E3 2018: 10 Xbox-Saving Announcements Microsoft Must Make
2. Halo 6
It's going to happen, there's no doubt about that. The real question is when.
Halo 5: Guardians is now pushing three years of age, and besides continued post-launch multiplayer support for Master Chief's fifth outing, 343 Industries has to have been spending the rest of its resources ensuring the final part in its trilogy is up to snuff.
The franchise doesn't demand the same level of hype as it once did (see: Halo 3's gargantuan publicity campaign), but some modicum of popularity drop-off over time is to be expected. Halo is as important to Xbox now arguably more than it ever has been, given Microsoft's well-documented struggles, and 6's announcement in itself would remedy the feeling of drought.
Chances are, Microsoft will pull back the curtain on how 343 plans to give John and Cortana's dysfunctional relationship closure, but it'll ultimately live and die on the success of its multiplayer. If the whispers hold any truth, 343 could well be planning to offer a battle royale mode as part of its online suite, and the world knows how surreally successful both Pubg and Fortnite have become in less than a year.