Next Halo squad-based, Master Chief-free? Source: A source with firsthand knowledge of Bungie's development.


What we heard: Last year, those skilled enough to complete Halo 3 on legendary difficulty were treated to an extended ending of the game after the credits rolled. For those who don't have a knack for Covenant slaying, numerous YouTube videos depict how, after the defeat of the Flood, series hero the Master Chief is left adrift in space in half of the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) ship Forward Unto Dawn.

After a brief conversation with the AI Cortana, the genetically enhanced, perpetually armored Chief enters a hypersleep chamber. The cutscene camera switches to an exterior shot, which pulls back to reveal the remnants of the Dawn entering orbit around a mystery planet. As the sun rises on the planet, music swells, and the screen fades to white, at which point the cutscene abruptly ends.

With that setup, many assumed that Bungie's next project would feature the Master Chief marooned on a strange planet, struggling for survival--a sort of off-world Far Cry. However, a source with knowledge of the studio's development slate told GameSpot a different story. She or he said that sometime this year, Bungie will announce a "darker, grittier" Halo game that doesn't feature the Master Chief at all.

According to the source, the new Halo game will be a spin-off that resembles "a cross between Ghost Recon and Gears of War." It will reportedly tell a "less cartoony" and "more bloody, violent, and grim" tale of a battle between UNSC forces and the pan-racial religious empire known as the Covenant. The game's atmosphere was described as similar to that of the live-action Halo shorts directed by South African filmmaker Neil Blomkamp (pictured), who was to helm the now-stalled big-screen adaptation of the game.

The source says that the upcoming Halo game is a tactical shooter that will follow a squad of colonial marines or orbital-drop shock troopers engaged in "intense" fighting on the ground. Gameplay details were scant, other than the fact that it will reportedly let gamers play as an entire squad in co-op mode through the entire campaign. The exact number of co-op players has yet to be finalized, but it could be as high as eight. It is unclear if the new game is the same as the "Halo: Forerunner" project first rumored in 2006.

The official story: Microsoft had not yet responded to requests for comment as of press time.

Bogus or not bogus?: Based on the strength of the source, this is almost certainly not bogus. And with Bungie's teaser last week, news about the game could arrive as soon as tomorrow's Microsoft press conference at the E3 Media & Business Summit.