Halo Is About War And Religion, But Fits "Non-Political" Activision Says Ybarra

Published Sep 23, 2026, 9:24 AM EDT James Lucas is an Executive Editor at TheGamer who has worked in professional journalism since 2018. A Newcastle University graduate with a degree in Journalism, Media, and Culture, they have written hundreds of guides, news stories, and original reports, with bylines in IGN, NME, GaymingMag, and VG247, sourcing interviews with studio heads, legendary industry figures, prominent actors, and more. An expert on FPS games, Soulslikes, RPGs, and survival horror, James has intimate knowledge of a wide variety of titles, providing in-depth coverage and exclusive profiles. Some of the games they have extensively covered include: Half-Life 3, Counter-Strike, Elden Ring, and Fallout. They pride themselves on their consistently thorough research, leveraging nearly a decade of industry experience. You can reach them at James.t@thegamer.com Ex-Blizzard boss Mike Ybarra has defended Microsoft's decision to place Halo in the hands of Activision, supposedly because the company is primed to make sure there are no politics: "just flat out Halo at its best." To bang the same drum we've been banging for years, games have always been political. Halo especially. The UNSC is a militarized colonial power; the Human-Covenant War is rooted in religion, with humanity fighting a theocratic empire; Spartans abduct children and turn them into weapons of the state, ONI desperately claws to control the post-war narrative, and Earth's expansion into the endless expanse of space is a constant point of contention throughout the series. I could go on and on, but you get the point: Halo's politics aren't some modern addition to the series. They're baked into its DNA. Nonetheless, here's what Ybarra said: "If you are a Halo fan, this is the best news in a decade plus," Ybarra insists. "Rob Kostich, Dave Stohl, Pat Kelly and team at Activision are rock star, old school game developers. Non-political, no bulls**t - just flat out Halo at its best. They are not afraid to take risks and deliver a Halo experience that blows people away and sets the stage for the next 10+ years. This is the best decision to reset Halo and get a new, hungry team in place to make Halo the incredible asset it is. I can't wait to see them lead their teams and bring Halo back in full force." Halo Is Political, And Activision Is Definitely Political - Just Look At Call Of Duty Putting aside the overt political storytelling of Halo, the idea that Activision is an apolitical monolith is also questionable. There was a documented US Army marketing campaign centered around Call of Duty in 2021, with the military planning to spend $750,000 on Call of Duty League sponsorship and other gaming initiatives to reach Gen-Z audiences. The Army ultimately abandoned its marketing deals with Activision, but the relationship didn't suddenly disappear. Activision still hosts military-focused esports events, including a 2023 competition with the US Army, Navy, and Coast Guard academies. That's not to mention the political messaging in the games themselves, with US intervention, propaganda, imperialism, intelligence agencies, the morality of state violence, Russian nationalism, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, and much, much more, all reinforcing ideas on US military power in a post-9/11 geopolitical landscape throughout the series. It's bizarre to suggest Activision is an apolitical company when its defining game, the moneymaker it funnels so many other studios into, is Call of Duty — a series featuring an attempt to assassinate Fidel Castro, which sparked real world accusations from Cuba itself of Treyarch attempting to legitimize actual US assassination plots. The same series with 'the infamous 'No Russian' mission. Understandably, many Halo fans aren't jumping with joy at Activision being handed the reins. Not only has Halo Studios faced massive layoffs, which makes celebrating the announcement incredibly tone-deaf, but Activision's recent releases haven't exactly been well received anyway. Between the lackluster campaigns, generative AI art across rewards and in-game art, heavy MTX and microtransactions, and the consolidation of every mode into a Warzone-adjacent format that has long since grown stale, the idea of Halo under this umbrella isn't exactly reassuring. When Ybarra cheers on Halo being in the hands of a company that is supposedly not political, and instead focuses on 'making good games,' it's hard not to draw a line between that framing and the talking points we keep seeing from the anti-woke crowd. I don't want to put words in Ybarra's mouth, but "politics" increasingly seems to mean inclusivity, diversity, and welcoming all players rather than actual politics. Apex Legends is often deemed "political" because it has LGBTQ+ characters, while gamers will point to series like Call of Duty as an example of apolitical gaming. That's a gross misrepresentation of both. Halo is a series filled with stories about war, religion, imperialism, colonialism, and the abuse of state power. If that's not political, I'm not sure what is. Released July 28, 2026 Developer(s) Halo Studios Publisher(s) Microsoft Studios Multiplayer Online Co-Op, Local Co-Op Cross-Platform Play Yes - all platforms Genre(s) FPS, Science Fiction, Shooter, Multiplayer