Halo: The Rubicon Protocol novel announced, releases in March 2022

The book will focus on what happened on Zeta Halo before Halo Infinite.

What you need to know

• 343 Industries has announced a new Halo novel called Halo: The Rubicon Protocol.
• The novel is being penned by acclaimed Halo author Kelly Gay and releases in March 2022.
• The story will follow UNSC resistance fighters on Zeta Halo prior to the events of Halo Infinite.

In a new Canon Fodder blog post, 343 Industries has announced a new Halo novel called Halo: The Rubicon Protocol. The book is being written by Kelly Gay, author of the fan-favorite Halo: Point of Light (make sure you check out our interview with Kelly Gay in which she talks crafting character-first Halo stories), and is slated to release in March 2022. The book also features cover art by William "Pixelflare" Cameron.

In terms of what the novel is about, 343 Industries' Jeff Easterling revealed that it takes place on Zeta Halo before the events of Halo Infinite and is focused on the UNSC's attempts to organize a resistance on the ring amidst a deadly Banished occupation. "As you may have been piecing together throughout previous trailers and information drops, Halo Infinite's campaign begins roughly six months after UNSC forces were ambushed at Zeta Halo," said Easterling. "During that time, the UNSC has been mounting a resistance on a shorn fragment of the ring, desperately trying to hold out long enough for hope to arrive. In Halo: The Rubicon Protocol, you'll get a unique glimpse of humanity's struggle to survive amidst a growing Banished occupation that takes place in that period." Supposedly, players will also be able to find "scattered-stories" in Halo Infinite's open world areas that will tie into this book.

Overall, what do you think of Halo: The Rubicon Protocol? Are you excited for it? Let us know. On the game side of things, we're hoping that Halo infinite will prove to be one of the best Xbox games ever made when it releases later this year. We're looking forward to playing it when it comes to Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows 10 (and Windows 11) PCs. Notably, you can preorder the game now for $60, but if you're only interested in the multiplayer, it will be completely free. There's also a Halo Infinite beta coming in summer 2021 you can sign up to be a part of (check our guide on how to sign up for Halo Infinite's beta for more information).

The next adventure in the saga

Halo Infinite

See at Microsoft $60 at Best Buy See at Steam

A new Great Journey awaits

Halo Infinite is the biggest Xbox game of the year by far, and based on what we saw at E3 2021, it looks like it's going to be fantastic.