14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has shot down all rumors related to Gearbox creating a new Halo game. Although, usually, the Redmond-based company does not comment on rumors, it seems that the Halo franchise is important enough to get a response out.
343 Industries, which revealed at the Comic Con event to be in charge of Halo for Microsoft, used a Twitter feed dedicated to Halo Waypoint to clearly state that “For the record, Gearbox is NOT working on a Halo title for Microsoft.”
Initial rumors related to Gearbox creating a new Halo title, presumably to be released for the successor to the Xbox 360 home gaming console, appeared late last summer, when Bungie announced not planning on releasing fresh content for the long running franchise (which proved to be a lie, as Bungie is now working on Halo 3: ODST and will also create Halo: Reach). Gearbox was probably linked to a new Halo game because it ported the first title in the series to the PC.
Since then, the boss of Gearbox, Randy Pitchford, has teased another big project on which his company will begin work once it ships Borderlands later in 2009, but refused to comment on whether it was in any way related to Halo. Even as soon as last week, he refused to answer any questions on the topic.
The software giant has confirmed the tweet sent out by 343 Industries and even offered some details, almost denying that there were any plans for a Halo 4. Microsoft said that “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.”
Let's hope that, despite the denials, there are currently some plans to create a true Halo sequel.