Sunset Overdrive, Halo 5 Release Date Isn’t Coinciding With Xbox One’s Japanese Launch

An alert to fans; Microsoft has yet to announce official release dates for Sunset Overdrive and Halo 5 for Xbox One, in Japan or elsewhere in the world.

The mix-up seems to have come up in light of Xbox One’s pending release in Japan, and it even got reported by bigger tech sites like Ars Technica. While the console has been confirmed for release in the country September 4, Microsoft’s Japan team revealed, in Japanese, the exclusives that the console was receiving. In this press release, they clearly highlighted Forza Motorsport 5, Kinect Sports Rivals, Dead Rising 3, Ryse: Son of Rome, and the above two titles. This seems to have driven the mixup, so to be clear, these were titles highlighted for the console in Japan, but they might not even be the launch lineup. As an aside, they seem to have hidden away Killer Instinct, possibly thinking the fighter has little appeal in the region.

With regards to Halo 5, we do have more believable details, although these haven’t been confirmed or vetted by Microsoft quite yet. Master Chief John-117 voice actor Steve Downes thinks he has some  insight on where Halo is going next, based on his experience working on the game.

As he points out, John formed a close connection with Cortana, and subsequently had to deal with the knowledge that he was going to lose her. This was a clear break from character for the usually stoic Master Chief. Spoilers follow from here on out.

In Halo 4, Cortana died to help John beat the Didact. The rumor is that she is coming back in the game somehow, based on how one of the trailers shows Cortana like circuitry held by a Promethean machine. So, is the next Halo actually a rescue mission for Cortana?

This possibility actually fits in with story details we learned from the Halo comics, but of course, we’re just speculating here. You can read about those here and here. We will make sure to inform you of official release dates for Halo 5 and Sunset Overdrive when those are officially announced.