That will allow the title to be played on lower-end PCs, which are somewhat common in Russia. The game is also built atop the game engine that powered Halo 3 - a title that launched in 2007. According to 343, Halo Online was developed by partners Saber Interactive and Innova Systems.
That company developed Halo 4, the first installment in a new trilogy, and is currently working on Halo 5, which is slated to launch this year. Since then, Halo has been developed by 343 Industries. Before Bungie became independent again, the company had to hand over all rights to the Halo franchise to Microsoft. The game was developed by Bungie Software, which was subsequently acquired by Microsoft and then spun off in 2007. The first title in the franchise, Halo: Combat Evolved, launched on the Xbox in 2001. Halo, a first-person shooter that combines sci-fi with military combat, is one of the most popular game franchises in the world. The game also lacks a campaign - or single-player - mode and instead pits gamers against each other in a "space installation called Anvil" for multiplayer shoot-em-up.
For one, it's the first game in the franchise to be available for free and the first to only be available in Russia. Halo Online is unique in the Halo franchise. Players invited to join the title will be able to access it free of charge. The game will be available in a closed, invite-only beta and run exclusively on the PC. Halo Online will launch this spring in Russia, Microsoft-owned Halo developer 343 Industries announced Wednesday. The wildly popular game franchise Halo is going free, but if you're outside of Russia, don't expect to get your hands on it. Microsoft's Halo Online is coming to Russia this spring.