'Halo 5: Guardians' Release Date Slated for 2015 - News Update

"Halo 5: Guardians," a game developed by 343 Industries, will be released by the fourth quarter of the year, an official of the game developer confirmed.

According to a report by The Christian Times, Bonnie Ross, general manager of 343 Industries, confirmed this through a blog post dated May 2014.

"Halo 5: Guardians" will reportedly be published by Microsoft Studios where Ross is also the general manager. The new game, which is obviously a sequel to "Halo 4", will be exclusively released to Xbox One users at 60 frames per second, The Christian Times reported.

Announcing the official release of the new game last May, IGN.com reported that "Halo 5" is a "bigger effort" than its predecessor, "Halo 4", taking into consideration the content, scope, and technology used in both games.

IGN.com quoted Ross as saying that some elements from prior games have been used in the new game but they have pushed for retooling the technology to make use of the hardware and ecosystem of the Xbox One, thus creating "worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen."

According to The Christian Times, "Halo 5: Guardians" revolves around the premise:

"In the far reaches of space, Mendicant Bias, an ancient forerunner AI and the leader of the Guardians awakens from his slumber. Meanwhile, Agent Locke and The Arbiter were tasked to find John 117 while he's gone missing in the Ark."

Meanwhile, iDigitalTimes reported that Frank O'Connor, franchise development director at 343 Industries, tried to allay confusion among fans, explaining in a game forum that Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 would remain as the "main character and hero" while Jameson Locke would be a "primary character."

Frank O'Connor also said in a online forum that the game will also have "plenty of strong female characters." This statement can be viewed at neogaf.com.

Aside from these, 343 earlier this year released at least two concept arts for "Halo 5" -- the first one released on January 9 and the second on May 16. Both of which were posted on Halo Waypoint, the official website for the Halo Universe.

Talks and rumors continued to arise after a promotional art of the new game circulated online, noted IGN. The photo carried a "blue-visored humanoid" placed above the game title, mirroring an inverted image of Master Chief. The mysterious figure remains unidentified.

The Christian Times said that the beta testing for the game is set on December. It will run until January next year. On a related development, a television series reportedly titled "Halo" is currently being filmed by famous director Steven Spielberg.