, I agree completely.

    I loved the first, the second was awesome until they released it, then it was alright(good online though) The third had a good feel to the story and a solid ending with stellar online play which just happened to be surpassed by cod4 IMO.

    Now all this? let the girl rest already! the trilogy is over, but that doesn't mean you need to start pumping out new games biannually. Its getting out of hand. Halo wars could have been cool but i lost interest. ODST could have been cool but they decided to chargee full price for it.

    Reach could be cool, but after everythings said and done, are we ready for another "halo" game yet? Leave the series alone for a while, take the risk and develop a new IP for a while, and a while later you can dabble back in the halo waters.

  • VenomRitual

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 7:03 pm GMT

    i need to work on my dyslexia. i almost thought the article was a gears of war-halo mash up.

  • 12345678ew

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 7:02 pm GMT

    i sense a new guitar hero.... great sales and like 12 games..... YAY!

  • One_mans_floor

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 6:58 pm GMT

    @Cowboy-Bebop
    That looks to be what Bungie are planning to do once their announced titles are released.Here

  • Cowboy-Bebop

    Posted Jul 30, 2009 6:47 pm GMT

    You know, I absolutely loved the first Halo, didn't care for the second and the third was alright, but we're kinds entering over saturation of the market with Halo. I'd like to see something new like another franchise instead of what appears to be 3 or 4 more Halo projects.

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