Tag: Halo Franchise

  • Halo’s ‘Project Ekur’ is reportedly no longer an extraction shooter

    Halo’s future is evolving faster than a Spartan rush, and the road ahead for the franchise is taking some seriously interesting turns. The world of Halo has been buzzing with rumors about what comes next, but recent developments regarding Project Ekur have provided a clearer, more exciting picture of where things are headed.

    While Halo Campaign Evolved successfully brought Master Chief back to the forefront as a campaign-only experience, the focus quickly shifted to mainline multiplayer and large-scale concepts. One such ambitious project was Project Ekur, which began its journey as a Battle Royale concept known initially as Project Tatanka.

    Over time, this concept underwent significant metamorphosis. It started with Battle Royale ambitions, then evolved into an extraction shooter format. However, the most recent updates reveal a much grander vision for the game.

    The creative team behind Ekur has shifted gears entirely. Certain Affinity is no longer involved; the reins have passed to Halo Studios, giving the project direct oversight following their prototype work.

    Technologically, the foundation of Project Ekur has also seen a major upgrade. The development team successfully transitioned away from the original SlipSpace Engine and adopted the much more powerful Unreal Engine 5, completing this transfer as recently as September 2023.

    This technical shift is mirrored by a change in gameplay philosophy. Ekur is no longer strictly an extraction shooter. Instead, it is being shaped into what sounds like a “super big-team-battle idea”. Players will be dropped into the environment to explore, gather resources, and engage other teams, lending itself to a more expansive feel that echoes elements of Halo 5’s Warzone mode.

    So, Project Ekur has clearly been a laboratory for testing various concepts, refining its identity through intense prototyping. While the final look and feel remain to be seen, the movement toward a large-scale team experience suggests an exciting formula is taking shape—one that promises to appeal equally to long-time Halo fans and newcomers alike.