For the past few months there have been some less than subtle hints that a Halo 2 remake is in the works, but Microsoft has yet to make any official announcements. So, what better way to calm the rumors than Microsoft Studios frontman Phil Spencer discussing what would be important for a hypothetical Halo 2: Anniversary game for Xbox One?

“In this fictitious world where that game existed,”Spencer told IGN, “it’s an easy answer: it has to be just the multiplayer experience that we all found in that first Halo 2 game. If you think about what happened in the franchise and what were the hallmark moments – when did duel wielding come in, when did another playable character that wasn’t Master Chief come in?

“All the things that you and I know about the evolution of the franchise, if you’re going to say one thing about Halo 2, you’re going to talk about real multiplayer. I think you just have to nail that in just such a fundamentally core way. Frankly [we’d have to do it] probably better than we did with Halo 1 Anniversary. I thought the multiplayer in Halo 1 Anniversary was good, but Halo 1 never had multiplayer in the truest sense, so it always was going to be something different.”

There’s no doubt that Halo 2 offered one of the best multiplayer experiences for its console generation. Today, modern tools like Twitch broadcasting and enhanced party systems have the potential to reintroduce the game to a new audience without compromising its integrity. While he’s yet to publicly confirm Halo 2: Anniversary, Spencer has said that Microsoft has a Halo announcement planned for this year’s E3.

We’re just wondering if it’ll be a new Halo adventure or confirmation of a Halo 2 remake. We’ll find out in the next few months.

[via IGN]