Canon Fodder

Community

Alex Wakeford

Issue 130

Canon Fodder: Cutting Room Lore

Games

Introducing Halo Gear Rewards from the Xbox Gear Shop! Halo Gear Rewards are exclusive physical products players can earn access to after completing specific in-game accomplishments.



And with that, we are excited to announce our first Halo Gear Rewards item, the Fracture: Entrenched Tanker Jacket. This high-quality jacket features embroidered emblem patches, beautifully screen-printed Halo art, and a personalized removable Gamertag patch. And as a bonus, it will also come with an additional UNSC patch for a stealthier option.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Halo_Entrenched_Jacket_Inside_03-62e00fe293c68-1024x576.png" alt="Inside of the new Halo Fracture: Entrenched Jacket" class="wp-image-43388" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Halo_Entrenched_Jacket_Inside_03-62e00fe293c68-1024x576.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Halo_Entrenched_Jacket_Inside_03-62e00fe293c68-300x169.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Halo_Entrenched_Jacket_Inside_03-62e00fe293c68-768x432.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Halo_Entrenched_Jacket_Inside_03-62e00fe293c68-1536x864.png 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Halo_Entrenched_Jacket_Inside_03-62e00fe293c68-1568x882.png 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Halo_Entrenched_Jacket_Inside_03-62e00fe293c68.png 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



So, how does it work? 



Players who have completed the Fracture: Entrenched Event Pass will need to log into their Halo Waypoint profile via web or mobile. Once logged in they will automatically receive a unique code via the Waypoint Notification system. Please note that it can take up to 24 hours for Halo Waypoint to recognize completion of the event pass and to deliver the code. There is a limit of one code per account, and codes will begin rolling out to qualifying players on July 26, 2022.



Once you have received your code, just head over to the <a href="https://gear.xbox.com/products/halo-entrenched-personalized-jacket">Halo Gear Shop</a> to select your jacket size and personalization details on the product page and complete your purchase. Follow the code redemption instructions listed on the product page.



To qualify for this Halo Gear Rewards item, players must complete the <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/fracture-entrenched-event">Fracture: Entrenched Event Pass</a> by November 1, 2022.



The Fracture: Entrenched Tanker Jacket will be available for purchase until November 15, 2022. Jackets will ship in Q1 2023.

343 INDUSTRIES

Introducing Halo Gear Rewards

Community Update

Alpha Avenue

Issue 129

Canon Fodder: Eklund’s Ensemble

Alpha Pack Press Kit

Alpha Pack has arrived!



This two-week narrative event, which runs from July 19 to August 2, continues the story of “Lone Wolves,” Season 2 of Halo Infinite. Alpha Pack brings new story cinematics and a free 10-tier Event Pass featuring new cosmetics for your Spartan that can be unlocked through completing Event Challenges.



Let’s dive into this new event’s offering…



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">NEW TOYS</h2>



“Out there… beyond the safety of these walls, without resupply or reinforcements? Survival depends on your teammates and whatever you can find in the field.”



Complete Event Challenges based around the Last Spartan Standing playlist to unlock reward tiers in the free 10-tier Event Pass and outfit your Spartan with new cosmetics for the RAKSHASA armor core!



Take a look at some of the items you’ll be acquiring from out in the field (and keep an eye out for some of Spartan Eklund’s field journals which will tell you more about some of their history and utility)…



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/ForBlog_ALPHA_PACK_REWARDS_1920x1080.jpg" alt="The Reward Track Summary of the ten-tier event pass which includes the Morrigan Helmet and Trapmaster's Map." class="wp-image-42686" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/ForBlog_ALPHA_PACK_REWARDS_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/ForBlog_ALPHA_PACK_REWARDS_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/ForBlog_ALPHA_PACK_REWARDS_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/ForBlog_ALPHA_PACK_REWARDS_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/ForBlog_ALPHA_PACK_REWARDS_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/ForBlog_ALPHA_PACK_REWARDS_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">THE STORY THUS FAR</h2>



At the start of Season 2, the Avery J. Johnson Academy received some unexpected visitors. Spartans Sigrid Eklund and Hieu Dinh deployed from a stolen Phantom, with Dinh in need of immediate medical attention after capturing a dangerous new foe.



