Halo 5: Guardians release date, gameplay: Agent Locke instead of Master Chief primary character?
Master Chief is the "Halo franchise," but a recent Reddit image posting suggests that Agent Locke could instead be the "primary" gameplay character in the upcoming title Halo 5: Guardians, currently scheduled for a Q4 2015 release date.
The photo contained text transcripts of an X-One Magazine interview with Mike Colter, the actor playing Agent Locke.
"Yeah, I'm a playable character in Halo 5," Colter said.
"Once Halo: The Master Chief Collection is released, and then Halo 5 comes out shortly thereafter, you're basically going to be playing a game with me as the primary character. I'll have some cool weaponry, and some cool abilities, because by that time I'll be a Spartan IV," he added.
A Microsoft spokesperson was quick to respond to this report and confirmed that Master Chief will still be an "integral part" of the game's storyline.
"As we've said before, Locke plays a primary role in Halo 5: Guardians," the Microsoft spokesperson told Eurogamer.
"The Master Chief remains an integral part of the game's story and as a playable character."
Agent Locke was a popular character in the Ridley Scott television series adaptation 'Halo: Nightfall,' which is going to be included in the Halo: Master Chief Collection due this Nov. 11.
Speaking of Master Chief Collection, Halo 2 in this title will stick with its original story but will be linked to Halo 5: Guardians.
"Our terminals in Halo 2: Anniversary are going to focus on The Arbiter," executive producer Dan Ayoub told GameSpot. He added, "You'll start to get an idea of his history and a little more about him."
Halo 5: Guardians is expected to arrive in the Fall of 2015, but the beta is confirmed for a release date on Dec. 29, 2014 for Xbox One exclusively.
The beta will be available for players who will unlock exclusive content in The Master Chief Collection and Nightfall, which can be carried over to Halo 5: Guardians.