On Thursday at San Diego Comic-Con, a packed room of Halo fans got their first look at “Halo: Nightfall,” the upcoming live-action series for the Xbox One, based on the multi-billion dollar sci-fi video game franchise. The Microsoft franchise appears ready to survive, despite recent news that Xbox Entertainment Studios will fold before ever opening its doors.

The buzz was high before the panel started, and it didn’t hurt to have an intro video from producer Ridley Scott. The panel included 343 Industries’ Kiki Wolfkill and Frank O’Connor, Scott Free’s David Zucker and actors Christina Chong and Mike Colter, and revealed a wealth of new details. Ridley said it was a “no-brainer” to take advantage of what the franchise has to offer. The series’ executive producer made mention to the fact that “Nightfall” is his first entry into the video game world, with support under the guise of 343 Industries and Scott Free Productions. 343 Industries is the publisher that took over developing 2012’s “Halo 4” from the original creators, Bungie.

“Nightfall” will take place in the present, set in both an old colony full of resentment and a fractured halo ring in space. O’Connor mentioned that the beat-down, broken environment is an element not found in earlier versions of the games. The halo ring’s damaged fragment functions like a “malevolent character.”

But the real hero was the first-look video that they brought with them. Shot in Iceland and Northern Ireland, the producers said they searched for environments where viewers could feel the texture and temperature. As for the actors, they were a little less enamored with the brutal conditions. From 100-degree sandstorms to below-4-degree chills, both Chong and Colter ran the gamut of rock climbing, steep hill running and daily “falling,” Colter joked.

Chong (“Star Wars VII”) will co-star alongside Colter’s Agent Locke as an unresentful member of the Colonial Guard, a loyal and ambitious character who sets out to prove her value as an Elite soldier. The connection between those two characters will provide an even heavier crossover between “Nightfall” and next year’s “Halo 5: Guardians.”

“Halo: Nightfall” will debut on Xbox One on Nov. 11.