Halo 4 is 99 percent complete

New Halo series developer 343 Industries is closing in on completing its first original Halo title. Speaking to GameSpot sister site Giant Bomb, Halo franchise director Frank O'Connor said Halo 4 is 99 percent done ahead of its November 6 worldwide debut.

"It's just sort of getting it in shape for certification and then manufacture," O'Connor said. "And then just cleaning out last minute bugs and getting ready for launch."

Halo 4 is the first numbered entry in the series developed outside of Bungie Studios, which officially handed the franchise reigns to 343 Industries on March 31, 2012. It is a direct sequel to 2007's Halo 3, picking up four years after the events of that game.

At least two more core installments--Halo 5 and Halo 6--will follow as part of the new Reclaimer Trilogy. It is rumored that the next Halo game will arrive on a future Microsoft platform, as the company is openly hiring staffers to create next-generation visuals and infrastructure to "drive the future of Halo."