Rumor: Gearbox Developing Halo 4 for Next Xbox

The staff at OXM having been doing some digging they’ve come up with a new, exciting rumor.  According to a rumor in OXM’s October issue, Gearbox will be developing Halo 4 for release on the next Xbox console.

Before you cry foul to this rumor, remember that back in February Gearbox President Randy Pitchford said:

I’ve started a new project. It’s big. It’s, like, look-at-our-line-up-and-imagine-something-even-bigger kind of big. I’m directing it myself. I can’t mention it publicly yet. When you find out what this is, you’ll likely agree that I can’t oversell this one.

What was once taken as seriously as crazed mutterings of a drunk hobo may now have foreshadowed this rumor.  He definitely sounds excited.

Gearbox is currently working on Brothers in Arms: Hell’s Highway, Aliens: Colonial Marines, and Borderlands, but since all of those are expected to be released by 2009 (September 2008 for Brothers in Arms), Gearbox would still have time to work on a Halo 4, since Microsoft’s next Xbox is expected to be released 2010 or 2011.

And to all of you who are worried that Gearbox will mess up the series, take solace in the fact that Gearbox is not a bad developer - in fact, they are a pretty good one.  Their Brothers in Arms series has always been solid and the new one looks like it will continue that traditions, and the recently announced Borderlands looks very good.  So before you whine about Bungie not making Halo 4 remember two things; first of all, Gearbox isn’t a bad developer. And secondly, this is a rumor.

[via Joystiq]