In a bid to explore Master Chief's world, Microsoft and 343 Industries are set to develop a new season of the "Hunt the Truth" podcast series, which they are planning to release just before "Halo 5: Guardians" hits the shelves in Oct. 27.
The initial set of podcasts, wherein journalist Benjamin Giraud (Keegan-Michael Key) dug into the hero's background, was deemed a feat by the collaborators after it garnered "massive critical-acclaim from fans and media worldwide" with a total of 5.5 million listeners across its 13 episodes.
According to Softpedia, the revolver-toting civilian freelance journalist Petra Janecek will also be a big part in the new "Hunt the Truth" season. At the moment, Microsoft and 343 Industries have not yet revealed details regarding its release date.
Meanwhile, fans will learn about Master Chief's and Locke's stories outside "Halo 5: Guardians" with the upcoming three-act animated series "Halo: The Fall of Reach," which recently got its first trailer. The series is based on Erik Nylund's novel of the same name that was released in 2001.
The show is set both before and after the Covenant attack and should treat fans with copious details about the SPARTAN-II program and Blue Team. Microsoft was "careful to align with the novel where it makes sense" as it attempts to show the very foundation of the novel.
"But in visualizing the universe -- which has evolved so much in the intervening years -- we were presented with a few challenges, but also a lot of opportunities," Halo franchise development director Frank O'Connor said via the Halo Waypoint blog. "So you'll see a few differences, choices of Covenant ship, weapons and so on, but it adheres tightly to the core canon, with a few flourishes here and there to fill in gaps or smooth over previous errors."
Lastly, "Halo" fans would be happy to know that a video documentary is on the way. It will take them behind the scenes of the creation of the upcoming game, and 343 says it is "the biggest Master Chief story yet." It will be available here, and can also be downloaded via an iOS device, an Android device as well as from Windows.
"Halo 5: Guardians" will be released on Oc. 27. "Halo: The Fall of Reach" will be released alongside its Premium versions but can also be bought separately a week after.
