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Halo 2 Oct 2026, 13:15

Frank O’Connor outlines three routes for the next Halo game, according to Eurogamer

Frank O’Connor outlines three routes for the next Halo game, according to Eurogamer

Eurogamer says Frank O’Connor outlined three possible directions for the next Halo game. Brian Jarrard also denied a creator blacklist claim.

  • Two of those routes are detailed in the report: a classic Halo approach and a heavily modernized reinvention of the series.
  • Halo community director Brian Jarrard denied a creator-blacklist rumor on X and called the claim “annoyingly false”.

What happened

Eurogamer reports that Frank O’Connor responded on LinkedIn to Halo’s future and mentioned three possible routes for the next game. In the same response, he urged Activision to hire developers who were recently laid off from Bungie and Halo Studios.

Of the three routes, Eurogamer expands on two. The first is a classic Halo game that keeps the familiar heavy movement and sandbox, but scales it up for a broader audience. The second is a much more modern direction, in which Halo or its world is reinvented in a surprising way, for example as a new first-person shooter or as an action RPG.

The reporting comes amid broader uncertainty around the next Halo game. The supplied sources mention a possible shift for the franchise toward Activision, but the exact development decision has not been officially confirmed. The third route O’Connor mentioned is also not fully detailed in the available excerpt.

Meanwhile, Halo community director Brian Jarrard responded on X to a rumor about a blacklist of content creators. He said there were “too many claims and sources” to address everything immediately, but that this specific rumor was “annoyingly false”. Jarrard explicitly said there was no “leadership blacklist” and later thanked everyone who shares feedback in a respectful and constructive way.

Timeline

  • 2023 — Frank O’Connor reportedly leaves 343 Industries, just before the rebrand to Halo Studios.

  • 2026-09-29 — Brian Jarrard responds on X to the blacklist rumor and calls it “annoyingly false”.

  • 2026-09-30 — Eurogamer publishes its article about O’Connor’s LinkedIn response and the three possible routes for the next Halo game.

Background

Frank O’Connor is described in the sources as a long-time Halo veteran who has been tied to the franchise since the Bungie era. The supplied context links his 2023 departure to an internal reshuffle at 343 Industries, which later continued as Halo Studios.

The available pieces also say Microsoft/Xbox wants the next Halo game made by a separate team and that Activision would be involved. The sources do not confirm which development decision has been officially approved, and the exact third route O’Connor mentioned is not fully explained in the excerpt.

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Sources