Microsoft’s gaming division, especially Xbox, is arguably going through one of its best periods in recent years. With the boost in Game Pass subscriptions following the Call of Duty and Activision acquisition, the company has experienced a surge in popularity. However, it has been revealed that Microsoft has canceled a game that PC players have awaited for nearly a decade. One of the rare Halo games exclusive to console, Halo 5: Guardians, seems unlikely to ever make its way to PC.

Why Was Halo 5: Guardians Canceled?

Tyler Owens, a build engineer at Halo Studios, has ended years of speculation with his statements. Owens shared on X (Twitter) that efforts for a PC version of Halo 5 were shelved due to technical issues. This announcement has been a major disappointment for fans who have been waiting for the game since 2014.

Released exclusively on Xbox consoles on October 27, 2015, Halo 5: Guardians, despite its controversial storyline, received positive feedback from both critics and players. The game grossed $400 million in its opening weekend, setting an impressive record, and managed to sell 5 million copies within a year, marking significant commercial success.

According to Owens, frame rate (FPS) issues in the PC port played a critical role in the project’s cancellation. The failure to overcome these technical challenges brought an end to the game that PC players had been eagerly awaiting. While other Halo games have successfully transitioned to PC, it seems Halo 5 will remain an exception.

This development serves as a reminder of how even the largest companies can face obstacles due to technical difficulties. Although Microsoft could potentially restart work on a PC port today with improved methods, the missed ‘hype train’ may have dissuaded the company from revisiting the idea.

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