Halo co-creator thinks "many of you would not like" his ideas for a "…

Halo universe co-creator and former Bungie creative director Marcus Lehto is having all kinds of strange ideas about the future of the franchise. But before you get too excited and start shooting your Needler pistol into the air, you should know the former Bungie creative director is certain you'll hate what he's thinking, and IP owner Xbox won't care. freshyourfeel.com

"While talk of Halo's future is certainly very exciting, I'm aware that it's fanciful and that I doubt Asha [Sharma, Xbox CEO] really gives a shit," Lehto writes in an August 19 Twitter post. "Also, Halo MUST be built by a local team together," he adds, jabbing at Microsoft's reputation for internal layoffs followed by external contracting, "not outsourced around the globe to a group that has ZERO investment in making something great."

That could be that. But whatever Lehto's been mulling over sounds compelling, and Xbox has lately been experiencing more drastic changes than a little Halo revival, so...

Lehto teases in another Twitter post, "If I were to make another Halo these days, I bet many of you would not like it. It would be a lot darker with a more grounded military feel."

Then, while Halo games have always offered multiplayer PvP – Lehto despises the fact that the new Halo remake left this feature out – they aren't as reliable when it comes to PvE. But it sounds like Lehto wants to rectify this with a truly PvPvE Halo à la Arc Raiders, saying, "PvP would be the brains, PvE the heart and soul."

Ultimately, "It would not be 'everyone's' Halo," Lehto says confidently. In case he hasn't yet sharpened that point enough to tear through your gauzy memories of 2001, he adds that, "I would probably bench much of the current lore – respect it, but build a new future narrative for both the old and new audiences which makes much more sense."

Halo fans finally bared their teeth at this. A spooky, more militaristic Halo? Sure. PvPvE? Interesting. Xbox is currently an unsightly lump of job cuts and drooping revenue – fine, maybe it doesn't even deserve a new Halo game, that's not Lehto's fault. But threats to the lore are simply offensive, fans say, even if they come from the man who helped establish 26th century alien colonization.

"The lore is the only good thing about halo," one person argues on Twitter.

"I know this is just your aspirations, but Halo really can't afford another soft reboot," frets another.

Lehto gets it. If lightning strikes at the right time and his unconventional Halo sequel eventually gets approved, he says, first, "We'd need to sit together, break bread, and enjoy some deep conversation – along with some fine beverages of course." Can we get that in a Halo game?

Give Master Chief a break – I want more Halo games like ODST and Reach.

Coming up with new cards when you're making a deckbuilder must be tough. You have to keep finding inventive ways to push players and the game without breaking it. But for the Slay the Spire 2 devs, the best strategy has become obvious: let fans do it for you.

I say that only half-joking, because developer Mega Crit might be half-joking, too. On Reddit, a fan posted a selection of three hypothetical Slay the Spire 2 cards, each with creative effects, like, "Deal damage equal to another player's Block." Other Slay the Spire 2 fans enjoyed them, in the way we all lovingly engage with fanart, but there's one comment that's something special – a response from Casey Yano, a Mega Crit co-founder and co-creator of the roguelike's first installment.

"Wait, these are great, what the heck," the developer says, in what is somehow not the top comment of the thread. I mean, what else could even come close? It's truly a blessing from on high.

"[Anthony Giovannetti] steal these," Yano adds. Giovannetti is another of the central designers behind both Slay the Spire games – he co-created the original and the Mega Crit studio with Yano.

I can see the attraction to the concepts in the Slay the Spire 2 fan's cards. The first idea is called Buddy Slam, and it deals, as I mentioned, damage equal to another player's block. Very nice. The second is Gonna Finish That?, and it makes another player put all of their status cards into your discard pile. Lots of strategic value there. The third card idea is called Done Right, and it has you and your opponent swap hands next turn.

It's all fun and a little chaotic in nature, but the card Buddy Slam is the clear stand-out among commenters. "Damn, I really want Buddy Slam," says one Redditor.

Considering Yano's enthusiasm, who knows, we might see it added to Slay the Spire 2 soon. I just hope Yano understands the floodgates he may be opening in the process.

After dropping a nerf bomb, Slay the Spire 2 devs say updates are slowing down so they can focus on "bigger, more impactful content" like a new character.