For several months now,Halofans have long awaited for official details about the next majorHalogame asHalo Infinitenears its four-year anniversary. While it’s still unknown if the nextHalogame will beHalo7or the rumoredHalo: Combat Evolvedremake, CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer did suggest that aHalogame will release in 2026 with the “… return of a classic…” at Xbox Games Showcase 2025. On top of this supposed release window, Halo Studios recently announced new details of the novelHalo: Edge of Dawn: A Master Chief Story, which may reveal details ofHalo 7once it’s published in December.
Halo: Edge of Dawn Explained
Initially teased at the Halo World Championship 2024 and later officially announced in early January 2025,Halo: Edge of Dawn: A Master Chief Storyis the 38thHalonovel ever published. The sixthHalonovel written by Kelly Gay,Edge of Dawnis slated to take place shortly after the end ofHalo Infinite’s campaign, centering around the continued journey ofMaster Chief, The Weapon, and Fernando Esparza. Still set in 2560,Edge of Dawnfollows Master Chief continuing to fight off Banished forces as he struggles to regroup UNSCInfinitysurvivors and search for the missing combat medic Lucas Browning.
Browning may be familiar to players who collected all ofHalo Infinite’s audio logs, as Browning was captured by the Banished and later forced to release theXalanyn known as the Harbingerfrom her Cylix. Shortly after the Harbinger’s revival, Browning was tortured at Chak ‘Lok’s Tower and the House of Reckoning.
While surviving Spartan-4 Nina Kovan planned on rescuing Browning, as seen in Gay’s previousHalobook,Halo: The Rubicon Protocol, the combat medic was driven insane by secrets told to him by the Harbinger at the House of Reckoning. According toEdge of Dawn’s synopsis, Browning is stated to still be alive and possibly holds the key to unlocking deeper mysteries within Zeta Halo.
The Antagonist of Halo: Edge of Dawn
Master Chief, The Weapon, Fernando Esparza, and Lucas Browning aren’t the only returningHalo Infinitecharacters inEdge of Dawn, however, as they will all be hunted by the BanishedSangheili cyborg blademaster Jega ‘Rdomnai. Originally considered to be dead at the end ofInfinite,Edge of Dawnreveals that ‘Rdomnai survived his fight against Master Chief and is “… hellbent on vengeance” for the Spartan’s killing of Banished War Chief Escharum. Based on the deaths of Escharum, the Hand of Atriox, and most Bloodstars, ‘Rdomnai may assume control of the remaining Banished forces on Zeta Halo and issue them all to prioritize the elimination of Master Chief.
How Halo: Edge of Dawn Could Reveal Details of Halo 7
WithHalo: Edge of Dawnbeing a direct follow-up toHalo Infinite’s campaign, its events may reveal details aboutHalo 7’s narrative as well as potential gameplay aspects. In a recent Halo Waypoint article showcasingEdge of Dawn’s cover art, Halo Studios compares the upcoming book to 2003’sHalo: First Strike. This book took place immediately after theevents ofHalo: Combat Evolvedand explained how Master Chief, Cortana, and Sergeant Avery Johnson made their way back to Earth just before the beginning ofHalo 2.First Strikealso debuted several aspects that would go on to be featured inHalo 2, such as the Brutes making their first appearance in the 2003 novel.
IfEdge of Dawnis structured similarly toFirst Strike, details from the book could potentially go on to appear in the next mainlineHalogame. For instance, Halo Studios recommends people readRubicon Protocolbefore readingEdge of Dawn, suggesting that Kovan and possibly Spartan-4 Tomas Horvath may appear inHalo 7. With the tease of Browning having connections to Zeta Halo’s mysteries,Edge of Dawnmay leadMaster Chief to encounter Atrioxand the Endless to directly set upHalo 7’s main conflict.Edge of Dawnmay even set up smaller details forHalo 7, such as finally revealing The Weapon’s newfound name and a potential release date of late 2026 based on howFirst Strikewas published a year beforeHalo 2’s release.
Similar toHalo: First Strike,Halo Infinite’s events were set up by a prior novel in the form of 2020’sHalo: Shadows of Reach.
