I’m starting this topic out of curiosity of the future of the Halo franchise after Infinite and possibly Master Chief. I am also interested to hear everyone else’s opinions on this topic. Weather infinite is the last game in the Halo franchise or not and if it’s the Chief’s last game. If this ends the reclaimer saga and chief’s story I personally do not anymore halo games based after the events of infinite. I would like to see other games based in the past like the covenant war with Chief’s perspective throughout his time in the entire war or other characters. Or maybe even further back like the human and forerunner war or the flood and forerunner war. Maybe play as the forerunner who fired the halo rings for the first time. If they do plan on making games based after the events of infinite I would not want to keep playing as chief. I am a huge fan of the chief but the guy deserves a break or a peaceful retirement. I hope it would be based so far into the future that all known characters have passed away. But personally I would like for 343 to focus more on the past after Infinite if it concludes everything. So that’s my topic. Feel free to post your opinions on the subject.
Personally, I want to see chief’s arc ending in one of these ways:
- Chief dies heroically (which might be about to happen sooner than we think)
- There is , finally, peace in the galaxy and chief decides to retire. Cortana is alive and is in the good side. Chief and Cortana throughout their journey,develops romantic-ish relationship . And after masterchief retires, Halsey (if alive) somehow manages to turn Cortana into human and Cortana and chief spend rest of their together.
- Ring is activated and the series is rebooted.
I really want one of these to happen sooner or later. Tho infinite is said to be last halo game for the next 10 years . So dlcs are confirmed at this point. So I am afraid that we will see any big moments in infinite’s base game.
I think that, if Infinite is Chief’s last game, the game should end with Chief taking off his helmet and the camera moving to show his face
I’m down for something around the forerunner human war time frame.
More spinoffs like ODST would be fun or even have a game from the covenant’s perspective.
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> If they do plan on making games based after the events of infinite I would not want to keep playing as chief. I am a huge fan of the chief but the guy deserves a break or a peaceful retirement. I hope it would be based so far into the future that all known characters have passed away. But personally I would like for 343 to focus more on the past after Infinite if it concludes everything.
Chief is getting old within the storyline, but they could get around that in any number of in-universe ways. Have him find some Forerunner age-reversal tech that puts him back at like 20 years old, physically. Or have him get cloned and then do a Jango/Boba Fett thing where old Chief dies and we play as young Chief but he’s really the same as old Chief because he’s a clone and he had a similar upbringing. Just use your imagination.
I don’t see why they would need to finish off Chief and then forever limit themselves to making Chief-less spin-offs, or games set in Chief’s past. I think it would be kind of silly if they did that, to be honest.
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> Chief is getting old within the storyline
I actually don’t think so. Johnson was 75 when he died in combat, and he could still pull a punch, without the use of cybernetic armor. Chief isn’t even 50 yet, and his genetic augmentations were far more advanced than those Johnson went through.
The much bigger problem would be Steve Downes, Chief’s voice actor, getting too old…
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> I actually don’t think so. Johnson was 75 when he died in combat, and he could still pull a punch, without the use of cybernetic armor. Chief isn’t even 50 yet, and his genetic augmentations were far more advanced than those Johnson went through.
Oh, I didn’t know that stuff. Well anyway, whenever Chief does get old, I’m sure they can think of a way to keep him around for the games.
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> The much bigger problem would be Steve Downes, Chief’s voice actor, getting too old…
It happens to the best of us 
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> > Chief is getting old within the storyline
>
> I actually don’t think so. Johnson was 75 when he died in combat, and he could still pull a punch, without the use of cybernetic armor. Chief isn’t even 50 yet, and his genetic augmentations were far more advanced than those Johnson went through.
>
> The much bigger problem would be Steve Downes, Chief’s voice actor, getting too old…
I don’t see it as such a big issue to be honest.
The latest God Of War also changed their voice actor without a heavy or better said lasting impact in the community.
I get it, Steve Downes the man, but he’s not the only man.
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> > 2535431696101475;1:
> > If they do plan on making games based after the events of infinite I would not want to keep playing as chief. I am a huge fan of the chief but the guy deserves a break or a peaceful retirement. I hope it would be based so far into the future that all known characters have passed away. But personally I would like for 343 to focus more on the past after Infinite if it concludes everything.
>
> Chief is getting old within the storyline, but they could get around that in any number of in-universe ways. Have him find some Forerunner age-reversal tech that puts him back at like 20 years old, physically. Or have him get cloned and then do a Jango/Boba Fett thing where old Chief dies and we play as young Chief but he’s really the same as old Chief because he’s a clone and he had a similar upbringing. Just use your imagination.