The first-of-its-kind Banished AI known as Iratus was contained within Dinh’s armor, incapacitating the Spartan. Eklund informed Commander Agryna that the AI was guarding intelligence about Banished operations, making the Spartans’ mission clear: get Iratus out of Dinh’s head and force it to tell us everything it knows.



Commander Agryna then ordered the Spartans to enter a simulation of the facility on Camber, serving as bait to entrap Iratus within the Academy’s systems where they would then crack open the Banished archive using the facility’s ONI tech.



But the missions change.



They always do…



<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 Infinite | Alpha Pack Launch Trailer" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/v5V38-d-zNY?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



HOW TO VIEW CINEMATICS



In order to view the season cinematics, simply do the following:



A) From the main menu, navigate to the Seasonal Hub page.



B) To view the Season Intro, simply press X on Xbox or F on PC and the cinematic will load.



C) To view Alpha Pack’s introductory cinematic, when you enter the Event Pass page for the first time it will load automatically.



D) To view Alpha Pack’s concluding cinematic, when you enter the Event Pass page after completing all 10 tiers it will load automatically.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">EVERY SPARTAN FOR THEMSELVES!</h2>



The Alpha Pack Event is centered around Last Spartan Standing, a free-for-all attrition-based game mode.



Some of the old hands here know what you’re in for. For the rest of you who are due an education, 12 Spartans spawn with a pre-determined loadout and 5 respawns. All 12 players will fight for survival, accumulating personal score to power up their loadout.



As the match progresses, players that run out of respawns will be eliminated as the play space encloses until only one Spartan is left standing.



Last Spartan Standing can be played on all of Halo Infinite’s Big Team Battle maps, which includes:



<ul><li>Breaker</li><li>Deadlock</li><li>Highpower</li><li>Fragmentation</li></ul>



During the two weeks of the Alpha Pack Event, Last Spartan Standing will be the Event Playlist. After the Alpha Pack Event concludes on August 2, Last Spartan Standing will remain playable.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">FINISHING TOUCHES</h2>



Log in any time during the Alpha Pack Event to unlock the Iratus Unleashed emblem and nameplate…



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/LoneWolfOutro-IratusUnleashed_1920x1080.jpg" alt="A look at the Iratus Unleashed nameplate and emblem that players unlock for logging in anytime during the two week Alpha Pack event." class="wp-image-42658" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/LoneWolfOutro-IratusUnleashed_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/LoneWolfOutro-IratusUnleashed_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/LoneWolfOutro-IratusUnleashed_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/LoneWolfOutro-IratusUnleashed_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/LoneWolfOutro-IratusUnleashed_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/LoneWolfOutro-IratusUnleashed_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



 …and complete all your Weekly Challenges (and the Ultimate Challenge) to be rewarded with the Tactical Clippy weapon charm. There is, after all, no finer companion one could hope to have on the battlefield—even in charm form!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/TacticalClippy_WeaponCharm_S2_Ultimate_1920x1080.jpg" alt="The Tactical Clippy Weapon Charm." class="wp-image-42700" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/TacticalClippy_WeaponCharm_S2_Ultimate_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/TacticalClippy_WeaponCharm_S2_Ultimate_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/TacticalClippy_WeaponCharm_S2_Ultimate_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/TacticalClippy_WeaponCharm_S2_Ultimate_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/TacticalClippy_WeaponCharm_S2_Ultimate_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/TacticalClippy_WeaponCharm_S2_Ultimate_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



Finally, head to the Shop and grab the CAMBION Helmet Set. This contains the fearsome CAMBION helmet, along with the UA/Februus, FCI-X/CIBO, and FCI-X/BANE helmet attachments, as well as the Lucky Number Seven emblem and nameplate.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Cambion_Helmet_S2_Shop_Social_1920x1080.jpg" alt="The three options available to those who purchase the Cambion Helmet Bundle. " class="wp-image-42714" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Cambion_Helmet_S2_Shop_Social_1920x1080.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Cambion_Helmet_S2_Shop_Social_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Cambion_Helmet_S2_Shop_Social_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Cambion_Helmet_S2_Shop_Social_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Cambion_Helmet_S2_Shop_Social_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Cambion_Helmet_S2_Shop_Social_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /></figure>



Now go forth and lead the pack to victory!



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">ALPHA PACK PRESS KIT</h2>



Enjoy some event goodness for your social channels or your desktop with the<a href="https://aka.ms/AlphaPackPressKit"> Alpha Pack Press Kit.</a>

Alpha Pack Launch

Community Spotlight

Welcome to our debut Community Corner blog!



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/spotlight-july-7-2022" target="_blank">In our last Community Spotlight</a>, we announced that this particular offering will be expanding and there will be three “spotlight” blogs in rotation on a bi-monthly cadence.



<ul><li>Halo Spotlight: the spotlight you know and love, slightly shorter by default now to make room for these additional features.</li><li>Community Corner: a new blog series dedicated to spotlighting and interviewing individual members of the community.</li><li>Spotlight Evolved: a new blog series dedicated to different aspects of the Halo franchise and its connections with different communities.</li></ul>



We want to celebrate the Halo community and everything it’s got to offer, and this triptych will enable us to give a regular “broader picture” of fan creations, speak more closely with individual creators, and spotlight various communities and topics that stand as pillars of the franchise and fanbase.



For our first Community Corner, we are joined today by UberNick for a discussion about his history with Halo, his journey into streaming, what wisdom he has to impart to those who might be looking to follow a similar path, and more!



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



Hello, Nick! Thank you very much for giving us some of your time for our debut Community Corner, why don’t you introduce yourself? Where can we find you online?



Hey! I’m Nick and I have been a massive Halo fan since 2008, I began creating content online in late 2009 and I’ve been obsessed ever since. I am also a content creator for the HCS partnered team Spacestation Gaming!



You can find me on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/UberNickYT" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.twitch.tv/ubernick" target="_blank">Twitch</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/UberNick" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/ubernick/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>—all with the tag @UberNick



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Nicktana.jpg" alt="UberNick in a truly astonishing Cortana cosplay" class="wp-image-42453" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Nicktana.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Nicktana-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Nicktana-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Nicktana-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Nicktana-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/Nicktana-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption> An iconick look while raising money for the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://gamersoutreach.org/" target="_blank">Gamers Outreach charity organization</a>.</figcaption></figure>



Tell us about your Halo origin story. Where did this great journey begin for you and how has it progressed over the years?



So, as I mentioned above, I started in 2008 with Halo 3. I actually hated it the first time I played it as I was on Legendary difficulty and, being a total noob, I was very frustrated… Turns out starting on the highest difficulty might not have been the best idea!



But being the little achievement hunter I was, I went back to it later, changed the difficulty, and fell in love from there.



I’ve loved every Halo game since. They all offer me something that I enjoy, even the likes of Halo Wars—which is a totally different genre—has taken many hours from me.



I got into making videos with the Bungie Pro service that allowed me to render my Theater mode clips into actual videos that I then used to make some simple videos. From there, I upgraded my equipment until I no longer needed that service, and the rest is history.



Ah, I remember those days! That was the origin of a lot of incredible creativity in the community, we saw so many different groups spring up in the wake of how strongly they were empowered to create and share content.



How did you end up deciding to go full-time with streaming? Was there a moment that, looking back, changed the trajectory of your content creation journey?



I was working an office job I really disliked when, one day, I was called into my boss’s office and told I was being let go due to a shortage of work.



It was at this moment I thought to myself “I either dive head-first into trying to make content creation work, or I give up the dream.”



So, I gave myself three months to make something happen. Luckily, at the end of those three months, I uploaded a video that blew up and completely changed the direction of my channel forever, so I just rode that wave and it has worked out so far!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/NickChamp.jpg" alt="Image of UberNick holding a BTB Bonanza belt" class="wp-image-42467" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/NickChamp.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/NickChamp-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/NickChamp-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/NickChamp-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/NickChamp-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/NickChamp-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption> UberNick assumes the Mantle of Responsibility (colorized).</figcaption></figure>



As the Master Chief himself once said, we made our own luck. What was your first goal when you first started streaming? Did you aspire to get to where you are now?



My goal was—and still is—to create a fun environment for people to come and relax in. They don’t have to worry about their IRL problems as they just sit back and have a laugh with me on my stream. I’ve always just tried to be that friend you watch play Halo while having nothing but a good time.



