Games

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Alex Wakeford

Modding Evolved, Part 1

Cutting Room Floor

“So, who spilled coffee on the MCC servers on Friday 04/01?”



My name is Dana and I’m one of the engineers on the Halo Publishing Team who responded to the recent incident which affected matchmaking and custom games browser in Halo: The Master Chief Collection.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">MCC’s Dedicated Server Model</h2>



In order to contextualize the details shared in this blog, here are some basic details on MCC’s server model. MCC uses dedicated servers for matchmade games and custom game browser sessions. Other game modes in MCC use peer-hosted session (where one player within the game is designated the game host).



These servers are virtual machines hosted by another team at Microsoft which serves first- and third-party Xbox studios and that team is in turn served by Azure technologies. These servers run an application which we call the Unified Dedicated Server (UDS). The UDS is effectively the server counterpart to the MCC game client and contains a wrapper which can configure and launch server versions of any of the games within MCC.



The UDS is a “trusted” authority meaning that it can’t be tampered with like MCC game clients potentially can be on PC. As such, in addition to creating a fair and reliable game experience (where all players in a game have comparable ping, the host has a stable connection, and no one has “host advantage” or “host disadvantage”), it is also a trusted source for tracking match statistics. These stats and other trusted events are used for things like calculating competitive skill ranks and progressing challenges.



From an MCC client perspective (i.e. the version of MCC that runs on your local PC or Xbox), we look at the setup of the UDS in two phases: allocation and configuration.



To allocate a dedicated server, the MCC game client makes a request to our microservice which handles some other details of the allocation on the client’s behalf. A virtual machine is allocated in the optimal region (based on ping—or manual selection in the case of the custom game browser) with sufficient machines standing by and information about the allocated machine is communicated back to the game client. From there, we enter the configuration stage where a connection between the client is established and the client begins sending configuration data for the match (which Halo game to launch, what map and game variant to load, etc.)



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Incident</h2>



On the afternoon of 04/01, our internal QA team escalated a potential matchmaking issue they were encountering on our release candidate (RC) build (the build expected to ultimately release to our players) for our upcoming MCC game update. Ensuring that this update is in good shape and able to ship by our target date has been my top priority in recent weeks, so I began investigating immediately.



After some initial investigation, the symptom became apparent. A server was being successfully allocated, but configuration was failing. It seemed surprising that this issue wouldn’t have been observed earlier in our RC testing, but as this was observed on a relatively new MCC build, the investigation was directed towards identifying what code changes since our last released game update (roughly a sixth month delta during which time numerous features were added and hundreds of bugs were fixed) could have introduced the issue.



However, it was around this time that reports started rolling in from MCC players that they were experiencing their own matchmaking issues in our production environment (the “real” environment where you play MCC as opposed to the “artificial” internal environment where we test iterative development changes for MCC). The issue we were observing in our internal environment was logically inferred to be caused by code churn from the past six months of development, so surely the production issue was not related. An issue actively impacting our players in the production environment takes priority of an internal issue, though, so our investigation retargeted that issue immediately.



It didn’t take long to confirm that the production issue was, in fact, the very same one impacting our internal RC build!



On one hand, it was a relief to confirm that the issue wasn’t something unique to our RC that would jeopardize our upcoming game update. But the fact that both builds (which were separated by six months of iterative development) were abruptly impacted in exactly the same way had concerning implications of its own. We had made two backend changes for MCC in the preceding days (in preparation for our upcoming game update), but these were logically incapable of introducing the behavior we were observing. Still, we rolled both changes back to entirely rule them out as potential causes.



Shortly after confirming this, we rolled out our first mitigation step for the issue which was to enable peer-to-peer fallback for MCC matchmaking. This allows matches where server configuration fails to fall back to a peer host (like custom games use). The peer-to-peer experience is not the ideal or intended experience and, with the lack of a trusted host we described earlier, doesn’t allow certain challenges to be progressed or skill ranks to be calculated. Still, it would at least increase matchmaking success rates and allow folks to get into matches more reliably for their Friday evening Halo-ing.



It was approaching midnight on Friday. Here’s what we knew so far…



Players were frequently failing to configure dedicated servers. From looking through logs corresponding to failures on the dedicated servers themselves, the primary configuration data was never being received from clients in the first place. Two wildly different MCC builds (one of which had been working as expected in the production environment for the past several months) were affected by the issue in exactly the same way. Recent service changes we’d made were not causal (but had been reverted just in case anyway). The primary mitigation steps we’d taken so far were enabling peer-to-peer fallback and disabling bans. Unfortunately, as we learned further into the weekend, this ban change failed to immediately take effect due to a completely unrelated issue.



On Saturday morning, now that we’d ruled out any MCC-specific changes being causal, we began engaging partner teams across Microsoft. We cast a gradually wider net as each team owning services along the path between client and server conducted their own investigation, slowly narrowing things down. On Saturday we also built a more complete understanding of the issue from a combination of data aggregation and manual reproduction of the issue aided by network traffic capture tools.



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">On Thin ICE</h2>



The server configuration process is conducted by way of a series of packets sent between the client and server. The client-server connection itself is negotiated via <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc8445" target="_blank">Internet Connectivity Establishment (ICE)</a> in order to send STUN packets between them. STUN is a protocol for <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc8489" target="_blank">Session Traversal Utilities for Network Address Translator (NAT)</a>. In our case, these STUN packets are used for managing <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc768.txt" target="_blank">User Datagram Protocol (UDP)</a> flow between the client and server. The connection is negotiated via binding requests which allow the client to identify the address of the server. The client will only accept solicited traffic from the server (traffic sent along an established connection), but the server can accept unsolicited traffic (allowing the client to initially establish the connection).



This process looks like an initial establishment followed by a series of configuration messages telling the server which Halo game library to launch and optionally providing map and game variant data. What we observed was that the client would send the expected initial packets, the server would receive them and send the expected packets in response, but the client never received them!