>
> I don’t see why they would need to finish off Chief and then forever limit themselves to making Chief-less spin-offs, or games set in Chief’s past. I think it would be kind of silly if they did that, to be honest.
Shoehorning the franchise into only being about one character is just as silly, frankly. Especially in a universe where there’s a wide variety of lore. Especially because all of the attempts listed here are almost as bad as time travel shenanigans and just reek of desperation.
Like, I get it, Chief’s a cool dude, but everyone’s story has to end sometime-I’d be saying the same thing if the story was about the Arbiter or the Rookie or any number of other characters. Just puppeting them around as a relic ‘But we still got this main character because insert incredibly convenient reason’ is one of the chief criticisms of several sci-fi franchises. After a while, the character just gets old, and that’s okay. It’s okay to move on.
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> > > 2535431696101475;1:
> > > If they do plan on making games based after the events of infinite I would not want to keep playing as chief. I am a huge fan of the chief but the guy deserves a break or a peaceful retirement. I hope it would be based so far into the future that all known characters have passed away. But personally I would like for 343 to focus more on the past after Infinite if it concludes everything.
> >
> > Chief is getting old within the storyline, but they could get around that in any number of in-universe ways. Have him find some Forerunner age-reversal tech that puts him back at like 20 years old, physically. Or have him get cloned and then do a Jango/Boba Fett thing where old Chief dies and we play as young Chief but he’s really the same as old Chief because he’s a clone and he had a similar upbringing. Just use your imagination.
> >
> > I don’t see why they would need to finish off Chief and then forever limit themselves to making Chief-less spin-offs, or games set in Chief’s past. I think it would be kind of silly if they did that, to be honest.
>
> Shoehorning the franchise into only being about one character is just as silly, frankly. Especially in a universe where there’s a wide variety of lore. Especially because all of the attempts listed here are almost as bad as time travel shenanigans and just reek of desperation.
>
> Like, I get it, Chief’s a cool dude, but everyone’s story has to end sometime-I’d be saying the same thing if the story was about the Arbiter or the Rookie or any number of other characters. Just puppeting them around as a relic ‘But we still got this main character because insert incredibly convenient reason’ is one of the chief criticisms of several sci-fi franchises. After a while, the character just gets old, and that’s okay. It’s okay to move on.
Looking at characters like Mario, Link, Alucard from Castlevania, Kratos from GOW and many others,
I’d say that assumption is highly debatable and really only depends on the creativity of the writers to provide
interesting and impactful stories and adventures which the character has to go through.
Apart from that, also looking at the Mario and Castlevania Franchises,
the main character doesn’t necessarily need to be put aside for good to have room for other characters to shine.
EDIT: And apart from those two things,
343i even tried already to establish another main character with Locke,
but we all know how it turned out.
Point is, the majority wants to keep the chief and thus he won’t go anywhere soon,
but that doesn’t mean there can’t be spin-offs a la Reach and ODST with
other characters as main protagonists.
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> > > > 2535431696101475;1:
> > > > If they do plan on making games based after the events of infinite I would not want to keep playing as chief. I am a huge fan of the chief but the guy deserves a break or a peaceful retirement. I hope it would be based so far into the future that all known characters have passed away. But personally I would like for 343 to focus more on the past after Infinite if it concludes everything.
> > >
> > > Chief is getting old within the storyline, but they could get around that in any number of in-universe ways. Have him find some Forerunner age-reversal tech that puts him back at like 20 years old, physically. Or have him get cloned and then do a Jango/Boba Fett thing where old Chief dies and we play as young Chief but he’s really the same as old Chief because he’s a clone and he had a similar upbringing. Just use your imagination.
> > >
> > > I don’t see why they would need to finish off Chief and then forever limit themselves to making Chief-less spin-offs, or games set in Chief’s past. I think it would be kind of silly if they did that, to be honest.
> >
> > Shoehorning the franchise into only being about one character is just as silly, frankly. Especially in a universe where there’s a wide variety of lore. Especially because all of the attempts listed here are almost as bad as time travel shenanigans and just reek of desperation.
> >
> > Like, I get it, Chief’s a cool dude, but everyone’s story has to end sometime-I’d be saying the same thing if the story was about the Arbiter or the Rookie or any number of other characters. Just puppeting them around as a relic ‘But we still got this main character because insert incredibly convenient reason’ is one of the chief criticisms of several sci-fi franchises. After a while, the character just gets old, and that’s okay. It’s okay to move on.
>
> Looking at characters like Mario, Samus Aran from Metroid, Alucard from Castlevania, Kratos from GOW and so on and so forth.
> I’d say that assumption is highly debatable and really only depends on the creativity of the writers to provide
> interesting and impactful stories and adventures which the character has to go through.
