The one-horse race to next-gen currently dominated by Sony is about to get a whole lot more interesting.
Tomorrow, Microsoft will throw its own hat into the proverbial ring with the long-awaited Xbox Series X gameplay showcase and while we’ve yet to learn just how many titles it intends to reveal, one attendee already confirmed to be making an appearance is none other than John-117, or Master Chief, as he’s otherwise known. The superhuman soldier is due to make his highly anticipated return later this year in Halo Infinite, a soft reboot of the franchise currently in development at 343 Industries.
Infinite will be the first mainline installment since 2015’s Halo 5 which, while receiving acclaim for its technical accomplishments and fluid gameplay, received heavy criticism for a lacklustre and messy story. How exactly Chief’s latest adventure will fit into Halo‘s overarching timeline remains to be seen, though fans have been treated to their first clue thanks to a new image released today over on Twitter, which you can check out for yourself below.
If what you see feels familiar, it’s likely due to the fact that Infinite‘s box art closely mimics that of the first game’s, with Master Chief’s pose and the presence of one of the series’ iconic rings in the background an almost direct composition match. Sadly, besides confirming that players will be making a return visit to the Forerunner-built superstructures later this year, the picture gives little away in terms of narrative. At the very least, though, it appears as if the Spartan won’t be alone in his quest, as a UNSC Pelican can be seen soaring overhead.
And that’s your lot for today. We’ll be covering the entirety of Microsoft’s show tomorrow, July 23rd, so stay tuned for all the big reveals, including the first gameplay of Halo Infinite and, if we’re lucky, a release date.