Without receiving the initial acknowledgement, the client could never move on to sending the configuration data itself. After ten seconds of not receiving acknowledgment, the client would time out which would manifest as a failure in matchmaking or the custom game browser. 30 seconds after allocation with no configuration, the UDS would shut down (putting the virtual machine back into standby, ready to be allocated again).



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="791" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_01.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33806" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_01.jpg 1100w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_01-300x216.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_01-1024x736.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_01-768x552.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /></figure>



Parallel Wireshark captures from the client (left) and server (right) when reproducing the issue with trace view (top) and UDP stream view (bottom). IP addresses have been anonymized. The server responses (blue in the UPP stream view) are not received by the client.



Interestingly, in the cases where the client did receive the response from the server and successfully configure, it would continue to succeed any subsequent attempts to configure that virtual machine for a period of about 15 minutes. Failures were also inconsistent; a client could fail to configure a given server and then succeed on its next attempt. In the retail environment, it is highly unlikely that a client would ever make two contiguous configuration requests to the same server, but this provided some further details for our investigation.



The number of virtual machines allocated rose to higher-than-normal levels because, in most cases, they would fail configuration and clients would move onto allocate another machine and repeat the process. Meanwhile, the amount of actual UDP traffic between clients and servers fell well below normal.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="395" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_02.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33820" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_02.jpg 1100w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_02-300x108.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_02-1024x368.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_02-768x276.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /></figure>



 MCC dedicated server machine allocations from 03/28 through 04/03



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="363" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_03.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33834" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_03.jpg 1100w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_03-300x99.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_03-1024x338.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_03-768x253.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /></figure>



 MCC dedicated server outgoing User Datagram Protocol (UDP) bytes from 03/28 through 04/03



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="355" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_04.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33848" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_04.jpg 1100w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_04-300x97.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_04-1024x330.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_04-768x248.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /></figure>



MCC dedicated server outgoing User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets from 03/28 through 04/03



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mitigation</h2>



Thankfully, we were able to reliably reproduce the issue ourselves which allowed us to set up and capture various network diagnostics in real-time from the client and server simultaneously. This allowed us to narrow down the issue somewhat as we tracked the returning packets on their way back to the client. However, the network topology between client and server is somewhat complex and some components of it are stateful—meaning that the same inputs can result in different outputs based on surrounding factors. As a result, identifying exactly where packets were getting lost along the way was an unfortunately time-consuming process.



In parallel to this investigation, we sought to simplify our test case. MCC and the UDS are each complex applications which can introduce noise or red herrings into this kind of investigation. To combat this, we built a simple test application to replicate our traffic scenario without any other implementation details getting in the way. We found that we could consistently reproduce the issue with our simple test app if the server sent an unsolicited packet to the client (before the client established a connection). This behavior which was consistently resulting in failure would have resulted in success prior to 04/01.



Armed with this information, we were able to make a targeted change to the traffic pattern on our UDS (i.e. a change which would not require a game update for MCC). We rolled this change out in parallel to two of our development branches and began testing the fix against our live MCC build and our upcoming release candidate at the same time. With this change, we observed our server configuration success rate go from something like 25% to 100%. This testing took place on Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning, and we deployed our new UDS build containing the change at scale early Wednesday afternoon.



Unfortunately, players currently need to relaunch MCC to receive the new server pairing information (this is something we’re looking to improve in the future). As a result, players saw a lot of false negatives throughout Wednesday afternoon where, even if they had relaunched, someone they matched with hadn’t and they attempted to configure a server from the old deployment (without the fix). Error rates declined as more and more of the population moved up to the new server deployment.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1100" height="538" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_05.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-33862" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_05.jpg 1100w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_05-300x147.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_05-1024x501.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/04/1100_MCC_MMBlog_05-768x376.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /></figure>



MCC dedicated server configuration and reservation failures per hour from 03/31 through 04/08



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<h2 class="wp-block-heading">STUNning Conclusion</h2>



We finally had our fix, but what had caused this established traffic pattern (which adhered to the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standard and had served us well for the past few years) to abruptly stop working? Investigation continued. Finally, it was identified that there had been some updates behind the scenes to the servers we use to relay STUN traffic as part of the ICE process which had resulted in misconfigurations.



We took other steps along the way such as adding more logging and other functionality to our UDS builds to make potential issues like this easier to diagnose in the future. We also implemented the traffic pattern change via a configurable switch (so we can reenable the old behavior at any time if needed). We were ultimately able to deploy a fix very quickly (under 24 hours from implementation to release) and without prompting a client-side MCC update (which requires certification and generally longer lead time), but the nature of the investigation to identify the issue in the first place meant that the whole process took much longer than we would’ve hoped.



Modern multiplayer games are complex and rely on a variety of technologies spanning multiple devices and networks. We’re always seeking to evolve and improve our own tech stack and how it interacts with dependent services. Thank you for joining us for this peek behind the curtain, and for your patience while we resolved the incident.

343 INDUSTRIES

MCC Server Incident Summary

Modding Tools

Update on Halo: MCC

Community

Modding tools for Halo: CE, Halo 2, and Halo 3 can be downloaded via Steam. When the tools are updated, be sure to re-extract the latest tags.zip file. When the tools are updated, mods should remain compatible though any tags modified in a previous version of the tools will require merging. 



These tools are being provided as-is. 



Licensing for the Halo: CE mod tools remains open to anyone who is interested in creating content for Halo: CE. For Halo 2 and Halo 3, you will need to own a license to the base game in Steam to gain access to the tools. The Halo: CE mod tools are available to anyone, regardless of which titles they own in Halo: MCC. To acquire the current mod tools, you can click the following links to install them if you own the DLC that matches the Toolset (ex. Halo 3 DLC for MCC would be entitled to Halo 3 Mod Tools): 



<ul><li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1532190">Halo: Combat Evolved</a></li><li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1613450">Halo 2</a></li><li><a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1695791">Halo 3</a></li></ul>



Or, alternatively, within the Steam app, in your Library, you can locate “Halo: CE Mod Tools – MCC” “Halo 2 Mod Tools – MCC” or “Halo 3 Mod Tools – MCC” and select to install with your Library filter set to include “Tools” as shown below. 



