Halo game development doesn't include generative AI, says Microsoft insider

Halo fans have been up in arms since the report surfaced about the developers behind the two new Halo games scheduled to release next year, "heavily" using generative AI throughout to create the games. However, that seems not to be the case, or at least for now.

The latest development in the story comes from Windows Central executive editor Jez Corden, who previously revealed the now-released Xbox Ally and Ally X ahead of launch, and is a known Microsoft insider. According to Corden, Halo development doesn't involve generative AI in its game development, which includes art assets. Moreover, Corden writes that Microsoft doesn't have a mandate in place that forces studios under its expansive umbrella to use generative AI throughout their game development.

However, Corden says that he is "sure" it's being used for emails and other menial stuff like that, but "they're not making a gen AI game here." Rebs Gaming, the original source that initially claimed gen AI was being used in the next Halo game responded to these comments by Corden with screenshots of a job listing for a Halo Studios senior AI engineer, which states in its description, "Design and implement scalable and efficient solutions that leverage generative AI and ML (Machine Learning) to augment in-game experiences and to improve how we make games."

At the moment, neither Microsoft nor Halo Studios has confirmed if generative AI is being used in the upcoming Halo projects, so all of this remains rumored. The recent report about Microsoft using AI to generate the next two Halo games was misunderstood, with the source now putting the record straight.