‘Halo 5’ Dev Promises Lessons Have Been Learned From Botched Launch Of ‘Master Chief Collection’

Xbox Halo 5 — Master Chief walks in the rubble of a human city in the latest "Halo 5: Guardians" teaser trailer. Microsoft/Xbox

When “Halo” creator, Bungie Studios left Microsoft to create “Destiny,” the publisher created a new studio named 343 Industries to handle all things “Halo.” The company’s first outing, “Halo 4,” changed things up a bit, dividing the fan-base, and while it sold well, the game didn’t have the same long-lasting appeal as its forebears. 343 followed this with “Halo: The Master Chief Collection,” which suffered a spate of ongoing issues for months after launch, leaving the new developer’s reputation tarnished.

Speaking to Xbox Achievements, “Halo” Franchise Development Director, Frankie O’Connor described the botched launch as a black eye for the studio. However, he noted that the team had learned from this, and that these mistakes would not be repeated in “Halo 5.” He went on to add that many of the problems experienced in “The Master Chief Collection” were the result of porting so many old titles over to the Xbox One, a situation avoided with “Halo 5,” as it’s built on new technology.

It was built from the ground up for this new technology, instead of being a bit dragged kicking and screaming from 2001 and forced and shoehorned into a 2014 console. So the problem spaces are still very challenging but they’re radically different, I think the beta is already a decent first step in a retail environment, showing that we don’t have the same problems, he said.

As noted by Eurogamer, “The Master Chief Collection” experienced a spate of ongoing connectivity issues long after launch, causing the cancellation of an official “Halo” tournament, as well as a planned beta release to test an update. The game is only one in a long line of releases over the past five years that have launched with major issues, including the likes of “Driveclub,” “Battlefield 4,” “Sim City” and “Assassin’s Creed Unity.”

The situation has led to a number of high profile delays, as developers and publishers release statements explaining that titles require more time in the oven to squash bugs before launch. Games such as “The Witcher 3,” “Batman Arkham Knight,” and “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End” have all suffered delays. “Halo 5: Guardians” is slated for release on Oct. 27, exclusively on Xbox One.