If you needed a reason to enjoy your Friday, don’t worry – Microsoft’s got your back. Early this morning, Microsoft finally announced the title of next installment of Master Chief’s saga, “Halo 5: Guardians,” coming in Fall of 2015.

343i’s General Manager, Bonnie Ross, had the following to say regarding the announcement:

Any time you transition to a new platform, there is the opportunity to look at things with a new perspective. For us at 343 Industries, the launch of the Xbox One was an opportunity to think about what stories we wanted to tell, how to tell them, and how best to push the “Halo” franchise to showcase the platform. And, most importantly, combining our passion for “Halo” with the vocal and informative input from our fans.

“Halo” isn’t simply a perennial game franchise, it’s a part of the Xbox platform itself. In terms of innovation and ideation, it’s sometimes important to people who might not even play “Halo.” And of course it’s a passion and an essential experience for two generations of gamers.  So we asked ourselves, how do we begin and where do we go with “Halo” on Xbox One? 

In the past, “Halo” games have pushed the Xbox forward, showcasing the console and its ecosystem in entertaining and innovative ways. Making a “Halo” game that runs at 60 frames per second, on dedicated servers, with the scope, features and scale we’ve been dreaming of for more than a decade, is non-trivial.  It’s a task that we, at 343 Industries, are taking very seriously to ensure we deliver the “Halo” game that fans deserve, and a game that is built from the ground up for Xbox One.   

“Halo 5: Guardians” is a bigger effort than “Halo 4.”  That applies to the content and scope of the game, as well as the technology in what’s now a brand new and more powerful engine.  Certainly there are some core elements carried over from prior games, but we’ve invested a huge effort in retooling our tech to take full advantage of the Xbox One’s hardware and ecosystem to create worlds and experiences worthy of next-gen.

Because Halo 5: Guardians is set to launch in 2015, this confirms that 2014′s “Halo journey” most definitely is not the next installment in Master Chief’s story, but if that upsets you, fret not. That journey will definitely begin “with a giant leap, rather than one small step,” and more information will be given in a few weeks at the Xbox E3 2014 Media Briefing on June 9th.

With the recent announcements coming out of Microsoft, and the fact that they aren’t waiting to reveal these heavy-hitters on stage, I believe that now – more than ever – is the year that Microsoft brings its A-Game to the show. After last year’s rather abysmal PR situation, I’d say they kinda have to. Currently all signs are pointing towards a killer E3, and I for one haven’t been this excited for the event in several, several years.

I’ve taken the liberty of putting together a slideshow of all the released media assets from Halo 5: Guardians for your enjoyment.

Click to view slideshow.

[via, Xbox Wire]