Halo's Ditched Battle Royale Could Have Been a "Game Changer" for the Franchise, Says Former Developer
Mike Clopper reveals a cancelled Battle Royale mode for Halo Infinite that could have changed the franchise's direction. Learn why Project Tatanka was scrapped and what the future holds for Halo.
A former developer at Certain Affinity has given insight to what, had it been done, could have been a groundbreaking addition to the Halo franchise. Mike Clopper, Studio Design Director at Raven Software now, suggests that what was once a cancelled Battle Royale mode for Halo Infinite might have been the catalyst for changing the course of the franchise. The views of the project were shared through his LinkedIn profile, again opening up talk of Halo's future.
The Revealed Project
He also revealed this in the post by Clopper on LinkedIn, stating, "I led a large team of designers working on a cancelled Battle Royale mode for Halo. This product could have been a game-changer for the franchise." The mode is reportedly two years in development and was yanked out from the gaming universe. Sure, it will be thrilling, and experience the development process of Battle Royale mode to be so cool, but fans are never going to witness such mode.
Why Was It Cancelled?
Speculation abounds as to why Project Tatanka is cancelled. Official word is scarce, and most of the circulating rumours revolve within the Halo community. Actual potential for missed opportunities, fans now must try and dissect the abrupt cancellation of this concept for Battle Royale as Halo Infinite continues its siege battle with a combination of GUI and game struggles failing to garner at least half the player engagement it should have.
Earlier this month, Halo undertook a significant rebrand, changing the development studio name from 343 Industries to Halo Studios and confirming that future games of the franchise would be using Unreal Engine 5. Pierre Hintze, head of studio, said, "We're not just going to try to improve the efficiency of development, but change the recipe of how we make Halo games." This new direction may mark the start of a restructuring, but it begs the question: where could Project Tatanka have fit in?
Also Read: 343 Industries Rebrands; Moving Halo Games to Unreal Engine 5 with Multiple Projects Underway
Community Reaction and a Word of Caution
Fans in the Halo franchise expressed disappointment and intrigue across forums and social media. Many have questioned whether removing the Battle Royale mode was the right call in an age where such gameplay seems to thrive in titles like Warzone and Fortnite. Others, however, have been calling people out for speculating too much since it is unclear whether Project Tatanka will be able to compete successfully in an overcrowded Battle Royale market.
The cancellation, though coupled with the recent rebrand, has fans speculating over what Halo's future really holds and what kind of impact they expect from Unreal Engine 5 and Halo Studios on the next era of the series. Time will tell if this new chapter delivers innovation that fans crave.
But although the cancellation of Project Tatanka will leave a long "what-if" in the minds of fans, there is much of the way to the future for the franchise. After rebranding and launching a new direction for the studio, the next iteration of Halo is just around the corner - unfortunately, this time, without its chance to revolutionise Battle Royale.
