Veteran Designer Dan Gniady Joins 343 Industries to Helm Next Halo Installment

New talent steps in for the next Halo iteration

343 Industries has enlisted the talents of Dan Gniady, a former member of Bungie and Creative Assembly, as the new lead designer for the latest addition to the Halo franchise. This flagship Microsoft IP began under the stewardship of Bungie, before being handed to 343 Industries following the release of Halo 3. With recent teaser hints from Microsoft and recruiter listings by the developers, there is speculation about a sequel to the 2021 Halo: Infinite release.

Although Microsoft has held off officially announcing Halo 7, Halo: Infinite's most recent patch is the Tenrai IV Operation update, and there is a growing belief that Infinite is losing momentum with each new patch. Together with some fresh job openings from 343 Industries this March and rumors of Dan Gniady's recruitment, the conclusion that work on Halo 7 is underway is inevitable.

Gniady's journey to 343 Industries

As found on Gniady's LinkedIn, he is celebrating his new appointment. Previously he was the lead designer for Creative Assembly's cancelled Hyenas game and spent a full decade as a gameplay designer at Bungie. Gniady shared his excitement for the upcoming project, "After speaking with a ton of cool teams about rad projects I’m getting a shot to work with the Chief and friends. I love Halo and am very excited to be a part of adding to it’s legacy."

What We Know About Halo 7 so Far

The only known fact about the upcoming game is that Halo 7 will probably be built using Unreal Engine, as suggested by a job advert from the previous year. Microsoft has yet to confirm the seventh game in the primary Halo series. The plotline of Halo 7 could take numerous paths, the simplest one being the continuance of Halo: Infinite. However, fans will understandably need more official intel from 343 Industries or Microsoft regarding the future of Halo.

Halo is a science fiction first-person shooter under the umbrella of Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios. The franchise was originally developed by Bungie, but has since been transferred to 343 Industries. Subsequent installments have revolved around a struggle between man and various alien races over Halos, powerful weapons developed by an enigmatic species known as Forerunners. Since its inception in 2001 with Halo: Combat Evolved, the series has spun out into books, comic books, animations, live-action TV shows, and much more.