An insider claims that an intriguing Halo game developed by Certain Affinity has been canceled after almost four years of development.
Highlights
The mysterious Halo game codenamed Project Tatanka, developed by Certain Affinity, has reportedly been canceled after years of development.
Halo Infinite was intended to be a long-term live-service platform, but its declining player base may have led to the cancellation of Certain Affinity's project.
Fans have speculated that Certain Affinity's cancelled game was originally a battle royale mode for Halo Infinite, and some believe that adding a battle royale mode could help Halo regain its popularity.
A new Halo game that was in development for years has reportedly been canceled, according to an insider. The mysterious Halo title, codenamed Project Tatanka, was reportedly being developed by Certain Affinity.
Halo Infinite launched in 2020 and is the most recent game in the franchise. Initially, 343 Industries intended to use Halo Infinite as a live-service platform for the foreseeable future, but due to the game's waning player base, these plans may have been cut short. Recently, reports indicated that 343 Industries is hard at work on the next mainline Halo game. Although this is promising news for Halo fans, a separate game in the Halo franchise developed by Certain Affinity just got a disappointing update.
During the XboxEra podcast, insider Shpeshal Nick claimed that Certain Affinity's Halo game has been canceled due to unspecified reasons. According to rumors, this mysterious project was originally a battle royale-style mode for Halo Infinite before it evolved into its own game. Based on previous reports, Certain Affinity's Halo project had been in development since Spring 2020. It's possible that some of the studio's canceled work will be utilized in Halo Infinite or in a future Halo game. However, this is just speculation. But in 2022, the studio explained that it was strengthening its relationship with 343 Industries and would focus on evolving Halo Infinite, so it's possible that Certain Affinity will continue working on Halo projects other than Project Tatanka if this relationship still exists.
Leaks supported the speculation that Certain Affinity's Project Tatanka was originally a battle royale mode for Halo Infinite. Some fans have called for Halo Infinite to release such a mode to help it rebound. Since its release, Halo Infinite has received plenty of impressive features like Firefight, Forge, a custom games browser, plenty of new maps, and more, but these additions have failed to recapture Halo's place among Xbox's most popular games.
Some fans think that a battle royale mode would be a perfect fit in Halo Infinite. The game already supports large maps, boasts an interesting array of vehicles and weapons, and has a relatively high time-to-kill, features that are seen in most successful battle royales. In addition to being a fun, new way to play the game, the battle royale genre's massive popularity could help Halo return to its former glory.
Other fans have called for 343 Industries to remake classic Halo games in order to rebuild the franchise. Halo 3, one of the series' more popular games, was released over 15 years ago now, and might feature strong enough gameplay to entertain old fans while pulling in new ones as well. However, only time will tell what direction Microsoft and 343 Industries decide to take the Halo franchise in.