The rumored Halo: Combat Evolved remake could be co-developed with Abstraction, a reputable leaker has suggested. Microsoft and Halo Studios have yet to confirm that the remake of the groundbreaking first-person shooter is even real, but multiple leaks and rumors have pointed toward it. As the 25th anniversary of Halo: Combat Evolved draws closer, more supposed details about the reimagined version are coming out.
While there are still plenty of questions around a Halo: Combat Evolved remake, fans of the franchise do know there is big news on the horizon. Halo Studios announced it will reveal details on upcoming Halo projects on October 24 during the Halo World Championship. Whether that will entail a new version of the game that started it all is uncertain, but given the big anniversary coming up, it would make sense that such a title is in the works, and fans may have just gotten a closer look at it.
Leaker Claims Abstraction Will Help Develop the Halo: Combat Evolved Remake
Notable Halo leaker Rebs Gaming released a video on October 2 claiming “multiple sources” informed him that Abstraction was co-developing the Halo: Combat Evolved remake with Halo Studios. Those same sources also suggested the game will use a hybrid engine. Halo Studios has previously confirmed that future Halo games will use Unreal Engine 5 instead of the proprietary Slipspace Engine used to make Halo: Infinite, but this leak claims the revamped Halo: CE will only use Unreal for the visuals, while a modified version of Halo: Reach‘s Blam! engine handles the mechanics. That would make it similar to The Master Chief Collection, which used a mix of Blam!, Saber3D, and Unreal 4.
The rumored choice to co-develop the Halo: CE remake with Abstraction does make sense. Abstraction previously helped with The Master Chief Collection as a creative co-developer, and it has experience on other remakes, too, most notably, the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition. The studio is also part of Virtuous, a company that worked on The Elder Scrolls 4: Oblivion Remastered. Considering how Oblivion Remastered drew over nine million players in three months after its release, its developer seems like a sensible choice to help with a Halo remake at a time when the franchise is looking to reinvigorate itself.
There are also rumors that the Halo: CE remake could come to PS5 as Xbox and Sony slowly move away from console exclusivity. Rumblings of the Halo series making the jump to other platforms have been circulating for just as long as the remake rumors, but both are just speculation until one of the parties involved officially confirms anything. Thankfully, there may not be a long wait until fans know more, but for now, it’s best to take everything with a grain of salt.