Report: Halo’s Abandoned Battle Royale Transformed into Extraction Shooter

In an exciting turn of events for fans of the franchise, a recent report indicates that the highly anticipated battle royale mode for Halo, which was originally canceled in 2022, has undergone significant revisions and is now being developed as an extraction shooter.

Following the release of Halo Infinite in 2021, there was a wave of speculation and leaks suggesting that a standalone battle royale mode was in the pipeline, mirroring the successful rollout of Call of Duty’s Warzone. Various reports hinted at a launch in 2022; however, the mode was subsequently abandoned, with confirmations from former developers regarding its cancellation. Recent revelations, however, suggest that the project wasn’t entirely scrapped but instead transformed into a different concept.

Development of Halo’s Extraction Shooter: Project Eker

According to a video update from Rebs Gaming, a credible source within the Halo community, the battle royale project, codenamed Project Tatanka, experienced a halt in its development around late 2022. This initiative has now shifted focus towards Project Eker, a player-versus-environment (PvE) extraction shooter built using Unreal Engine.

The last public insight into the game’s progress was reported in the summer of 2023, although details on its current stage of development or potential release as a standalone experience remain murky. Notably, certain reports suggest that Certain Affinity, the team previously involved in the battle royale’s co-development, is now prioritizing the next major installment of the Halo series, raising the likelihood that the extraction shooter might be integrated as a multiplayer component in the upcoming release.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjfLHAZkxyg

Halo's Canceled Battle Royale & Unannounced Multiplayer Game (Exclusive) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjfLHAZkxyg)

While specifics regarding the appearance and mechanics of the new extraction shooter are scarce, Rebs did provide some tantalizing insights into the original battle royale concept. The initial idea centered around a “training simulation” set aboard a UNSC vessel, designed to prepare Spartans for missions on Zeta Halo.

Envisioned to feature a map filled with iconic locales from the Halo universe, such as Blood Gulch and Valhalla, players would have deployed into the arena via drop pods. Although there has been no official confirmation, it is plausible that many of these elements might transition into the forthcoming extraction mode.

The community has long yearned for a battle royale experience after the success of titles like Fortnite and Apex Legends. However, with the emerging trend of extraction shooters—evidenced by games like Arc Raiders and Marathon—it appears that Halo Studios is adapting to the current gaming landscape.

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