Sure thing, let’s dive into this. So, here we are, almost like, four years after throwing ourselves into the shoes—or maybe boots—of Master Chief, aka John-117. We battled it out against the Banished on Zeta Halo in “Halo Infinite’s” open-world saga. But guess what? We’re still kind of hanging on for that story’s wrap-up. Surprise, surprise, there’s talk about a sequel. But oh, plot twist: it’s not what you’re thinking.
Nope, it’s not another game. We’re talking about a novel—“Halo: The Edge of Dawn.” Yep, it’s from Kelly Gay, who apparently writes more Halo books than I have fingers. First heard whispers back in January, but all we got was a title and a nod that it’s got something to do with Master Chief. Fast forward to now, and Halo Studios (used to be 343 Industries) teased more details in their blog, Canon Fodder. Apparently, it’ll pick up where “Halo Infinite” left off. Let me attempt an official recap:
So, it’s 2560. After socking it to War Chief Escharum and leaving the Banished leadership in a complete mess, Master Chief is charging forward on Zeta Halo. He’s got this new AI buddy and a pilot who, for some reason, I imagine always has greasy hands, goes by Fernando Esparza. Anyway, Chief is on a mission to link up with scattered allies, but he’s not alone in the gripes department—a young combat medic is caught in the Banished’s web, as well as the Harbinger’s enigma. She might have secrets about this ringworld. But standing in the way is Jega ‘Rdomnai. Vengeance is like his middle name or something.
By now, I’m thinking — okay, okay, familiar faces like the AI companion, Master Chief, and The Pilot are back in action, but this combat medic? Her identity’s kinda still a puzzle. And ‘Rdomnai? It’s not his first showdown with the Chief—in the game, Master Chief kinda faced off with him and somehow ‘Rdomnai slipped away or vanished into thin air. Slippery dude.
What’s that? Oh, right, the book art. Chris McGrath cooked up some artwork—Master Chief cradling The Weapon with ‘Rdomnai creeping in the shadows, ready to unleash havoc with energy swords. Halo Studios chimed in, calming nerves by saying the story’s standalone. So, you won’t need to read it to grasp what’s unfolding in the next game.
As for the next game—total mystery. Something about Phil Spencer hinting at Xbox’s 25th birthday bash with a game release. Rumor has it we might get a revamped “Halo: Combat Evolved” in Unreal Engine 5, but could be totally off-base.
Either way, diving into “Halo: Edge of Dawn” might just be the ticket if you’re itching for more of the Halo Infinite universe. Seriously, Kelly Gay’s got some mad skills—this is her sixth Halo outing, taking us back with “Halo: Epitaph” and “Halo: The Rubicon Protocol.” Honestly, both are worth checking out, especially if you play “Halo Infinite” (Xbox Game Pass is your friend here).
So, mark those calendars—December 16, 2025. Preorders are open, with Kindle versions at $13.99 and paperbacks at $19. Am I gonna pre-order one? Maybe. Or I’ll forget until release day—who knows?