For a while, it seemed like every game out there was getting a battle royale spin-off or game mode, including even the long-running and critically acclaimed Halo franchise. But, after the project’s cancellation this week, Master Chief’s presence in BRs is limited to one entry—Fortnite.
In 2022, Halo executives teased a potential battle royale mode for Halo Infinite, codenamed “Tatanka.” Though the game mode was not confirmed by Microsoft itself, rumors spread that over 100 people were working on the supposed title. Now, those rumors appear to have been confirmed, but disappointingly the project has reportedly been shelved, according to a Jan. 15 report by Eurogamer. Fans who feel disappointed to miss out on a Halo battle royale can now only find refuge in Fortnite through the Master Chief skin.
News of the cancelation came from insider Nick “Shpeshal Nick” Baker during an episode of the XboxEra podcast on Jan. 14. The project had supposedly been in the works for years, at least since 2022, but the information remains limited on both the project and the reasons behind its being shelved.
Though some fans have said they would have liked to see a Halo battle royale, others believe Microsoft made the right decision in pivoting away from a genre that’s past its peak. “I think Halo’s best direction would be to release single player campaign games akin to ODST,” another fan said, believing the series should stick to its roots, while others just want a “coherent” story without a “bullshit” cliffhanger between titles.
For those still itching for Halo and battle royale, your best move forward might just be with Fortnite. The game remains a dominant force in the genre and can prove the perfect refuge for disappointed Halo fans. Its feature of the one and only Master Chief may be enough for some, but custom game modes and the potential therein could eventually spawn fan-made recreations of popular titles, including Halo.
That’s not to mention that Halo Infinite itself already has a pretty cool custom battle royale mode already, further eliminating the need for a proprietary inclusion.
