Although Fallout 4 is sure to give it a run for its money, many gamers are confident that Halo 5's launch will be the gaming event of the winter. Microsoft and 343 have been hyping the release with a mysterious Serial-style podcast and the prequel series Nightfall, but the original marketing plan was even more ambitious. Fans were originally expecting a Steven Spielberg-produced Halo TV series to launch this fall, but that project seems to have gone into hiding in recent months.

The series was rumored to live on Showtime and Xbox Live and would be totally unconnected to the Nightfall mini-series. The original plan was for the unnamed Halo Showtime series to debut alongside Halo 5 this fall and act as an additional cog in the massive Halo marketing machine. Fans were obviously thrilled when Spielberg's name name became associated with the first-person shooter series, but news about the project quickly dried up shortly after its reveal.

For the first time in months, someone connected to the project has spoken out to confirm it is still alive (in some capacity, at least). At the recent Television Critics Association press tour, IGN asked Showtime president David Nevins if he could offer any update on the Halo show. Here is what Nevins was able to share...

"It's still in development. Still in very active development."

IGN followed up with a question about when fans could expect to hear more details about the project, but that question was answered with a chuckle and "No time soon."

Although it is disappointing that the show won't be arriving any time in the near future, it is great news that the project is still in active development. Anyone who follows production of shows at places like Showtime or HBO knows that there is always the chance the project can get trashed or stuck in development hell for years. Launching the series at the same time as Halo 5 was always a lofty goal, so it's not too surprising that it missed its original mark. There will be plenty of Halo to keep gamers busy this winter, so hopefully the show won't be missed too much.

Although live action video game adaptations are usually a train wreck, the talent involved this time around makes it hard not to have faith. Showtime makes some amazing series and if Spielberg is still producing, Halo fans might be in for a really fantastic sci-fi adventure in the Halo universe.

Do you think the Halo series will eventually air on Showtime? Are you disappointed it won't launch this fall to coincide with the game's release? Let us know in the comments.

Halo 5: Guardians will release for Xbox One on October 27, 2015.

Source: IGN