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Community Update

Sunny Summary

Sam wearing a Master Chief helmet
  -  3 years ago

Happy Thursday, Spartans! There's been a lot going on in the Halo-verse and if you don't know where to start, luckily there's a great Community Update for you to check out. It covers all things Halo from the past month or so. 

If you want a recap of Halo Infinite news, MCC Season 7, Halo 5's playlist schedule, and more, you're in the right place. Let's get right to it!

HALO: THE MASTER CHIEF COLLECTION

MCC Season 7 main menu screen

MCC Season 7 Main Menu Screen

MCC's Season 7: Elite wort wort worted into our lives bringing with it a bunch of love for everyone, but especially our Sangheili friends. Plus the usual additions like new-old Halo 3 maps, customization content, and much, much more. Don't take our wort for it though, check it out for yourself!

KILLER KEYSTONE

Just like past seasons, there's some sweet unlocks you can earn by completing challenges. Yes, some of them are more, well, challenging, than others but they are aptly named! Grab your own Evocoti’s Edge Engergy Sword Skin, Tinted Smoke Tech Suit, or  Pixel Battle Rifle. Other timed challenges will give you a large drop of rewards – so make sure you make time for them!

MCC Season 7 artwork of Spartans equipped with the Keystone Helmet


MCC Season 7 Keystone Helmet for Halo 4

While you're waiting for Halo Infinite, you can enjoy the slick silhouette of the Mark VII Keystone Helmet in Halo 4. It's available to you in the Seasonal Exchange for the low price of zero Season Points. Yes, it's free! What are you waiting for?

GAMES GALORE

We know there's a good portion of our community that lives and dies by custom games and we're thrilled to see you enjoying the Custom Game Browser (CGB) so far! You've likely noticed that it's only available for Halo: Reach at this point but that's because this is Phase One, support for other titles is coming. You can hop into lobbies, or start your own, by heading to the Multiplayer Menu and selecting "Custom Game Browser". What kind of games are you itching to play? Assassination towers? JENGA? MLG customs? Let us know what you're liking!

If you are more technologically inclined and into modding your games, then our official modding tools for Halo: Combat Evolved are probably more your speed. You don't need to own the game on Steam (or at all!) to play around with these tools, all you need is a registered Steam account. If you're interested in dipping your toes in, Steam's Modding Forums are a great resource to keep in your pocket. 

PIXEL PERFECT

Purple banshee from MCC main menu video

Banshee Screenshot from MCC Main Menu Video

For every title and seasonal update for MCC, we are proud to have put together some incredible press kits for our fans. This season is no exception and the Banshees make this bunch one of my favorites we've done. If you've been wanting to fancy up your wallpapers (desktop or mobile!), have been looking for a new social media banner, or want your own copy of the intro video, you can browse the latest kit today! 

XBOX FANFEST

Practice makes perfect and you've had years of practice. If you've been looking for the time/place to put those skills to the test and have a valid Xbox FanFest code, the time is now. Xbox's FanFest is hosting a Halo 3 2v2 Tournament that kicks off this Friday, July 9. Grab your trusty duo that's got your back and sign up on Smash.gg to vie for the top spot. The series culminates in the finale on July 31 so I'll see you in chat! 

Xbox Fanfest Halo 3 tournament bracket

Xbox FanFest Halo 3 Tournament Image

Did I mention that there's a really sweet, and exclusive, nameplate up for grabs for those who participate? 😎 

More info and full details are on the Xbox FanFest Tournament page so be sure to give it a read through before signing up so you know what you're in for.

While you're thinking of that incredible nameplate, let's hop over and check out what's going on in esports land!

HALO ESPORTS

The HCS team continues to be full steam ahead with preparations for Halo Infinite's esports scene. From their monthly blog series to frequent community morale events, the pedal is to the metal with no sign of stopping.

THE HALO INFINITE ESPORTS ECOSYSTEM

Since January, we've gotten a monthly glimpse behind the curtain at the future of the Halo esports program. We've heard about the overarching program goals, the role that tournament organizers play, viewership, and the importance of sponsors. The latest edition covers all things related to teams and team partnership for Halo Infinite esports. If you're curious what that partnership entails, be sure to check it out!

