No, Halo isn't being fully made by AI, insider clarifies what's really going on

Recent reports set the Halo fanbase ablaze when it was passed around that Microsoft will be using generative AI technology to make the two new games being developed.

The two new Halo games are a remake of the original Halo Combat Evolved, with an overhaul of mechanics that should bring it up to the expectations of games released in 2025, and a new multiplayer-focused title that is reportedly "like Fortnite" in terms of its approach to live-service. Both of these games are set to release sometime in 2026.

While that is exciting news for Halo fans, things took a turn when new reports sourced from YouTuber RebsGaming claimed the leaker heard from sources that Microsoft's generative AI was being used to develop both of the games. Automatically, that came with a negative connotation, given the general sentiment on AI-generated artwork. The source told RebsGaming that "Generative AI is apparently woven into every aspect of development, such as enemy AI and terrain generation."

• Read more: Report: Generative AI is being heavily used to make new Halo games, including Halo CE Remake

Adding, "I think what they're mostly doing is using AI to make that and then touching up the work with human hands. Also, developers are expected to meet similar to quicker deadlines and the only means to do so is through the use of AI, whether that's mundane tasks like scheduling things or writing emails, all the way to actual game development."

For those stressing if the next Halo titles will be AI-generated slop, RebsGaming has since posted on his personal X account, writing, "Many people are misinterpreting what I reported as if it directly confirms AI is being used in all the wrong ways and Halo is doomed. I did NOT report that. I have begun reaching out to sources to figure out specifics about how Halo Studios is using generative AI. Also, using AI in game development isn't new, but using it in negative ways is becoming an industry-wide issue. I'll talk about this in my next video."

RebsGaming has since pointed to a few examples of Microsoft including AI within the development of the Halo franchise, such as a Halo Studios Senior AI Engineer job listing from last year that states the following in the description, "Design and implement scalable and efficient solutions that leverage GENERATIVE Al and ML to augment in-game experiences and to improve how we make games."

So, what does this mean? It means exactly what RebsGaming reported: generative AI is being used in the development of Halo, but that doesn't mean the entire game is generated with AI, just that it's being used somewhere in the development process, and in a way that speeds up the development process.

The optimistic perspective would be that gen AI is being used to carry out the tedious tasks that would originally take up quite a lot of time, freeing up those developers to work on something more important. An example of this would be instead of a team of developers working on terrain/environments from start to finish, they are using generative AI to create the foundation for what the team can touch up and change, saving time in the long run.

A pessimistic outlook is AI's involvement means the entire game is generated using AI, and because of that Halo is doomed.