Editing Halo: Starfighter

{{Title|''Halo: Starfighter''}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{Disambig header|the 343 Industries internal game pitch|space fighter craft in the ''Halo'' universe|space fighter}}
[[File:HaloStarfighter Concept.jpg|300px|right|thumb|Concept art for starfighter gameplay by Josh Kao.{{Ref/Reuse|Kao}}]]
{{Quote|This was a fun one. This is a mock up image of what a space fighting game would look like. A lot of the inspiration came from the Sabre Mission in Reach and how cool it would be to have that be a full game. Very early on during the development, we formed groups and had a week to make a playable prototypes of some of the things we would like to see in Halo. Can't remember everyone that participated but some were Ryan Roth, Brian May, David Heidhoff.|Josh Kao discussing the prototype.{{Ref/Reuse|Kao}}}}
'''''Halo: Starfighter'''''{{Ref/Twitter|Brian__May|1483195445618696195|Brian May|Quote=Also I think the pitch name was Halo: Starfighter? No planned tie-in to The Last Starfighter franchise as far as I know haha|D=18|M=01|Y=2022}} was one of [[343 Industries game jams|a number of internal pitches]] developed by a team within [[343 Industries]] early during the development timeframe of ''[[Halo Infinite]]'' (c.[[2015]]-[[2018]]). During this period, multiple teams were formed within 343 to spend a week making playable prototypes of potential fun ideas to take ''Halo'' gameplay in the future. The prototype was intended to take the concepts behind the [[FSS-1000 Sabre|Sabre]] space [[Space fighter|fighter]] combat section in the ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' campaign level [[Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace]] and expand upon them into a full game. Released concept art showcases a [[Space warfare|space battle]] between [[F-41 Broadsword]]s and {{Pattern|Is'belox|Banshee}}s with {{Class|Phoenix|colony ship}}s in the background.{{Ref/Site|Id=Kao|URL=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/mz3ZLd|Site=ArtStation|Page=343 Industries Team Pitch: Halo Star Fighter|D=17|M=01|Y=2022}}

The unveiling of this pitch by concept artist [[:Category:Images by Josh Kao|Josh Kao]] provides additional context to a poster showcased in a 343 Industries recruitment advertisement in [[2018#June|June 2018]].{{Ref/Twitter|Id=343iRecruitment|Halo|1006941228590514177|Halo|D=11|M=1|Y=2020}} The poster, partially-obscured, showcases a part of the word "Star" alongside what appears to be a [[UNSC]] [[pilot]] helmet overlaid on a [[Misriah Armory]] logo.

The Starfighter project was worked on by a number of 343 Industries staff including (though not limited to) Josh Kao, Ryan Roth, Brian May, Kevin Schmitt{{Ref/Twitter|Id=Schmitt|kevindschmitt|1483207173798707200|Kevin Schmitt|Quote=Wow, Nice to see this again. I was a part of that team. I think [Jeff Easterling] even wrote up some lore for it.|D=18|M=01|Y=2022}}{{Ref/Twitter|Id=Schmitt3|kevindschmitt|1647304344323391490|Kevin Schmitt|Quote=Highly doubt we will ever see Infinity again. People who went to E3 before 5 shipped were the only people to get close, but they didn’t know it. ;) I worked on Halo Starfighter. Just a hackathon project, no real dev time.|D=15|M=04|Y=2023}} and [[:Category:Images by David Heidhoff|David Heidhoff]],{{Ref/Reuse|Kao}} alongside writer [[Jeff Easterling]], who wrote some lore for the project.{{Ref/Reuse|Schmitt}}{{Ref/Twitter|Id=GrimInternal|GrimBrotherOne|1193733985291001859|Jeff Easterling|D=11|M=1|Y=2021|Quote=I'll look into it. I was on that project - was always an [internal]-only experiment, never meant for anything more. And whatever you are likely imagining is more than reality lol.}}{{Ref/Twitter|Id=GrimLightOfDay|GrimBrotherOne|1006942198653259777|Jeff Easterling|D=11|M=1|Y=2021|Quote=Ahhh.... didn't realize that snuck in there. lol. From a project I was part of that likely won't ever see the light of day unfortunately. Maybe one day. (hopefully Not Infinite)}} 

==Trivia==
When initially uploaded to ArtStation, Josh Kao named his post "Halo: Last Star Fighter" in reference to the 1984 film ''[[Wikipedia:The Last Starfighter|The Last Starfighter]]'',{{Ref/Reuse|Kao}} before later updating the post name to the project's proper title.{{Ref/Twitter|JoshKaoArt|1483209988734521348|Josh Kao|Quote=I changed the name on my artstation, I knew that probably wasn't the name but for some reason I thought it was last star fighter probably because of the franchise haha.|D=18|M=01|Y=2022}}

==Gallery==
===Confirmed artwork===
<gallery>
File:Cancelled Halo Project.png|The 343 Industries recruitment image which inadvertently revealed the prototype.
File:Cancelled Halo Project2.png|A close-up of the poster for the prototype in the aforementioned image.
File:HSF Concept Hangar boarding.jpg|Concept art for this project.
File:HSF Concept Broadsword action.jpg|Concept art for this pitch.
</gallery>

===Eric Will's concept explorations===
In 2018, then-343 Industries artist [[:Category:Images by Eric Will|Eric Will]] uploaded several pieces of concept art to his portfolio with a theme noticeably similar to that of ''Starfighter'', both watermarked as having been done in 2018. The posts were uploaded under the label of "Halo Expanded Universe Explorations", in a folder titled "[https://www.artstation.com/e_w/albums/978486 Halo Misc. Concept Art]" alongside other concept art for ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''. Given the non-public nature of ''Starfighter'' (which would not be discussed in any major way until 2022), it is possible that these illustrations were created for the prototype and uploaded under a fake premise for Will's own portfolio purposes - though no such confirmation currently exists. They may have been alternately produced for Will's own personal interest, or for one of the other many projects the studio undertakes internally.
<gallery>
File:HSF ReconFlight Concept.jpg|"Recon Flight".{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/n31o9|Site=ArtStation|Page="Recon Flight" / Halo expanded universe explorations|D=08|M=12|Y=2023}}
File:HSF UNSCRaiders Concept.jpg|A concept piece exploring potential designs for UNSC Marine raider [[UNSC Special Forces|special operating forces]].{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Gxdgz|Site=ArtStation|Page=Halo expanded universe explorations|D=08|M=12|Y=2023|Quote=Explorations for a spec-ops UNSC team fitting somewhere between a Marine and ODST.}}
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

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[[Category:Cancelled games]]
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