With this download, there are several programs that everyone will have access to. If you’ve modded in the Halo community before, some may be easily recognized. We also created an entirely new one to make modding Halo even easier. The screenshots below are specific to Halo: CE modding tools, though these tools function similarly in Halo 2 and Halo 3 as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Guerilla</h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="826" height="1229" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/MOD2.png" alt=""Guerilla" - viewing the scenario tag for "The Silent Cartographer"" class="wp-image-25170" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/MOD2.png 826w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/MOD2-202x300.png 202w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/MOD2-688x1024.png 688w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/MOD2-768x1143.png 768w" sizes="(max-width: 826px) 100vw, 826px" /></figure>



“Guerilla” – Viewing the scenario tag for “The Silent Cartographer” This program is used to edit the values of game content, which are files collectively called “tags.” There are tags for AI, bipeds, textures (aka, bitmaps), etc. You can use this program to update and alter these. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Sapien</h2>



“Sapien” – Viewing the level for “The Silent Cartographer” This one is the world or level editor for the game. Internally, levels are referred to as “scenarios.” This program allows you to populate data related to the level itself including things such as weapon placement, AI squads, and more.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tool</h2>



Though basic in its name, this one is a command-line-only Swiss Army knife for very specific changes. This is used to perform all the tasks related to importing source content into tag files or even to building map files. These map files are internally referred to as ‘cache files.’ But this tool will help perform all these adjustments. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Standalone</h2>



This entirely new program is basically a development build of the game itself. It runs directly off tag files instead of cache files. This is largely meant to help improve iteration times for people who are building and modding content. This program is meant for advanced modification only. It is also targeted for non-multiplayer development only. You can’t use it to test multiplayer levels with others and it won’t even load multiplayer levels at this moment. You could load multiplayer levels as campaign levels, but it may or may not help you in your endeavors for it. For this tool, do not expect all the bells and whistles. This is very much a what you see is what you get sort of tool. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Additional Tools</h2>



In addition to these programs, we are also including zip files of level scripts and all the tag files which go into building the campaign and multiplayer levels. To access these, you will need to extract these files to begin editing these files or building existing levels. Part of the reason for using zips is so the final tools package is smaller to download, but also so tool updates don’t inadvertently replace files you edit. These tools are being provided as-is. While we plan to make updates over time to address issues we see the community talking about, the level of support these tools get should not be expected to match MCC itself. These are the tools which developers used or are using. They were originally developed with the expectation that a programmer was never too far away to fix or help someone work around an issue. They can be used in many ways, but not all workflows may work as expected on your machine. Future updates made to MCC may require you to rebuild your maps to play properly. However, we do not intend to break compatibility of tag files with tool updates, at least not without fair warning where possible. Halo: Combat Evolved, specifically, does not have a flexible tag system that can handle format changes gracefully. Later games improved this aspect. So, if such times come, all you should need to do is have the latest tools and rebuild your map. In order to take advantage of changes we make to the games; you may also need to update tags you use. Especially if you are using stock tag files (ones which are used to make the stock campaign and multiplayer levels), as these may have been changed to address bugs or other support items. We hope you enjoy these new ways to interact with Halo and we look forward to hearing from the community on your modding endeavors. Happy Modding all!

Halo: MCC Creator Hub

Halo Infinite

Celebrating 20 Years of Halo

Canon Fodder

And we’re back! Canon Fodder returns to your beloved browsers today for a brief—but fun—look at some exciting new additions coming to Halo: The Master Chief Collection. And in case you missed it, <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/zeta-testing">last issue we recapped</a> the exciting new campaign gameplay from Halo Infinite and made the short story “Sacrifice” <a href="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/CANON_FODDER_Franchise/halo_sacrifice-352e807233c6432e8d0e2102c733732b.pdf">available for all to download</a> in celebration of the release of the novel Halo: Divine Wind. Make sure you check it out if you haven’t already!



And now, onto the topic at hand.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THROWBACK UNIFORMS</h2>



Just today, our friends on the 343 Publishing Team <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/celebrating-20-years-of-halo-in-the-master-chief-collection">released a fancy new blog</a> detailing all of the sweet new additions heading to the MCC over the next several weeks as part of Halo and Xbox’s 20th anniversary celebrations! Make sure you check it out for all the juicy details on what you can get and when, where, and how you can get it.



For today’s purposes however, we’re going to focus, as you might expect, on the lore side of things—specifically surrounding the two new sets of armor up for grabs. Of course, I say “new,” but as long-time Halo fans will likely already realize, the best thing about these armors is that they actually date back to some of the franchise’s earliest years. Let’s take a closer look, shall we?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">LEGACY OF A GHOST</h2>



One of the mainstay asks among Halo fans—in particular any who have some passing affinity for the extended universe—has been “SPI EQUIPPABLE IN-GAME WHEN?” Well, we’re excited to finally be able to answer that with “now.” Well, “soon,” technically (again, <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/celebrating-20-years-of-halo-in-the-master-chief-collection">see today’s blog</a> from our Pub Team friends for release details).



Semi-Powered Infiltration armor, or “SPI” (typically pronounced S-P-I) as it’s more widely known, was introduced to us in the outstanding Eric Nylund-penned novel Halo: Ghosts of Onyx (one of my personal faves) as the primary armor loadout for the Spartan-IIIs. Some background context: the original SPARTAN-II program was designed to churn out walking-starship-level destruction via the totally-not-terrible method of turning six-year-olds into eventual augmented powerhouses; from an effectiveness standpoint, S-IIs were ultimately incredible and successful but were also few in number and ridiculously expensive, so certain folks in the Office of Naval Intelligence, such as Colonel James Ackerson, decided on a slightly different approach with SPARTAN-III. Instead of stealing kids away from their families, they took children who had already been orphaned by the Covenant’s relentless onslaught and let them “volunteer” to get back at the enemy by becoming next-generation super-soldiers. Thing was, this generation was meant to be a bit more… expendable. Lots more candidates, cheaper to produce, but easier to throw a bunch of them at a big purple problem in scorched-Earth fashion, sacrificing hundreds of lives for precious time in hopes of ensuring humanity’s survival.



