Bungie severs cord with Halo
Monday, July 11, 2011 5:23 PM
Bungie, the creator's of the hugely successful Halo franchise, have relinquished control of the game in order to pursue a new project.
Last week the developer celebrated the 20th anniversary of the game by challenging gamers to play against Bungie staff for a chance to win a succulent steak.
The company also paid tribute to its loyal fans in a blog post that revealed the team's plans for a brand new universe.
Addressing its supporters, the blog thanks them for their commitment to the game and says that while many might feel a sense of loss on this occasion, the Halo developers are content knowing that the game has now been placed back into the hands of fans.
The handover to 343 Industries, who will become the game's official custodians, will take place on August 2nd. Following this the Bungie squad will then go below surface and off-radar to begin working on a new game.
A blogger at Bungie named Urk wrote: "So, this isn't a goodbye. It isn't The End. Instead, it's the very beginning of a new journey that will stretch the limits of what we are capable of."
The original title was released almost a decade ago on the Xbox and according to reports the team has signed a ten year publishing deal with Activision, suggesting the next title could be on a similar scale to Halo.