>
> Apart from that, also looking at the Mario and Castlevania Franchises,
> the main character doesn’t necessarily need to be put aside for good to have room for other characters to shine.
Honestly, I’m more raging against the idea of keeping Chief around through largely contrived means. Mario’s a cartoon more or less, Kratos is a literal god, Samus is an incredibly powerful genetic chimera, and Alucard is a Dhampir-all of them have legitimate reasons to still be around in the capacity that they are. But Chief being kept around through narratively lazy means-fountains of youth such as ‘clones’ and ‘Magical Forerunner age reversal’ are typically extensively shoehorned where they don’t fit, and don’t flow as naturally as the above examples.
Even having Chief die by tripping on a rock would be a more respectable fate.
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> > > 2535462145233570;10:
> > > > 2533274904158628;6:
> > > > > 2535431696101475;1:
> > > > > If they do plan on making games based after the events of infinite I would not want to keep playing as chief. I am a huge fan of the chief but the guy deserves a break or a peaceful retirement. I hope it would be based so far into the future that all known characters have passed away. But personally I would like for 343 to focus more on the past after Infinite if it concludes everything.
> > > >
> > > > Chief is getting old within the storyline, but they could get around that in any number of in-universe ways. Have him find some Forerunner age-reversal tech that puts him back at like 20 years old, physically. Or have him get cloned and then do a Jango/Boba Fett thing where old Chief dies and we play as young Chief but he’s really the same as old Chief because he’s a clone and he had a similar upbringing. Just use your imagination.
> > > >
> > > > I don’t see why they would need to finish off Chief and then forever limit themselves to making Chief-less spin-offs, or games set in Chief’s past. I think it would be kind of silly if they did that, to be honest.
> > >
> > > Shoehorning the franchise into only being about one character is just as silly, frankly. Especially in a universe where there’s a wide variety of lore. Especially because all of the attempts listed here are almost as bad as time travel shenanigans and just reek of desperation.
> > >
> > > Like, I get it, Chief’s a cool dude, but everyone’s story has to end sometime-I’d be saying the same thing if the story was about the Arbiter or the Rookie or any number of other characters. Just puppeting them around as a relic ‘But we still got this main character because insert incredibly convenient reason’ is one of the chief criticisms of several sci-fi franchises. After a while, the character just gets old, and that’s okay. It’s okay to move on.
> >
> > Looking at characters like Mario, Samus Aran from Metroid, Alucard from Castlevania, Kratos from GOW and so on and so forth.
> > I’d say that assumption is highly debatable and really only depends on the creativity of the writers to provide
> > interesting and impactful stories and adventures which the character has to go through.
> >
> > Apart from that, also looking at the Mario and Castlevania Franchises,
> > the main character doesn’t necessarily need to be put aside for good to have room for other characters to shine.
>
> Honestly, I’m more raging against the idea of keeping Chief around through largely contrived means. Mario’s a cartoon more or less, Kratos is a literal god, Samus is an incredibly powerful genetic chimera, and Alucard is a Dhampir-all of them have legitimate reasons to still be around in the capacity that they are. But Chief being kept around through narratively lazy means-fountains of youth such as ‘clones’ and ‘Magical Forerunner age reversal’ are typically extensively shoehorned where they don’t fit, and don’t flow as naturally as the above examples.
>
> Even having Chief die by tripping on a rock would be a more respectable fate.
Then all 343i has to do is think up a way to keep him but also respect him as that what he is -
a genetically enhanced supersoldier who is supposed to be effective in combat
to an age of at least a 100 years because of his augmentations.
He’s not even in his 50’s now, the time he spend in cryo sleep not brought into that calculation.
Really, there’s no valid reason to put someone like the Master Chief to rest in the upcoming ten years,
apart just for the sake of it of course.
I wouldn’t even argue if he would have been just another video game character
but the Master Chief’s “outgrown” himself in the last almost 20 years, he’s not only for the Halo franchise in particular
but for the Xbox as a whole an icon just like Mario is an Nintendo icon and Kratos is a PS icon.
His reasons to stay around for a long while to come are just as legitimate as are theirs.
With how 343 talks about this game being a spiritual reboot, I doubt they’d get rid of Chief after introducing fans that just joined to him. That said, Halo Infinite is supposed to be this “10 year plan” platform, so Infinite could very well last for a long time. Maybe after then I could possibly see Chief being retired, but if there is a mainline Halo 7 after its all said n’ done, I think Chief would remain as the playable character.
