The Halo franchise has been the flagship series for Microsoft since it first launched alongside the original Xbox. Transforming the landscape of first-person shooters on consoles, when Halo: Combat Evolved first hit way back in 2001 it was a revelation. Nearly twelve years later the series continues to be one of the most popular franchises.

Microsoft clearly has big plans for the series and is hoping that Master Chief can continue to be one of the faces of the Xbox One. At E3, 343 Industries showcased a teaser trailer during the Xbox Media Briefing featuring a desert-torn and hooded Master Chief coming face to face with what appeared to be a humongous Promethean avatar. It was first assumed that this was a cinematic trailer for Halo 5, but that was before Microsoft came out and said that it was a "thought piece" for the series. Now it seems that there is another twist in the tale and that the trailer actually could still be for the aforementioned Halo 5.

 

Axis Animation, the creators of the trailer, posted the Xbox One cinematic tease on their Facebook wall with one key difference - At the end of the trailer, the title card read 'Halo 5' (The trailer is now private, but you can catch it at All Games Beta), where as originally the trailer only read 'Halo'. It is entirely possible that this could have just been an earlier draft for the trailer and the '5' was taken off at a later date, although it is also entirely possible that we may indeed be getting a new core Halo game in 2014.

In related news, with many still unsure about what the game might actually be, it is not a surprise that there is even more uncertainty revolving around the game's story. In Halo 4, 343 managed to craft a more personal story between Chief and Cortana and it left many wondering where exactly the story could go next. It is possible that we may have our first indication. As pointed out by Destructoid, a description on Microsoft's own store reads:

In possession of a mysterious data chip, Petty Officer John-117, aka Master Chief, confronts a new battery of challenges and tests in a Herculean effort to stay alive in a galaxy where sentient life is mercilessly hunted.

Microsoft has since denied the description as "completely inaccurate and not provided by 343 or Microsoft", so it is perhaps to be taken with a grain of salt. We decided to share thanks to the "Halo 5" title leak. Either way, Master Chief is set to be gracing the Xbox One next year in some form. 343 Industries certainly showed that they know how to handle the series in Halo 4 and there will be hope they can continue their successes with the series' next instalment.

Halo will be available on the Xbox One in "2014".

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Source: Axis Animation, All Games Beta, Destructoid, Microsoft