The Halo TV Series has proven to be a highly popular, albeit divisive, television adaptation of the legendary videogame franchise. Among the fanbase are those who feel the show thus far has not been authentic to its source material. And apparently there are those more closely invested in the Halo universe who feel the same way.
In a May 16 Twitter post game designer/direct and former creative director at Bungie Marcus Lehto expressed his skepticism regarding the show’s inspiration and general direction, saying it is “Not the Halo I made.”
Yeah, I’m not sure where the inspiration for the show comes from now. Not the Halo I made.
— Marcus Lehto 🇺🇦 (@game_fabricator) May 16, 2022
Lehto was one of the key figures in creating and conceptualizing the Halo universe during his time at Bungie. Following his 2012 departure from the studio, he went on to work on the Battlefield series under EA before opening his own studio in Seattle.
Apparently Lehto’s tweet was in response to a thread discussing a YouTube video from the channel Late Night Gaming that criticized the Show’s accuracy relative to the universe depicted in the games and books. Lehto did follow up his initial tweet with another in which he clarified his feelings on the show, saying “I never said I didn’t like it. It’s just so different than the Halo I helped make–like it’s a different universe.”
To be clear, the Halo television series is set in a different timeline from that of the games. The show has been a huge success thus far despite the criticisms, and became the most-watched series premiere on Paramount+ within 24 hours of its release.