We haven’t seen how long a Spartan can live with the benefits of the augmentations (Especially from the Spartan-II program), since they keep going missing in action. With the fact that Johnson lived as long as he did as a result of the Orion program, it wouldn’t surprise me if they kept Chief around for a great long time. They might even start asking “How old can this guy get?” in canon, as comparatively normal soldiers and civilians grow into adulthood hearing stories about the last Spartan-II from the Covenant War and so on, from their childhoods. John-117 would become this mythical figure which would seem like a true god of war, a hero of the human race, this seemingly immortal soldier.
Now, I’m not saying I think they’ll go this way, or take him to such a level as “Regular guy turned pseudo-religious icon of warfare”, but we haven’t seen what they can do with a Spartan-II that sticks around.
Spartans never die, they are only missing in action
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> Shoehorning the franchise into only being about one character is just as silly, frankly. Especially in a universe where there’s a wide variety of lore. Especially because all of the attempts listed here are almost as bad as time travel shenanigans and just reek of desperation.
>
> Like, I get it, Chief’s a cool dude, but everyone’s story has to end sometime-I’d be saying the same thing if the story was about the Arbiter or the Rookie or any number of other characters. Just puppeting them around as a relic ‘But we still got this main character because insert incredibly convenient reason’ is one of the chief criticisms of several sci-fi franchises. After a while, the character just gets old, and that’s okay. It’s okay to move on.
Nobody is saying Chief should be shoehorned into every single Halo game ever. I very much enjoyed the games that didn’t have Chief (specifically ODST and Reach).
I was only saying I don’t think they should retire him or kill him off, and then permanently lose the ability to ever make a Halo game that continues his story. That’s not the same as saying he should be shoehorned into places where he doesn’t belong. I just think it’s best when they can potentially make both games with Chief and games without Chief.
> 2535462145233570;12:
> Honestly, I’m more raging against the idea of keeping Chief around through largely contrived means. Mario’s a cartoon more or less, Kratos is a literal god, Samus is an incredibly powerful genetic chimera, and Alucard is a Dhampir-all of them have legitimate reasons to still be around in the capacity that they are. But Chief being kept around through narratively lazy means-fountains of youth such as ‘clones’ and ‘Magical Forerunner age reversal’ are typically extensively shoehorned where they don’t fit, and don’t flow as naturally as the above examples.
>
> Even having Chief die by tripping on a rock would be a more respectable fate.
I agree that those narratively lazy ideas for keeping Chief around for longer are kind of dumb and contrived. But the question is whether they’re dumber than retiring/killing off Chief, and then forever being unable to ever make a game that continues his story.
Forever is a very long time. Much longer than the mere two decades that the Halo franchise has been in existence so far. And all that time should never have any Halo game with a new chapter in Chief’s adventures? I think that would be dumber than keeping his character alive with whatever contrived means may be necessary (which, to be fair, is also dumb, just not as dumb as the other thing, in my opinion).
Definitely not the last Halo game. And I personally think it’s pointless to speculate as to what’s gonna happen after Infinite, when we don’t even know what’s going to happen in the base story, let alone in all the content they add over the next 10 years.
If and when Chief’s time comes I think it needs to be done with Halo 7. This would be the most Halo thing ever. I feel 343 needs to follow the 7 rule a lot more just in general, but obviously not drown the games with it. Now with that aside, I would personally love to see some spin off games. Past, present, or future. If Infinites done right then I think spin offs would be able to be very succesful. Bonnie Ross has stated spin offs are something they would like to do and explore.
My top three topics that would be awesome to explore in a new game would be another ODST style game, a Marine game as long as its handled like Halo and not CoD, and I would personally like to see Thorne get a new and fresh story arch outside of Spartan Ops. Although, I will say that if 343 wants to suite the faster gameplay of modern fps games and go into loadouts and weapon customization, something like CoD to be frank, the Marine one would be the way to do it. I’d play it either way. I think it would be a really intrigueing experience. I’d suggest letting another studio handle it though because fans would probably get mad even with a different targeted audience, or at least state straight off the bat what the game is gonna be built for.
A final random idea I’ve always thought would also be cool is some kind of Halo horrour game. Something with maybe the flood or from the perspective of a person on a planet being glassed and hunted down by Elites. Aside from that it’d be neat to have a game focused around the player character again like in Reach as well.
I still want to see the Halo spin off video games happening in future Halo installments. There is a lot of stories they can tell in the Halo spin off video games. I still want to see the Sword of Sanghelios spin off video game where Arbiter and Rtas 'Vadum are the main characters. I really want to see the Sword of Sanghelios spin off video game going in a style of The Last Samurai and Ghost of Tsushima especially if there is Energy Sword duels. At the same time, I want to see a new Halo ODST video game happening in future Halo video games. I can see the new Halo ODST video game that is set during the events from Halo Wars 1 and Halo Reach.