An early prototype for a proposed "Halo" multiplayer game involving Activision and "Call of Duty" developer Sledgehammer Games has reportedly been scrapped, according to a new report from an insider.
The cancellation adds another entry to a growing list of multiplayer concepts that Halo Studios has explored and abandoned without ever landing on a clear successor to "Halo Infinite."
'Halo' Multiplayer Canceled Last Month by Microsoft
RebsGaming reported that the rumor first started last month, when journalist Jez Corden said he'd heard Microsoft might have Activision develop future "Halo" games.
According to a source RebsGaming describes as previously accurate on "Halo: Campaign Evolved" information, Microsoft has since been exploring a proposal to have Activision help develop "Halo" games, including having Sledgehammer Games contribute to a multiplayer title.
The source claims Activision began testing a prototype for that "Halo" pitch back in June, though development reportedly never advanced past the blockout phase, with only basic gameplay mechanics like player movement actually tested.
That prototype was canceled in early July. Importantly, canceling this specific pitch doesn't necessarily mean the broader partnership is dead, since RebsGaming's source claims Microsoft is still considering the collaboration even though no resulting project has been formally approved.
Sledgehammer to Have Made 'Halo' Multiplayer
Sledgehammer Games is best known within Activision for its work on "Call of Duty: WWII" and "Call of Duty: Vanguard," giving the studio a background rooted specifically in first-person shooter combat.
Bringing that experience over to a "Halo" multiplayer project would mark a notable crossover between two of Xbox's biggest shooter franchises, especially given how heavily Halo Studios has leaned on outsourcing across recent projects.
According to RebsGaming, Halo Studios relied on 15 different outsourced studios to complete "Halo: Campaign Evolved," including names like Certain Affinity, Virtuos, Ninja Theory, Turn 10 Studios, and Rare.
That same reliance on external development reportedly extended to Project Ekur, the other canceled "Halo" multiplayer effort, which RebsGaming says leaned on outsourcing even more heavily than prior "Halo" titles (via GameRant).
Many 'Halo' Plans Were Canceled
This Sledgehammer-linked prototype is reportedly separate from "Project Ekur," another unannounced "Halo" multiplayer project that was also canceled in July after cycling through several different concepts.
"Ekur" itself evolved from Certain Affinity's earlier "Project Tatanka," which originally began as a battle royale concept built on the Slipspace engine before getting reworked multiple times.
This project eventually shifted to using the Unreal Engine platform for the extraction shooter before reverting back to battle royale and finally being scrapped entirely.
Reports have suggested "Ekur's" cancellation followed market research showing most "Halo" fans didn't actually want a battle royale experience, favoring a full classic "Halo" game instead.
Development resources tied to Ekur were reportedly redirected toward finishing "Halo: Campaign Evolved," which itself launched without traditional PvP multiplayer.
Together, these repeatedly scrapped prototypes illustrate just how many different multiplayer directions Xbox has quietly explored for "Halo" without ever committing to and announcing a true successor to "Infinite," leaving the franchise's competitive future still very much undecided.
