Bungie building new engine for Activision project

Halo studio Bungie is edging into production on new internal tech for its next ten-year Activision project, the studio has confirmed.

Studio communications manager Brian Jarrard revealed in an interview with Develop the studio will not be licensing a third-party engine to develop its new game, despite Activision’s relaxed rules on the matter.

Instead Bungie will build new tech from the ground up for its next ten-year franchise – one that will, presumably, weather the turbulence of an industry shift to the next generation of consoles.

“I think it goes hand-in-hand with our independent spirit,” Jarrard said.

“Just like we don’t want to develop a game off someone else’s IP, we want to push our own technology in the same way. That’s going to be our position for the foreseeable future”

Bungie shocked the world in April this year by announcing a landmark, ten-year, multiplatform publishing partnership with Activision. Its newest project is shrouded in secrecy, for now.

“Yeah, [the new engine is] actually in development, so I would say it’s in a stage where, technically we’re still at the end of a pre-production mode,” Jarrard said.

“But now that Reach is done the full weight of our team is rolling into the project. Real work is underway.”

Bungie’s workforce has climbed over 180 staff. Its final Halo title, Reach, launches tomorrow.