Halo has always been Microsoft's premier gaming franchise, and it's coming back in a big way for the Xbox Series X. After 2015's Halo 5: Guardians, Master Chief is returning for the very first time in a brand new campaign with Halo Infinite, taking place years after the events of Guardians.
Halo Infinite is one of two early exclusive Microsoft announced for the Xbox Series X, with the other being Senua's Saga: Hellblade 2. Very little details have been shared about Infinite, with the big reveal set for July 22, 2020. However, a new teaser shows Master Chief once again on an iconic Halo ring.
The new box art, which is heavily inspired by Halo: Combat Evolved, raises some big questions for the story of the game, like who the main villain is and what Halo ring the Master Chief is even on. Based on some prior information, however, there's one Halo installation that is the most likely.
Halo Infinite's Box Art Likely Shows Installation 07
Halo Infinite taking place on Installation 07 can be tied all the way back to the game's first reveal trailer. In the trailer, at one point, there's a message broadcasting over a radio. As Reddit user bolomk35 realized the message is actually morse code and spells out "SOS ZETA HARO GRD." Installation 07 is also known as the Zeta Halo, as it's the seventh of the seven remaining rings. The message is a distress signal likely sent by marines on the Zeta Halo, as the first trailer for Infinite did show a group of marines.
Interestingly, the Zeta Halo is the only ring remaining from the original installation and the only one constructed by the first Ark, not the lesser Ark at Installation 00. Halopedia has a ton of information on the Zeta Halo, and it's generally one of the biggest mysteries still existing in the Halo universe, so it makes sense that Infinite might explore it. The other piece of evidence to support all this is that the Halo Encylopedia says that Zeta Halo has a mostly desert-like topography, and the reveal trailer shows a good amount of a desert environment, including the scene that has the broadcasting radio. There's no way to know why Master Chief is on the Zeta Halo until Microsoft reveals it, but with the reflection in the Chief's helmet on the box art, it seems he's not the only one. Another very interesting note is that Zeta Halo could even be home to the Flood, as the Forerunners used many of the original Halos to house the parasitic organisms.
Halo Infinite launches Holiday 2020 for Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC.