Halo 5 Guardians cover artwork reveals Blue Team & possible 4-player co-op

Cover art from Halo 5: Guardians has revealed that the fight between series protagonist Master Chief and new playable character Spartan Locke won't just be a one-on-one fight. The artwork depicts the two as part of a squad of four, Chief's in particular being one recognisable to fans.

Revealed in the video embedded below, we see Chief alongside "Blue Team", the unit he led prior to the events of the original Halo – including the pivotal Battle of Reach, which was explored in the novel Fall of Reach. Halo 5 will mark the first time that team has been depicted in a game.

Described by Microsoft as "the Spartan fireteams that play a crucial role in the showdown between the Master Chief and Spartan Locke," the identities of Blue Team have been revealed as John-117 (Master Chief), Frederic-104, Kelly-087, and Linda-058 – characters known to diehard fans through various books and comic series.

The identities of Spartan Locke's team are not yet known but speculation has suggested that they are characters from previous entries into the Halo canon, both games, TV series and the comics. As a way of pleasing fans, 343 Industries appear to know what they're doing so far.

As for the possibility of co-op. Co-operative play has been a staple of the series for a long time, with two players able to play alongside each other in Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4. Halo Reach included 4 player but only if played online or through a system link.

The four-person squads for each leading character in Halo 5: Guardians suggest the obvious, that co-op is likely to return, but could the exact numbers indicate four-player co-op? We'll find out more at Microsoft's E3 press conference when we hear more about the game.

Halo 5: Guardians is set for release on 27 October.