Halo's Endless Finally Revealed, But Will Activision Use Them?

Ever wonder what the Endless actually look like? Well, wonder no more – but prepare for some mixed feelings.

The Endless, Halo's mysterious new enemy faction, have finally been fully revealed. The big reveal came in the latest – and now last – issue of the lore-focused Canon Fodder blog, written by Halo Studios community writer Alex Wakeford. It's a parting gift to the community, as Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) is being restructured. Last month, Xbox's Matt Booty announced that Halo is under new management, with the next game being handled by a completely new team under Activision. Halo Studios will remain as a small team to oversee already-released titles like Halo: Campaign Evolved, but the majority of the studio – 268 people – have been laid off.

In that final blog, Wakeford gave us a glimpse of what the future of Halo might have looked like under Halo Studios. Alongside a look at Zeta Halo environments that may have been planned for Halo Infinite DLC, we got our first full look at the Endless. This alien race was teased in Halo Infinite via the Harbinger, a member of an advanced race imprisoned by the Forerunners on Zeta Halo because they could survive the firing of the Halo rings. In the blog, the Endless are referred to as the Xalanyn, children of Abaddon. Wakeford doesn't elaborate further, but says he hopes the image will 'spark your imagination and let your canon curiosities run wild with endless questions.'

So what do they look like? Each member of the Endless looks wildly different. Some appear vaguely humanoid, while others look more like sea creatures. Every Endless member appears alongside a smaller creature that resembles their Endless counterpart – almost like a built-in sidekick. The Harbinger appears alongside a Skimmer, a new enemy type from Halo Infinite. Interestingly, an Engineer – an alien race used by the Covenant in previous Halo games – appears alongside a similar-looking Endless. This implies the Engineers themselves were created or in some way linked to the Endless. It all points to the Endless being a potential replacement for the Covenant, with each Endless supplying a smaller enemy type for Master Chief to battle.

Unfortunately, this may be Halo fans' first and last look at the Endless. According to Halo insider Rebs Gaming, nobody at Halo Studios is currently involved in Activision's new Halo. Activision may completely disregard Halo Studios' work in favor of a clean slate. However, Rebs does state that Activision's game, while not a direct sequel to Halo Infinite, also won't 'retcon any previously established canon.' So there's a sliver of hope that the Endless aren't completely forgotten.

This all comes as Xbox CEO Asha Sharma has put a renewed emphasis on big franchises as part of her 'Xbox reset' strategy. That strategy has seen widespread layoffs, game cancellations, and studio divestitures. Halo's move to Activision is just one part of that larger shake-up.

So, what do you think? Are you hoping the Endless make a comeback under Activision, or is it time for a fresh start? Let us know in the comments!