Halo Infinite Box Art Looks Like Combat Evolved Cover

It’s been more than two years since Halo Infinite, the next big chapter in the acclaimed sci-fi shooter series, was revealed by Microsoft at E3 2018. While Microsoft has kept pretty quiet about the game since then, fans are finally going to learn way more about the game during an Xbox Series X games showcase on July 23. As the flagship of the next-gen console, Halo Infinite will be front and center.

Ahead of the story and gameplay reveals, Microsoft has dropped our first look at Halo Infinite‘s box art, and let’s just say that it’s more than a tad familiar. Not only does it place Master Chief back on a Halo ring for the first time in quite a while but it basically recreates the cover of the very first game from 2001, Halo: Combat Evolved.

Check it out for yourself:

Video game art has certainly changed quite a bit in the last two decades, as what the Halo Infinite cover basically gives us is a high-def version of the Combat Evolved box art. First off, there’s the Halo ring in the background, with Master Chief in the foreground, as assault rifle at the ready. We also see ships flying overhead as well as Forerunner structures, all features that made the cover for the original game such an interesting sight on store shelves.

IGN’s Ryan McCaffrey compared both covers side-by-side on Twitter, so you can have a better look at the similarities:

Whether the Halo Infinite box art is indicative that the franchise is going back to basics with this new installment remains to be seen. Certainly, the return of the Halo rings to the forefront of the story as well as the inclusion of the Brutes as one of the main enemies of the game suggests that the game will at least pay homage to some of the series’ roots if not completely relive them.

We’ve yet to hear how Cortana and the Created will play into the story after Halo 5: Guardians ended on a cliffhanger that teased a galactic takeover led by Master Chief’s former AI best friend. Agent Locke, who co-starred in that game, is also nowhere to be found in the marketing material, suggesting he may not play a role in the game, although a new Mega Bloks set to tie into Halo Infinite seemed to tease a dark fate for the Spartan played by Luke Cage actor Mike Colter.

The box art does tease at least one new thing for the series. Some eagle-eyed fans have spotted what looks like some sort of grappling hook on Master Chief’s left gauntlet, which might mean that Halo Infinite might introduce some advanced traversal mechanics or parkour elements to the series.

Whatever the case, we’ll know more about the game when it is fully unveiled at the Xbox games showcase. Until then, we’ll keep you updated as we hear more.

Halo Infinite is coming to Xbox Series X, Xbox One, and PC in Holiday 2020.