This past week, as part of Comic-Con Microsoft and 343 Industries have released the first trailer for a new Halo animated series, Halo: The Fall of Reach. Based on the 2001 novel of the same name, by Erik Nylund, the series is set to tell the origin of the man that would become Master Chief and his team of fellow Spartan-II’s, Blue Team, just in time for that very team to take the spotlight this fall with Halo 5 Guardians.
Interviewed in a blog post on the Halo website, Franchise Development Director Frank O’Conner explained the three-act series is meant to be “effectively the origin story of much of what we understand to be the Halo universe.” Speaking to the timing of the series, he went on, “Guardians focuses so heavily on Blue Team in some ways, that we felt almost obligated to explain to players why these characters, who you’ll meet anew in the game anyway, are so important to the history of the series. And really, this is something we’ve always wanted to make, regardless of the timing.”
As for how the series will stand along side the book it is based on, Executive Producer Kiki Wolfkill explained, Fall of Reach “is an adaptation of the origin story of John and Blue Team that is firmly-grounded in both the novel and comics. As with any adaptation, we focused on how best to tell the story through the medium it is being retold through… Our goal is to bring John and Blue Team’s story to life in a different way both for those already familiar with the story and for those who may only know Master Chief as an armored Spartan.”
“I hope it will feel like coming home for those who already know the story,” Wolfkill continued, “like hearing a favorite tale by the campfire again but told from a new storyteller. For those who do not know the story, I hope it builds a new connection to our universe and to the man inside the Mjolnir.”
Halo: Fall of Reach will be included with premium versions of Halo 5 when the game launches October 27th. It will be available for standalone purchase a week later, though pricing hasn’t been announced yet. What do you think of the trailer? Interested to see Master Chief and Blue Team in all their animated glory? Let us know in the comments.