Glasgow, UK -- CGI artists and storytellers Axis, in collaboration with 343 Industries, announces its participation in the brand-new, story-driven experience of Halo 4 - Spartan Ops: Season One. A first-of-its-kind, exciting new addition to the Halo franchise, Spartan Ops is an episodic adventure that blends immersive storytelling, high-quality cinematics and action-packed gameplay to deliver an unprecedented serialized experience. In substance and scope, this first season of episodic content is taking Axis to new levels of involvement in the storytelling process, technical demands and in the development of believable, engaging characters.

Through a weekly series of cinematic episodes, Spartan Ops tells the continuing story of the UNSC Infinity, following the events of Halo 4. Ten animated episodes, featuring over 1,200 CGI animated shots, are being released throughout the series, which began on November 6th with the launch of Halo 4. These cinematic episodes provide the backdrop for the weekly Spartan Ops gameplay missions, where players can take part in five new missions each week that explore the corners of Requiem and help uncover the secrets of the mysterious Forerunner world.

Watch the "Making Of" video, below:

The series is being directed by Axis co-founder Stuart Aitken, on the heels of other recent high-profile game-related projects, including the much-acclaimed and award-winning Dead Island announcement trailer.

Aitken and Axis Producer Debbie Ross worked hand-in-hand with Halo 4 developers 343 Industries to creatively develop the content, including casting, script development, art direction, sound design, with the clear goal that each Spartan Ops episode should be as engaging as the best feature film or television drama.

“Spartan Ops was an absolutely unique project, with a unique schedule and unique challenges,” said Frank O’Connor, Franchise Development Director at 343 Industries. “Axis stepped up to those challenges with imagination and energy, and more importantly, a wonderfully collaborative vision of the story we wanted to tell. Working with our writers, our cinematics team, and a dizzying plethora of tools and assets, they became a seamless extension of our narrative group - and we look forward to continuing our relationship and creative partnership in the future.”

“What makes this such an incredible opportunity is that this is full CGI movie-style storytelling and character development within the rich and exciting world of Halo,” said Stuart Aitken. “We’ve collaborated at every level with 343 Industries throughout the process to create a truly immersive cinematic experience.”