It’s been nearly four years since we — in the boots of none other than Spartan John-117, the Master Chief himself — took the fight to the Banished on Zeta Halo in the Halo Infinite open-world story campaign, but we’ve yet to follow up on the narrative’s conclusion. However, details about a sequel to 2021’s Halo Infinite were just revealed recently…though it’s not quite the continuation you probably think it is.
The sequel in question isn’t a video game, but a novel — Halo: The Edge of Dawn from the prolific Halo author Kelly Gay, to be specific. First announced in January with little more than a title and a confirmation that it’s going to be a story about Master Chief, the book recently got more of a spotlight in a Canon Fodder blog post in which Halo Studios (formerly 343 Industries) let slip that it directly follows Halo Infinite’s campaign and its cast of characters as they continue opposing the Banished. Here’s the official synopsis:
2560. After eliminating War Chief Escharum and sending the Banished leadership into chaos, the Master Chief continues the fight on Zeta Halo, accompanied by his new AI companion and their loyal pilot Fernando Esparza.
As Spartan-117 searches for scattered allied forces, a young combat medic—tortured and imprisoned for months by the Banished and the enigmatic Harbinger—may hold the key to unlocking deeper mysteries within this ancient ringworld. But every step toward answers is haunted by the sinister and elusive blademaster Jega ‘Rdomnai, who is hellbent on vengeance…
Based on that description, it’s clear that Master Chief, his Cortana-like AI companion “The Weapon,” and Fernando “The Pilot” Esparza will serve as the novel’s protagonists, with the unknown combat medic captured by the Banished also playing a key role. Jega ‘Rdomnai — the Banished assassin that attacks Master Chief near the end of Halo Infinite and survives the encounter — will serve as a major antagonist determined to hunt Chief down.
It’s been said that Halo: Edge of Dawn can be thought of as analogous to Halo: First Strike — Eric Nylund’s 2003 novel that encompassed the aftermath of the events of the Halo: Combat Evolved game while also taking fans on a new adventure that preceded the story of Halo 2. Similarly, Edge of Dawn will follow up on Halo Infinite while telling a narrative of its own.
Notably, Halo: Edge of Dawn’s cover artwork has also been unveiled. Illustrated by Chris McGrath, it depicts Master Chief holding The Weapon while Jega ‘Rdomnai looms in the background, energy swords in hand. In the artwork’s reveal, Halo Studios notes that the book as a whole is a “self-contained adventure”; this should assuage fears that fans will need to read the novel in order to understand what’s going on in the next Halo game.
Speaking of that, it’s unclear what the next Halo game will be, though a Phil Spencer tease during the recent Xbox Games Showcase suggests we’ll be playing it in 2026 in time for Xbox’s 25th anniversary. It’s rumored to be a Halo: Combat Evolved remake in Unreal Engine 5 — the intent to move to Unreal was announced last year — but who knows? Maybe it’s the next mainline Halo after all.
Regardless, Halo: Edge of Dawn will surely be worth checking out if you want to follow up on Halo Infinite’s narrative, even if it’s not going to be required reading. Having read many of her books myself, I can attest to Kelly Gay’s talent as an author; Edge of Dawn will be her sixth entry for Xbox’s flagship sci-fi franchise, and the first Halo book she’s written since last year’s Didact-focused Halo: Epitaph. Before that, she penned Halo: The Rubicon Protocol — a novel that focused on the UNSC’s war with the Banished on Zeta Halo before the events of Halo Infinite.
It’s recommended to read Halo: The Rubicon Protocol and play the Halo Infinite campaign (it’s on Xbox Game Pass) before picking up Halo: Edge of Dawn when it releases on December 16, 2025. The book is available to preorder now from various retailers, with the digital Amazon Kindle version costing $13.99 and the paperback variant selling for $19.