I also always dreamed of being part of an incredible gaming organisation, In September of last year I was asked to join Spacestation as their first Halo content creator which has been incredible so far.



That’s actually such a wonderful way to put it! Whether it was a sibling or friend, I think a lot of us can relate to having someone who we either watched or watched us play Halo on the couch back in the day—and now we can gather online to share that experience together.



What advice would you give to younger UberNick at the start of his Halo journey—and to other folks who are looking to get into streaming themselves but may not be familiar with some of the challenges?



Just focus solely on what you enjoy doing. Don’t worry about what other people are doing as it becomes very obvious when you’re trying to replicate someone else’s success instead of creating your own.



I fell into this trap a lot in the early days, it’s very easy to do, but eventually I started digging my way out and found myself being a lot happier and having a lot more success because of it. Find your voice, your unique “thing.”



It also takes time. A lot of it. I’ve been full time with content creation for five years and I still learn something new on a regular basis.



Naturally, we have to ask the big question: what’s your favorite Halo game and why?



Halo 3.



Maybe it’s my nostalgia talking, but when I think of Halo 3 I’m just filled with pure bliss. Getting home from school and playing customs with my friends, or Lone Wolves trying to raise my rank, or even playing the campaign over and over never got old to me.



Halo 3 represents a very happy time in my life, and it always will. 



Which Halo character do you feel you relate to the most?



My favorite character is Jorge. I’ve always felt this strange connection to him ever since I first played Reach.



I always have tried to look out for everyone around me in my real life and the sacrifice Jorge made—not only for the rest of Noble Team but the entire planet of Reach—really struck a chord with me.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1920" height="1080" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/JorgeNick.jpg" alt="Screenshot of Jorge-052 from Halo: Reach alongside UberNick" class="wp-image-42481" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/JorgeNick.jpg 1920w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/JorgeNick-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/JorgeNick-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/JorgeNick-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/JorgeNick-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2022/07/JorgeNick-1568x882.jpg 1568w" sizes="(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px" /><figcaption> “Better get going, Nick, they’re gonna need you down there!”</figcaption></figure>



What are some of the things that you love about the Halo community?



The amount of incredible talent within the Halo community is a joy to watch. Whether it’s artists, or YouTubers making incredibly fun videos, the Halo community is filled with some of the best people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting.



I also love the passion. Halo fans don’t agree on everything, but we all want the same thing: the success of Halo. I have never seen a community just as passionate as ours.



As a fellow member of the Forerunner Council for Halo Infinite, what did that mean for you as such a big fan of the series?



It was the biggest honor to be invited to the Forerunner council. At the end of the day, I am just a Halo fanboy, so getting to play even a tiny role in Halo Infinite’s launch was a dream come true.



What’s a random fun fact about you?



I am 6ft 4” 🙂



Pineapple on pizza, yay or nay?



Yes, but I would never order it personally. (I’d always steal a slice though.)



Are there any exciting things coming up that we should keep a lookout for on your channel?



I’ve had a very busy year with plans of moving to the US, so for now I am just going to be getting my YouTube content back on track and continuing to create the best possible stream environment I can!



We wish you all the very best with the move! Lastly, are there any folks out there you want to give a shoutout to?



Big shoutout to the Halo community, we all have different opinions but we all just love Halo.



And also to my girlfriend SJ (OathxX), we met because of Halo which I think is pretty darn cool!



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



Be sure to go and check out Nick’s channels for some top-quality Halo entertainment. As a reminder, you can catch him on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/user/UberNickYT" target="_blank">YouTube</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.twitch.tv/ubernick" target="_blank">Twitch</a>, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/UberNick" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/ubernick/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.



Huge thanks to Nick for taking the time to join us for this first Community Corner piece, we can’t wait to speak with more of you and learn about your great journeys with Halo!

Canon Fodder: Cutting Room Lore

Introducing Halo Gear Rewards

Alpha Avenue

Canon Fodder: Eklund’s Ensemble

Alpha Pack Launch

Community Corner: UberNick

Cutting Room Corps

Halo: The Rubicon Protocol – Preview 1

Spotlight: July 7, 2022

ACEND ARE YOUR HCS VALENCIA 2022 CHAMPIONS!