Halo Studios Reportedly Outsourced Campaign Evolved to 15 Studios, as Microsoft Weighs Involving Activision's Sledgehammer Games in the Process

Key Points:

• Halo Studios is increasingly relying on outsourced development for future projects, following extensive use of external studios on Halo: Campaign Evolved and the canceled multiplayer game Project Ekur, according to insider RebsGaming.
• Credits for Halo: Campaign Evolved reveal involvement from 15 different studios, with some handling major development areas end-to-end, such as Virtuos managing art production and Abstraction designing campaign missions.
• A separate report suggests Microsoft is exploring involving Activision, specifically Sledgehammer Games, in future Halo development, though an early prototype tested in June was canceled in July without a green light for further work.
• While outsourcing may speed up development and increase content output, concerns remain about Halo Studios' management of external partners, highlighted by inconsistencies in design elements like the Alpha Halo ring.
• Overall, Halo Studios is likely to continue outsourcing much of its development, but improvements in partner selection, oversight, and pipeline management are needed to enhance future game quality.