CLIPTROCITY

Key art for the H C S Grassroots program.

May's Cliptrocity results are in. After much deliberation, the votes have been tallied and a winner has been crowned. Multikills galore and some very sharp-shooting was the way to the podium. Let's give Gilkey, Ace, and Mint Blitz a round of applause for their sweet snipes!

If you're looking for the rest of the top 10, be sure to follow @HCS to be ready when they tweet it out!

ESPORTS EXTRAS

There's a couple Grassroots events on the docket for this month and a new nameplate you can snag for your snazzy collection. Here's the low-down:

  • The incredibly sparkly Victory nameplate is new and can be earned by participating in Official or Grassroots-partnered tournaments OR by winning against Team Grassroots during Grassroots playdates
  • Upcoming Grassroots playdates (chances to earn that nameplate!):
    • Hosted by @EuropaHalo@Wonderboyo and @JimboGPK will be running the 2v2 Halo 3 playlist on July 17 from 6-8PM BST. Beat the dynamic duo and earn bragging rights on top of the regular rewards
    • @SWAT_Nation is hosting Halo 3: SWAT to the Future III on July 10, starting at 2PM EST. If your squad has what it takes, hurry up and register now! Sign-ups close at 7PM on July 8 (aka tonight)! For all other info, check out their registration page

With that, let's roll on to Halo 5 and the rest of the Update!

HALO 5: GUARDIANS

Whether you're chipping away at SR152 or just playing Halo 5 for fun, we've got the next two months' worth of playlist rotations to share with you. From some Warzone Assault/Turbo action to some Castle Wars, it's on the list. Gear up and get ready for some mayhem!

UPCOMING CALENDAR

Halo 5 Spartan equipped with energy sword

JULY

  • July 8: Grifball rotates in for ODST Slayer
  • July 15: Community Slayer rotates in for Grifball
  • July 15: Warzone Assault goes live for the weekend
  • July 22: Action Sack rotates in for Community Slayer
  • July 29: CE Anniversary Throwback rotates in for Action Sack
  • July 29: Warzone Turbo goes live for the weekend

AUGUST

  • August 5: Ranked Snipers rotates in for Mythic FFA for the month
  • August 5: Castle Wars rotates in for CE Anniversary Throwback
  • August 12: Triple Team rotates in for Castle Wars
  • August 12: Warzone Assault goes live for the weekend
  • August 19: Core Play rotates in for Triple Team
  • August 26: Covenant Slayer rotates in for Core Play
  • August 26: Warzone Turbo goes live for the weekend

HALO GEAR

Figurine of Master Chief with a grapple hook and energy sword

We're ramping into summer with ALL the fantastic gear and collectables thanks to the Consumer Products teams. Whether it's some shiny new Funko, a stylish new Summer Wave Collection or even official silver minted coins, there's a little bit for everyone. 

Cortana Chibi Coin Coming off the success of the Master Chief Chibi coin, this Cortana version from Halo: Combat Evolved is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. A true limited edition collectible, the New Zealand Mint is only producing 2,000 total pieces. The pure silver coin is stamped confirming legal tender and a Certificate of Authenticity is printed on the box, along with confirmation of the coin’s unique serial number.  

Halo Infinite Master Chief Statue with Grappleshot & Exclusive Variant Dark Horse is bringing double the trouble with two fantastic PVC statues of Master Chief. Armed with a grappleshot and looking to get himself into the action, this new offering includes our favorite hero sporting a slick blue energy sword in his opposite hand. The Best Buy exclusive version of this statue has a distinct red variation on the sword that is sure to catch the eye. Check the official site for all the retailer details.

But wait, there's more!

Halo radar blip visual
Master Chief and Cortana artwork
  • Community Spotlight: July's Community Spotlight brought the sparkle and fireworks just in time for the 4th of July holiday here in the US. Check out some truly inspired offerings including an absolute wealth of fanart about everyone's favorite new AI!
  • Halo Xbox 360 Service Sunsetting: Your monthly reminder that services for legacy Halo Xbox 360 titles will be discontinued this December. Game owners will be able to play these titles indefinitely, but there may be some impacts of this change. Be sure to check out the blog for all the details.
  • June Employee Spotlight: Multiplayer Designer Alex Bean shared some insights into his craft, what drives him, and discussed his passion for community outreach. 
  • Canon Fodder 116: Parallel Threads: The latest lore-lead ledger focusing in on the larger Halo ecosystem puts the limelight directly on the recently announced novel by Kelly Gay, Rubicon Protocol. Additional details about some of the Halo Infinite armors provide a nice bit of bonus reading as well.

HALO INFINITE

Holiday 2021 is off on the horizon but we’ve still got a little ways to go before launch. In the meantime, we have plenty of information to share with you before you touchdown on Zeta Halo.

We've given the world the first look at Halo Infinite's multiplayer, which, as a reminder, is free to play!, and introduced you to the Weapon. Add to that our thoroughly detailed Mark VII Cosplay Guide, our press kit, and the latest Inside Infinite and you've got a wide variety of Halo Infinite news to sift through. If you still want more, there's a couple Canon Fodders and a sneak peek at the next Mondo poster featuring the brand-new Yoroi armor.

INFINITE INCIDENTALS

Halo Infinite fan artwork of samurai body suit and energy sword

For those of you who are adept at crafting with your hands and want to make your own Mark VII, we've got an excellent and extensive Cosplay Guide available. It's chock-full of details and has been carefully curated to cover ever detail you could possibly need.

We touched on Canon Fodder 116 in Radar Blips but the indefatigable GrimBrother One penned Issue 115: Showcase Sensitive on the heels of the Xbox Showcase. Grab your copy to learn more about some of the armor you can don in Halo Infinite and meet the badass Spartan Academy Commander, Laurette Agryna. 

Mondo's first Halo themed poster sold out so fast, we didn't even get a chance to tell people about it, and that was without a sneak peek. This time, we know what it looks like ahead of time and boy oh bo-Yoroi does it. look. stunning. 🤩 Warm those clicking fingers up so you can grab one when they go on sale later this month during Comic-Con@Home, July 23-25. 

Halo Waypoint is getting a fresh coat of paint soon and our latest Inside Infinite shines a bright light on the work our web team has been doing. It looks incredible and I cannot wait for the day we get to cut the methaphorical ribbon on the grand re-re-re-opening. (Or is it re-re-re-re-opening? I've lost count now which just means I've been around the forums for way too long.)

And finally, I know we mentioned our latest MCC press kit but we also have one for our latest Halo Infinite showcase. If you want to gussy-up your screens or social media banners, you can grab the latest in Infinite art now!

XBOX AND BETHESDA GAMES SHOWCASE & MULTIPLAYER REVEAL

During the above mentioned event back on June 13, we gave the world a first look at our multiplayer. It's always nervewracking showing off something as big as Halo multiplayer but the community reactions made it all worth it. Special thanks to @LoganDodson (some of you might know him better as Snipetality) for putting together this incredible montage of responses. If you haven't seen it yet, it's absolutely worth the ~2:20 minutes of your day. 💚

Now that your heart is full of feels (at least, I hope so because mine is!), and if you're one of the few that missed the trailer during the initial reveal, you can watch it and then, if that isn't enough for you, you can follow it up with our blog focused on Halo Infinite Multiplayer. 

ART

Throwing it all the way back to Halo 5 with this month's piece of artwork. I love Blue Team and I loved getting to see them (and Fireteam Osiris!) in a game. On top of that, Genesis is lovely. As always, you can download the image by clicking on it or you can grab a copy from this link.

Halo 5 Blue Team looking at Cortana on Genesis

Blue Team looking at Cortana on Genesis from Halo 5: Guardians

While that might wrap up this month's Community Update, there's more still to come. I know we've been saying it a lot lately, but if you aren't registered for Halo Insider yet and you want a shot at participating in our Technical Previews for Halo Infinite, please be sure you're signed up and opted in to communications. 

Ciao! xx

--SAM

PS - No really, go register for Halo Insider now. kthxbai