Halo 3: Recon Could Be Bungie's Last Halo (XB360)

While Microsoft technically owns the Halo IP, and other projects within the Halo universe continue (such as Halo Wars from the soon to be closed Ensemble Studios), it's looking like Bungie is quite ready to move on to other projects.

Speaking to GI.biz, Bungie PR director Brian Jarrard revealed that after the studio is done with the recently announced expansion Halo 3: Recon, the team will be starting work on other projects and may not revisit Halo. When asked if the Recon team would continue work on the Halo trilogy, Jarrard responded, "I don't think so. We've already put a couple of map packs out, we do have more maps on the way. We actually have a Mythic map pack coming out early next year. We don't have firm details or a date yet, but we do have one more map pack coming out, and then we do have some maps associated with the actual Recon retail release."

He continued, "But I think when this project wraps up in a couple of months that will be the time when that team moves on to something else - part of that team will move on to something else and part of them will probably be absorbed into one of the other projects that are already on the way." [Bungie is currently working on three separate projects.]

When further pressed if Recon was being viewed as a "final statement" on Halo at Bungie, Jarrard answered "I think so."

As big as the Halo property has been for Microsoft, GameDaily BIZ would assume that Microsoft Game Studios will do everything it can to keep a steady flow of Halo titles coming, even if Bungie is not the developer behind future installments.