Part of what made this generation cheaper to produce was the fact that they typically weren’t equipped with the full suite of Mjolnir power-armor. ONI needed something less expensive, but still up to the task, and SPI was the answer. It provided the wearer with (as the name suggests) enhanced mobility and strength, as well as photo-reactive camouflage panels to aid in stealth and infiltration operations. They lacked energy shield generators and the compact fusion reactors of MJOLNIR, but dozens—or hundreds—of SPI could be produced for the cost of a single Mark IV suit. What you see here is the evolution of that idea, upgrading SPI to MJOLNIR standards to be worn by any generation of Spartan; this particular variant is designated as MIRAGE, and is coming to the Halo 3 customization suite for the MCC.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">MIRAGE</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/CANON_FODDER_Franchise/cf_mirage-ec573113fca440dfba2d86e3da690798.jpg" alt="Spartan armor variant called Mirage coming to Halo 3 Customization"/></figure>



HELMET



A direct evolution of the Semi-Powered Infiltration armor suite.



CHEST



MIRAGE armor incorporates the latest in software-definable deception jammers.



SHOULDERS



Lightweight, but resilient.



ARMS



A further refinement of the RIFT-class force-amplification gauntlets.



LEGS



Though not as robust as mainline Mjolnir suits, the MIRAGE exoskeleton meets basic performance metrics at a fraction of the price.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">BLAST FROM THE PAST</h2>



And if you thought that SPI was throwing it back, our next example predates Halo’s own release—or its existence on Xbox in general. Going back to Halo’s earliest public appearances, this armor evokes both feelings of familiarity as well as an older legacy, donned by the augmented hero we would eventually come to know as the Master Chief. When bringing it forward into the universe as a “proper” set of armor, it made perfect sense to do so in parallel with the earliest origins of the SPARTAN program itself: ORION.



The ORION program was the predecessor to the SPARTAN-II program—in fact, that’s the whole reason there is a “II” after Spartan, paying direct homage to its earlier attempted incarnation, essentially being “ORION-II.” Interestingly enough, the elements that set ORION apart from the SPARTAN-II and SPARTAN-III programs were ultimately largely realized in the SPARTAN-IV generation—augmenting fully-grown adults into heroic super-soldiers. Something the original ORION program attempted but just couldn’t land for several reasons. In fact, Sgt. Major Avery Johnson himself was one of the original ORION candidates, which helps make sense of why he always seemed so tough to take down and keep down.



The ORION program was not just looking at human augmentation, they conducted studies and research into soldier enhancement that include armor, weapons, software interfaces, and even training techniques. Most of their ideas never made it past initial exploration and prototypes, but there are lingering vestiges of what the CMA and ONI might have managed had they been able to fully realize the near-impossible and fielded a suit of powered assault armor that achieved in reality what they hoped for in computer models.



The ORION armor you see here is coming to the Halo 2: Anniversary customization suite in the MCC.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">ORION</h4>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/CANON_FODDER_Franchise/cf_orion-a55a09786e7e4d1f8b7e7c8770a2a8b9.jpg" alt="Orion armor set coming to the Halo 2: Anniversary customization suite in MCC"/></figure>



HELMET



Project ORION had ambitious plans for complete super-soldier weapon systems, but only Dr. Halsey had the vision and genius to bring both hardware and wetware to fruition.



CHEST



High-grade torso shell with prototype fitting for integrated “Shoulder Angel” micro-missile/decoy launcher.



SHOULDERS



ORION hardware development studies provided useful data for ensuring both range of motion and high levels of protection on later MJOLNIR designs.



ARMS



Field-tested during Operation: KALEIDOSCOPE.



LEGS



Rigorous testing of the greaves was undertaken by candidate 029 on the red plains of Mars.



And there you have it! If you’re as excited as we are about these new-old additions to MCC’s already overflowing sandbox, then get out there, play some games, and spend some Season Points in the in-game Exchange for all the sweet new celebratory loot we’ve got dropping!



Oh, but before we go, just in case you haven’t seen it yet…



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<iframe loading="lazy" title="Halo Infinite | UNSC Archives - Unspoken" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jPPVDXU5fy4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



 Oh, and I’m not gonna lie, I also loved this one:



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Mega Construx: Adventures on Zeta Halo" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NZ8hC3VtHJA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



That will do it for us today—like I said, short and sweet. Of course, I wouldn’t go wandering off too far if I were you. 



Until next time… Live well, play Halo, and GO BRAVES!



<a href="https://twitter.com/grimbrotherone"><3 Grim</a>

GrimBrother One

Issue 121

Anniversary Armory

Nearly 20 years ago, we met the Master Chief for the very first time in Halo: Combat Evolved. With Cortana at his back, the Master Chief stepped foot onto the mysterious Installation 04 and ignited a fandom that would span generations. Since then, Halo: The Master Chief Collection has become our living legacy; celebrating the original Halo titles that have led us to this moment as we prepare to welcome the next generation of the franchise with Halo Infinite.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/gruntplush_back-286c989082964e3384d11b056d25a514.jpg" alt="Spartan wearing a Grunt Plush as a back accessory in Halo 3"/></figure>



If you were watching our latest MCC Dev & Flighting Update, you might recognize the Grunt Plush!  [To download this image at full res, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/gruntplush_back-286c989082964e3384d11b056d25a514.jpg" target="_blank">please click here</a>.]



As such, today we’re thrilled to announce some brand-new content coming to MCC to help celebrate 20 years of Halo! With today’s update there’s a fresh bevy of Halo-themed content for you to adorn your Spartans with, including:



<ul><li>The “Orion” Armor Set for Halo 2: Anniversary, first seen in the original 1999 Halo reveal</li><li>Weapon skins featuring an OG Xbox color scheme</li><li>Back Accessories suited for any Spartan’s loadout</li><li>A batch of brand-new Nameplates! Here’s just a few examples:</li></ul>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/nameplate_halo20thanniversary-692cce2d895e490c9764a8e1bb5dd413.png" alt="Brand new Halo Master Chief Collection Nameplate for the 20th Anniversary"/></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/nameplate_dreamcat-bcce258b3b40455db34d66cb844814db.png" alt="Brand new Halo Master Chief Collection Nameplate"/></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/nameplate_clippytriumphant-33ca0b49c9884abf9304aa07a694618d.png" alt="Brand new Halo Master Chief Collection Nameplate"/></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/nameplate_believe-9558104642324db8b31f928698c0f17e.png" alt="Brand new Halo Master Chief Collection Nameplate"/></figure></div>



<ul><li>And more!</li></ul>



So, whether you want to duke it out with the Duke, or you want to bring your very own Grunt Plush into battle, there’s plenty waiting for you.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Halo 20th Anniversary content in MCC</h2>



With the release of the latest <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/unleash-your-inner-warrior-mcc-season-8-mythic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MCC Season</a>, we took a chance to <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/mcc-september-development-update-september-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">give you a rundown on how our content would be arriving</a> from that point on – and, today is a first step in that very direction. Today, we’re excited to get content directly into your hands that would have usually had to be bundled up into a much bigger release.



Across MCC there will be a litany of new content to check out, including a brand-new armor set for Halo 2: Anniversary, another set along with some cool new pieces for Halo 3 featuring some of your favorite Xbox gear of yesteryear, a new Utility Item for Halo: Reach, along with nameplates and a few other pieces of flair that will help any Halo fan round out their kit. There will even be some nameplates you can earn by completing new weekly challenges.



Over the course of November, December, and into January we’ll be releasing Halo 20th Anniversary-themed content right in MCC’s Exchange for you to purchase with Season Points. Granted, we know the holiday season brings with it lots of travel, so we’re doing what we can to keep you covered:



<ul><li>First things first, please check out our full schedule below of exactly what’s releasing, and when.</li><li>And, if you miss any of these dates, we’ve got you covered. Everything below will return to the Exchange at a future date! You can rest easy knowing these aren’t one and done.</li></ul>



So, without further ado, here’s a rundown of what’s to come: 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/tmcc20yearshalo_timeline_1_1120-99a93b01ab354572b4e40d7e4a2f14d2.png" alt="A rundown of Halo 20th Anniversary-themed content in MCC's Exchange"/></figure>



 [To download this image at full res, <a href="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/tmcc20yearshalo_timeline_1_3840x2160-5d686afdfe054555a1a4218e25de346a.png" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">please click here</a>.] 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/tmcc20yearshalo_timeline_2_1120-0ef3961bd4744ae397520ebdb6951857.png" alt="A rundown of Halo 20th Anniversary-themed content in MCC's Exchange"/></figure>



 [To download this image at full res, <a href="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/tmcc20yearshalo_timeline_2_3840x2160-f493478c4bb14602b79101ed644a69da.png" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">please click here</a>.]



And, for those of you that would prefer to copy and paste, here’s a written rundown of what’ll be available in the Exchange (and when), just for you:



<ul><li>November 3, 2021: “Orion” Armor Set (Helmet, Chest, Shoulders, Arms, Legs) for Halo 2: Anniversary</li><li>November 10, 2021: The Beast Back Accessory and Duke Shoulders for Halo 3</li><li>November 17, 2021: OG Xbox Assault Rifle Skin for Halo 3</li><li>November 24, 2021: Semi-Powered Infiltration “Mirage” Armor (Helmet, Chest, Shoulders, Arms, Legs) for Halo 3</li><li>December 1, 2021: OG Xbox Battle Rifle Skin and Rucksack Back Accessory for Halo 3</li><li>December 8, 2021: Hydration Container Utility Item for Halo: Reach</li><li>December 15, 2021: Fronkbox Back Accessory, Duke Shoulders, and OG Xbox Sniper Rifle skin for Halo 3</li><li>December 22, 2021: Grunt Plush and X-Pack Back Accessories and the OG Xbox Magnum Skin for Halo 3</li><li>December 29, 2021: OG Xbox Shotgun and SPNKr Skin for Halo 3</li><li>January 5, 2022: The first return of the “Orion” armor set for Halo 2: Anniversary</li></ul>



So go forth, mark your calendars and pack your Series S for your next travel date, because your chance to dial up your Spartan’s look is going to level up even that much more. With huge thanks to throwbacks all the way back to the original 1999 reveal, to the Duke, to your very own Grunt Plush Back Accessory – there’s going to be a lot more opportunities to show just how versatile your style is.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/orion_ingame1120-b7e84b9e931743258fd02e8f3cce9602.png" alt="Party like it's 1999 in Halo 2: Anniversary with the "Orion" set! "/></figure>



Party like it’s 1999 in Halo 2: Anniversary with the “Orion” set!  [To download this image at full res, <a href="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/BlogPost/MCC20YearsContentBlog/orion_ingame-83806683516841e79286c80f3030482c.png" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">please click here</a>.]



For a full rundown of everything that’s included in this update, be sure to check out our <a href="https://support.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us/articles/4409476153236" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">full Patch Notes right over here</a>. And as always, if you need any help or find any issues within MCC, be sure to contact the Halo Support team over at <a href="http://aka.ms/HaloSupport" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aka.ms/HaloSupport</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Thank you for 20 years</h2>



It’s hard to believe that we’ve been together though this great journey together for 20 years now. Console generations, along with human generations have risen up right in front of us during that time. And whether you preferred to spend your time in BTB with friends, replaying campaigns to try your hand against legendary Jackal Snipers, or anything in between, it’s impossible to ignore just how much your feedback and friendship have meant to us. 



Thank you, and we hope you enjoy! Putting together this content for MCC to celebrate 20 years of Halo has inspired us greatly, and we couldn’t be happier to get it into your hands. So whether you’re just diving into Halo for the very first time or you’re a veteran that’s been by Sierra-117’s side since the very beginning, we’re eternally thankful to have you here.



And, when you’re done exploring the new looks, be sure to let us know how your new Spartan looks! Send a <a href="https://twitter.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tweet</a> our way when you get a chance.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">–<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/asalisbury" target="_blank">Andy</a></h3>

Andy Salisbury

Celebrating 20 Years of Halo in The Master Chief Collection

Unleash Your Inner Warrior: MCC Season 8, Mythic

At long last, the day has finally arrived. After all the testing, after all the designing, and after all the implementation – Season 7 for Halo: The Master Chief Collection, is here.



The latest MCC season, Elite, covers a lot of ground. With a fresh set of Elite customization options to choose from, two new maps for matchmaking with Edge and Waterfall, the return of the Halo 4 Champions Bundle, Firefight being added to the social matchmaking menu and, of course, the Custom Game Browser (CGB) for Halo: Reach, along with quite a few more additions – there’s plenty for every Halo fan to sink their teeth into. So, buckle up, make sure MCC is all updated, and prepare to spend any leftover Season Points you might still have around. 



Welcome, to Season 7:



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Halo: The Master Chief Collection – Season 7" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E3ohzVlOmpI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">MCC SEASON 7: ELITE</h2>



MCC Season 7 is the culmination of a great deal of hard work, feedback, and – did I mention hard work? The Pub Team has been bringing together Elite armor customization and maps to MCC from Halo Online, bringing new vehicle skins to Halo: CE, and of course – bringing the Champions Bundle for Halo 4 back to its rightful home.



For those looking to dive in as soon as possible, let <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/343Postums" target="_blank">Postums</a> give you the full rundown in the latest edition of Seasonal Sitrep:



<figure class="wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Seasonal Sitrep: MCC Season 7, Elite" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oKIeVZmDnOE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">ELITE CUSTOMIZATION SENSATIONS</h3>



With the arrival of MCC Season 7, the Sangheili-centric among you are about to get a heaping helping of new customization options for Halo 3. A litany of armors are returning from their time in Halo Online and arriving here in MCC, providing a fresh coat of paint for those that wish to do battle against the heretics.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/MCCS7-LaunchBlog/halo-master-chief-collection-2020_season7_05_watermark_1120-7799d1e739054df883ff06b5a142b374.jpg" alt="MCC Season 7 elites wielding energy swords"/></figure>



And of course, be sure to update your Energy Sword as well – with seven colors to choose from, you’ll have a solid set of tingly new customization sensations.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">HALO 4 CHAMPIONS BUNDLE, AND NEW ARMOR EFFECTS</h3>



Returning from their initial debut in Halo 4 in August of 2013, the Champions Bundle is making its triumphant return to the forefront and is officially in MCC. With its arrival, you’ll have brand-new armor sets to unlock, and brand-new ways to intimidate your foes.



And, if you’re the kind that likes to make your presence known on the map, Halo: Reach’s armor effects are arriving in Halo 4! So, whether you’re interested in lighting your skull up in flames, or you just want to be a roaming storm, you’ll have everything you need to dial up your look even that much more.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">NEW MAPS FOR MATCHMAKING</h3>



If you’re a Halo Insider, this won’t come as a surprise. (Hint!) But, two new maps from Halo Online are now officially in the wild world of social matchmaking – Waterfall, which arrived back with MCC Season 6 and its compatriot from the annals of Halo Online, Edge are now both officially in the day-to-day rotation. So, dive into the social playlist of your choice, and check it out once you get a chance!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_05_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg" alt="Elite with energy sword looking out into the distance of the map" class="wp-image-11381" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_05_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_05_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_05_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_05_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_05_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_05_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">NEW WAYS TO GET TOGETHER</h3>



If you’ve been looking for an easier way to gather up a social crew for Firefight, we’ve got you covered. Firefight for both Reach and ODST is now an option in social matchmaking – so, you can find your favorite free-flowing foe-flaying game mode front-and-center.



And of course, the Custom Game Browser (CGB) is entering Phase One and will be in MCC for Halo: Reach! Dive in and tweak every setting to your little heart’s desire, because we can’t wait to see you build all-out frays of your own design. (And if you come up with something cool, be sure to let us know on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>!)



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">WEAPON EXPRESSION</h3>



As far as customization options go – we’re not letting the Elites have all the fun. If you’re looking for a fresh coat of paint to apply to your favorite loadouts in Halo 4, some weapon skins of yester-decade are making their return! Check them all out in the Season Pass, and make sure your weapons are all fitting your aesthetic requirements.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_26_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg" alt="Three Spartans engaging in combat " class="wp-image-12009" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_26_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_26_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_26_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_26_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_26_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/08/Mcc_26_MediaGallery_2021_1920x1080.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



And as long as we’re on the topic, there are new vehicle skins coming to Halo: Combat Evolved! Be sure to dive into the Season Pass and give them a look, because there’s a lot to dig through. But, rest assured that your presence on the battlefield will be unmistakable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">TIMED CONTENT DURING SEASON 7</h2>



As is true with each Season in MCC, we’re going to have some timed content available only during Season 7. As usual, you can look forward to some Nameplates focused on events, but of course, there’s going to be an Energy Sword, Tech Suit, and Battle Rifle Skin to go after as well for those that want to push themselves that much further. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">SPARTAN MK. VII: KEYSTONE</h3>



With today’s release of Season 7, you can find the Halo Infinite-inspired Mk. VII Keystone helmet up for grabs in the Exchange! Once you unlock it for free, it’ll permanently become an option for you to utilize in Halo 4.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/MCCS7-LaunchBlog/mccs7_itempromo_halo4_keystone_1120-6b678a306b00481ba57d85f3760712e4.png" alt="Two Spartans equipped with the Keystone Helmet"/></figure>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">TIMED SEASONAL CHALLENGES</h3>



As is always the case, we’ve got some Season 7-exclusive goodies for those of you that want to step up, and show your prowess over the coming weeks. This time around, you can choose from: 



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/MCCS7-LaunchBlog/s7-seasonlchallenge-sword-copy-f051d9ed5e7c4d52a688e98a670d9149.png" alt="Elite wielding an energy sword from Season 7"/></figure>



Elite Swordplay : Complete ‘Nice Slice’ and ‘Keep Killer’ Challenges:



<ul><li>Nice Slice: Earn 343 points with an Energy Sword where campaign kills on Heroic or harder are worth 1 and Spartan Kills in Multiplayer are worth 10.</li><li>Keep Killer: Kill 500 High Ranking Elites in Campaign or Spartan Ops missions on Normal or harder.</li><li>Reward (Pictured above on the Halo 3 Elite): Evocoti’s Edge Energy Sword Skin (Halo 3)</li></ul>



Nightcrawler: Complete ‘Bedtime Stories’ and ‘Caesar Dressing’ Challenges:



<ul><li>Bedtime Stories: Complete 7 Night Missions in campaign on Heroic or Harder</li><li>Caesar Dressing: Get 343 assassination kills. In campaign you must be on Heroic or harder.</li><li>Reward: Tinted Smoke Tech Suit (Halo 3)</li></ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/MCCS7-LaunchBlog/s7-seaonalchallenge-h4battlerifle-copy-ffec62b2e7b949288524ce89bf38da9b.png" alt="Grey and yellow Spartan equipped with a Halo Battle Rifle"/></figure>



Pixel Perfect: Complete ‘Brain Burst’ and ‘Quattro King’ Challenges:



<ul><li>Brain Burst: Earn 500 Headshots in matchmade games.</li><li>Quattro King: Win 15 rank matchmade games in Halo 4</li><li>Reward (Pictured on the Halo 4 Spartan above): Pixel Battle Rifle Skin (Halo 4)</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">MCC-WIDE UPDATES</h2>



Of course, we couldn’t let the Seasonal Challenges have all the fun. We’ve got brand new static and animated Nameplates for you to choose from this time around, which will give you some handy new ways to intimidate (or, more operatively, distract) your pre- and post-game lobbies.



Here’s just a few:



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/MCCS7-LaunchBlog/mccs7-nameplates-01a0d14c8bb04e159ea484fddcfdbb80.gif" alt="Halo Master Chief Collection Season 7 animated nameplates"/></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">MODDING IN MCC</h2>



With this Season, we’ve released a couple of tools that players will be able to use for modding in Halo: Combat Evolved. These mod tools are available to all PC players, even if you don’t own MCC or Combat Evolved, by default through your Steam Tools library. In your Steam library, simply select “Tools” (<a href="steam://run/1532190">or, use this handy hyperlink</a>) from the dropdown menu and you’ll see the mod tools in your collection by default. If you own MCC through Game Pass or Windows Store, you will be able to access the tools through the creation of a Steam account and utilizing the Steam desktop client, just as an MCC owner on Steam would do.



If you are a long-time modder of Halo, some of the programs will look familiar in Guerilla, Sapien, and Tool. But there is an additional tool called Standalone, that will allow for some iterative testing of mods.



For full details on this, make sure to check your library for the latest tools to mod in MCC!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FIGHTING HERETICS, TOGETHER</h2>



To celebrate the arrival of MCC Season 7, be sure to join us for a Community Playdate over on <a href="http://www.twitch.tv/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitch.tv/Halo</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">YouTube.com/Halo</a>!



We’re going to be going live at 2 PM Pacific on Thursday, July 1st – so, make sure your calendar is clear. As per usual, if you match in with us, you’ll land the Ice Unicorn Rewards.



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://content.halocdn.com/media/Default/community/MCCS7-LaunchBlog/halo-master-chief-collection-2021_season6_hoz_toros_05_watermark_1120-7ae7be3171af419d914b7f7396d6f83a.jpg" alt="Purple Banshee from menu screen"/></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">JOIN THE FUN</h2>



PC players can pick up Halo: The Master Chief Collection on a few different digital storefronts of their choice:



<ul><li><a href="https://www.xbox.com/en-US/xbox-game-pass/pc-games" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Xbox Game Pass for PC</a>: Join Xbox Game Pass for PC and get Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, and Halo 4 today as a part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection.</li><li><a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/halo-the-master-chief-collection/9ntm9hxnlszx?activetab=pivot:overviewtab" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft Store</a> and <a href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/976730/Halo_The_Master_Chief_Collection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Steam</a>: The Halo: The Master Chief Collection bundle is available today for $39.99 USD, which includes today’s launch of Halo 4 along with the already available Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo: Reach. Each title can be purchased individually for $9.99 USD with the exception of Halo: 3 ODST which can be purchased for $4.99 USD.</li><li><a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/halo-the-master-chief-collection/9ntm9hxnlszx?activetab=pivot:overviewtab" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Xbox Store</a>: Purchase Halo: The Master Chief Collection for your Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S on the Microsoft Store as well!</li></ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FEEDBACK AND SUPPORT</h2>



As always, if you’re having any issues or want to provide us with any feedback, our ears are wide open. Below we’ve got some handy links to get you right as rain, whether you’re looking to file a ticket to get some help – or, you just want to provide some feedback on your gameplay experience.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">FORUM FEEDBACK</h3>



Got something you want us to get a closer eye on? Have some feedback about your gameplay experience? We’ve got some forums set up and ready to go.



