Speculation has been swirling around Halo 5 since a February 2011 news segment displayed an “Inside Halo 5″ placeholder graphic long before Halo 4 was even announced.  Though, it was no secret that development would continue on one of the biggest franchises in gaming history.  Now just 9 months after the release of Halo 4, the gaming world is abuzz with Halo 5 rumors and gossip. With the recent unveiling of the Xbox One, gamers can soon expect big announcements from 343 Industries on their next entry in the Halo series. There are still a lot of things that the general public does not know about Halo 5, but here are the things that are likely about the game so far:

• Halo 5 is an Xbox One exclusive and is set for a late 2014 release.
• Per the Xbox One’s increased symbiosis with Kinect 2.0 it’s expected that Halo 5 will integrate Kinect functionality in some way.
• The team of 343 Industries wants to be more “adventurous” than halo 4  while respecting the “pillars and …principles” at the heart of series. This likely means core gameplay will remain largely familiar to Halo veterans while new gameplay elements, environments and interactions (Kinect?) should be expected.

Official information on Halo 5 is lacking, but Gaming Illustrated has rounded up the bits and pieces trickled out over the years. Here is what’s known for sure:

• Halo 5 is official and confirmed as the second entry in the Reclaimer Trilogy.
• The game is currently under development. Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director at 343, says, “We’ve done as much prototyping and storytelling and the future arc of the universe as we have on technology.”
• The development team recognizes some mistakes and missteps made with Halo 4 and plans to make up for it with Halo 5.
• Halo 5 is about a lost and lonely Spartan 117 who is trying to piece his life back together.

The internet is rife with much rumour and speculation as to the nature of the next major entry in the Halo franchise. Any information that hasn’t come from official sources should be met with reasonable skepticism. Considering the unveiling of the Steven Spielberg-produced Halo TV series and lack of Halo 5 news that came out of the Xbox One announcement, execs at Microsoft and 343 are expected to remain mostly mum on the game until this year’s E3. Until then, fan will have to glean what they can from the limited data available to them online, or just be patient.

A new Halo game for Xbox One is inevitable. In fact, it’s a wonder that a Halo title did not launch alongside the Xbox One in November. The new Halo technically has not been announced so it will not likely release for several months.With the hype already starting, there’s a pretty good chance this won’t be another Halo: Spartan Assault. Although the title has not been revealed, the safe money is on Halo 5.The big question is, what would you like or not like to see happen in Halo 5?

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