The next installment of Halo, Halo Infinite, will have a battle royale mode despite prior claims to the contrary, according to Thurrott editor Brad Sams.
Given the crazy success games such as Fortnite and Apex Legends have seen, shooter games adding a last man standing multiplayer should come as no surprise. Halo devs 343 Industries seemed to be against such in the past yet, as Sams would have it, a BR mode is a possibility after all.
The editor's sources have not provided any more details but he claims that Halo's BR will be very different than what's currently on the market and that Microsoft could deliver huge Halo Infinite updates at E3 2019.
He also backs the rumors asserting that the budget for the game is close to $500 million, something which also points to the possibility of a battle royale mode.
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Microsoft hasn't gotten drawn into making significant revelations where Halo Infinite is concerned since unveiling the title during E3 2018. But they have revealed that the game will present “an entirely new chapter in the Halo saga”, while 343 has plans to take the Halo franchise in “new and unexpected directions”.
Back in 2018, franchise writer Jeff Easterline insisted that there was no interest in a battle royale mode. “The only BR we’re really interested in is Battle Rifle," he was quoted as saying.
While Microsoft simply cannot go wrong with a new Halo title, given the respect the franchise has garnered over the years, a battle royale mode cannot hurt at all and would likely add more value to the game, especially if it's updated often.
For the time being this Halo BR remains a rumor and we aren't likely to know with certainty whether it's in the works or not until or unless Microsoft discloses such details later on. The possibility is an intriguing one, however.