And as a reminder, be sure to use these forums for suggestions and feedback, NOT bugs and issues:



<ul><li>Season 7 Feedback</li></ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">HALO SUPPORT</h3>



Want to let us know about your gameplay issues? Something not working how you expect it to? Give the Halo Support Team as a heads-up!



Before you go filing a ticket, please be sure to do yourself a favor and check out the known issue lists:



<ul><li>Halo: The Master Chief Collection Patch Notes</li><li>MCC Global Known Issues</li><li>MCC Xbox Series X|S enhancements</li><li>Halo: Reach Known Issues</li><li>Halo: Combat Evolved Known Issues</li><li>Halo 2: Anniversary Known Issues</li><li>Halo 3 Known Issues</li><li>Halo 3: ODST Known Issues</li><li>Halo 4 Known Issues</li></ul>



Always be sure to only file one ticket per issue as well, just to ensure that there’s the best chance they can isolate the problem and help you out.



And of course, for the latest updates from Halo Support, be sure to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/HaloSupport" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">follow them on Twitter</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THANK YOU</h2>



To our passionate community, thank you. We simply wouldn’t be here without you, and we couldn’t think of more capable soldiers to join us on this Great Journey. To the Halo Insiders, we couldn’t be more thankful for your support, dedication, and feedback.



But for now, it’s time for you to dive in with all the latest and greatest! Enjoy, and as always, be sure to follow us on <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://www.instagram.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Instagram</a>, and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/Halo" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Facebook</a> for all of the latest updates.



Stay safe out there,



–<a href="https://twitter.com/asalisbury" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Andy</a>

MCC Season 7: Meet the Elites

Hey Friends,



With the rollout of Season 6 and our first iteration of modding support which allows Halo Custom Edition maps to be supported in MCC, we also released a brand-new End User License Agreement (EULA) right here!



We have taken some time ahead of this launch and put together this basic FAQ to answer questions that players may have around the EULA for modding Halo: The Master Chief Collection (MCC). If there are any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to ask us in this pinned forum thread and we will work to circle back in time. Without further ado, let’s dive on into it friends!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">EULA FAQ</h2>



In this FAQ what does Mods or Modding refer to? This is an easy one! Mods and modding in this FAQ refers directly to MCC modding.



I like making money for mods I build. Is selling my mods or being paid for them allowed? At this time no, we will continue to evaluate the desire to support this and keep an open mind toward the future.



Are any and all assets such as music, textures, as well as models from previous (and future) Halo games allowed to be used in mods? Anything contained within MCC is allowed to be used for modding efforts.



In the EULA, it mentioned “No competing services” what does this mean? This is defined clearly in the Competing Service section of the EULA.



Can MCC mods use assets from other 343 Industries games, or Microsoft products? Only the assets contained within the retail version of MCC are allowed for use in modding efforts.



Do we have to use a specific program or tool to make our mods? Are we still allowed to use HEK, Assembly, Reclaimer, or other tools readily available? You are allowed to use whatever legally obtained tools you have at your disposal to create mods for MCC. We are planning to release updated tools for several titles that should largely be able to do what you’ll need in order to successfully mod some of the games in MCC. We will continue to update as feedback is received. We also plan to set up a git repository where the community will be open to improve some of the tools in the future. We will share more information around this as we get closer to having it ready.



Is there any type of content that isn’t allowed? You would need to provide irrefutable proof that you created the assets and that you have express permission to use the likeness, style, etc of what you’re trying to create. Remember, it’s not just about creating something from scratch but many of these popular IP’s also have very clear guidelines about what is and is not OK to use in the recreation of their properties. Even if you can prove that it’s 100% yours and you have explicit permission to use, we will always reserve the right to pull content out of the modding ecosystem as outlined in the EULA.



When we are modding, is pineapple allowed? Always!



Can we port assets, maps, and sounds from Halo Online or the Eldewrito mod? As long as those assets are your original creations and can be proven as so, they are fine to use. If they are from the base game that is not MCC they cannot be used.



If this EULA says “No assets from other games” but the developer of the game who owns those assets has given you explicit permission, is it allowed? If the developer has given explicit open permission in an open and verifiable forum then yes, these would be useable. If they have only given you permission to use them, we would need to be able to verify that with the creator and also verify their intended permission goes beyond just your own personal use – once it’s a mod, it’s out there for everyone and then would also transfer useability to us. It’s a very complicated path and if its unable to be proven, we reserve the right to remove them as outlined in the EULA.



Say a flight features a new model or gun. Then this model or gun never makes it to release. Can we take that and add it via mods? Archiving assets from flights for future use is against our terms of service for flighting. We highly value everyone’s feedback during the flighting process but sometimes items are pulled for reasons outside of them just not being ready. In doing this you could be potentially opening yourself up to legal action. There is potential for us to release “unreleased” assets like this in the future that have been vetted and will be available for open use in modding.



Who owns my mods? The details for this are outlined clearly in the Ownership of Our Game and Other Things section of the EULA.



If I use a mod that has been found to be breaking the EULA, am I also breaking the EULA? Will I get banned? If you have downloaded a mod and played with it, but it is later deemed to break the EULA, it will not apply to you. However, if you take it, modify it, and replace it – you are then complicit and actions can be taken against your account. If you think it breaks the EULA, chances are it does.



Can content from older builds of the game be re-used/added back? As outlined above, any content that is part of the released version of MCC can be used in modding.



If something isn’t mentioned in the EULA, but is against it later down the line, will someone who was unaware be punished for the mod/have to take it down? We will work with that individual to take it down in a case like this rather than blanket banning.



Can I upload my mods anywhere I want? Or do I have to put them in a specific place? While we do plan to facilitate an ecosystem for mods within Steam Workshop, you are free to share your mods as you see fit.



We understand there will be more questions that come up from the community relating to the EULA, mods, and what players can and can’t do. We will do our best to answer these as mods expand, new features are brought online, and the ecosystem expands.



Thank you for stopping in and taking a look! As always, we will see you online!



Cheers, <a href="https://twitter.com/343postums" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Postums</a>