Outcast Outings
July is coming to a close, which means it’s time for a Community Update to round up the latest and greatest happenings in the world of Halo.
We’ve had a new MCC update, the Digsite crew dropped their first release out of slipspace to bring cut Halo content from 1999 back into your hands on PC, the release of Halo: Outcasts is approaching and we’ve released some previews of the novel, and there’s a whole bunch more to cover. Let’s get into it.
HALO INFINITE
TENRAI II
The Tenrai event has returned to Halo Infinite!
This free event began on July 18 and runs until August 1, so you’ve still got a few more days to complete those Event Challenges and progress your free 10-tier Event Pass.
The Event Pass features new customization items for your YOROI armor, your Spartan ID, and a new Tenrai-themed weapon kit for your MA40 Assault Rifle.
Also available in the Shop is the Dragonborn super bundle, which—like Hazmat Haven before it—packages together three individual bundles at an overall discount.
You can purchase each bundle individually, but getting them all together will additionally unlock an exclusive Mythic Effect Set and the Dragonborn Noble shoulders for your YOROI armor.
SPARTAN CHATTER: RANKED EXPERIENCE
In our latest episode of Spartan Chatter, we were joined by Halo Esports and Viewership lead, Tashi Hasandjekic himself! We chatted with him about the Ranked experience in Halo Infinite and answered some community questions along the way.
SQUAD BATTLE
The Squad Battle playlist has come to Halo Infinite, resembling the BTB of old with 8v8 action on a variety of community-made maps based on beloved classics—Last Resort, Rat’s Nest, Valhalla, and just this week we added Waterworks from Halo 2 and Exile from Halo 4.
Modes you’ll be playing on these maps include Slayer, CTF, Total Control, and King of the Hill.
Squad up with your friends and relive the old days of BTB in Halo Infinite!
FORGE FEATURES
Our latest excursion into community cartography takes a look at some blasts from the past—including remakes of The Silent Cartographer and Death Island from Halo: CE—along with an art-based map designed to show off the power of Halo Infinite’s Forge, and more.
INTEL
As Season 4 of Halo Infinite progresses, more Intel will be unlocked—a series of data drops that provides some additional lore and context to certain elements of the season.
Two of the five logs have been decrypted thus far, featuring some trash talk from Iratus and some rallying words of motivation from Escharum.
MCC
MCC JULY 2023 UPDATE
Halo: The Master Chief Collection received a new update this month, bringing a ton of great new content, quality-of-life adjustments, modding improvements, and more.
Here are some of the highlights:
- Theater mode has come to Halo 4’s campaign and Spartan Ops
- Custom Game Browser for Firefight
- Custom Firefight player count increased from 4 to 8 players
- Join in progress added for Firefight matches
- Generator Defense mode from the Halo: Reach Beta has been added
- Acrophobia Skull added to Halo: Combat Evolved
- “Hunter boarding” added to Halo 2: Anniversary with Bandana Skull
- Escalation Slayer mode added to Halo 3
- New Forge objects added to Halo 3
- Golden moa statues added to Halo 2 campaign
- Custom button layout remapping added
There’s plenty more where that came from, so for the full breakdown on the contents of this update, check out our MCC July 2023 Update blog and take a look at the patch notes.
DIGSITE
Last year, we announced that 343 Industries was partnering with a group of community modders to restore and recreate various things from the cutting room floor of past Halo games—weapons, vehicles, wildlife, multiplayer maps, and even campaign levels. This effort reaches all the way back to the 1999 Macworld demo, back when Halo was a third-person shooter.
The Digsite crew made their first delivery with the latest MCC update, allowing PC players to easily mod in this restored content. Check out the links below:
Here’s all you have to do in order to experience this content: hit the links above and click “subscribe,” then boot up MCC on PC with anti-cheat disabled (you get this option when launching the game), then simply head to the relevant campaign or multiplayer menu to jump into these maps and missions.
That’s all it takes. In fact, the steps described above can all be done in the time it took to read them—so get out there and party like it’s Macworld 1999!
Interested in reading more about what’s arrived in this first release and what’s being worked on for the future? Check out our two latest Digsite blogs.
- DIGSITE DELIVERIES – Get the debrief on what content you can experience with the Digsite R1 drop alongside the July 2023 content update.
- DIGSITE DISCOVERIES – Find out about future Digsite content in the process of restoration for future releases.
HALO ESPORTS
HCS GLOBAL INVITATIONAL SALT LAKE CITY (HOSTED BY SPACESTATION GAMING)
Get ready for the ultimate Halo showdown in the heart of Utah! The HCS Global Invitational Salt Lake City, hosted by Spacestation Gaming, is the fourth live event of the year and a first for Halo and HCS.
From August 4-6, 16 of the best teams from NA, EU, MX, and ANZ will battle it out for a $125K prize pool and glory.
What looks to be an epic event for the players will also offer plenty of unique experiences for those fans lucky enough to make it in person. From free-play, exclusive apparel, team booths, Halo-themed activities and more, the team at SSG have curated a fantastic experience in and around the venue.
And if you're watching from home, you can still join the fun by earning in-game content on Twitch. Just a handful of tickets are left, so grab yours now!
Get more info on Halo.gg and be sure to follow HCS on Twitter!
FT. WORTH & HALOWC 2023 TICKETS ON-SALE
GA + VIP Tickets for the final two events of the year are on sale now! Competitive Halo will be back in Texas for the HCS Major Ft.Worth Sept 1-3. Secure your tickets ASAP!
This event will feature an open bracket for 4v4 competition with a $250K prize pool in addition to a $5K prize pool for lone wolves looking to make their mark in the FFA arena.
Following the last Major, the stage will be set to see who will take this year’s crown and the largest slice of the $1M prize pool. Fans in attendance can also expect to enjoy the Halo Community Stage with game dev panels, special guests, cosplay contest, and more!
HALO GEAR
HALO: OUTCASTS
The next novel by acclaimed author Troy Denning releases on August 8, featuring the return of Arbiter Thel ‘Vadam and Olympia Vale.
We’ve released previews of the first two chapters of the book thus far, which you can check out below in text and audiobook formats. A third and final preview will drop out of slipspace on August 1.
Arbiter Thel ‘Vadam, Usze ‘Taham, N’tho ‘Sraom, and Kola ‘Baoth are halted by the occupying armiger forces of Cortana on Sanghelios.
The Arbiter returns to Vadam Keep where he is visited by a new character who is pivotal to the story of Outcasts—Oath Warden Crei ‘Ayomuu.
Halo: Outcasts releases August 8 and is available in trade paperback, ebook, and unabridged audiobook formats.
2559. Formerly one of the Covenant's greatest and most fearsome warriors, Arbiter Thel 'Vadam is now allied with his former human enemies while deeply entrenched in leading the Sangheili people to a new era of unification. But his aspirations are under constant threat, whether by the dangerous, warring factions of rival Sangheili keeps, or the relentless shadow of oppression spread by the renegade artificial intelligence Cortana.
An opportunity to break Cortana's chains has suddenly presented itself through the rumored existence of an ancient artifact located on the hostile world of Netherop. Spartan Olympia Vale, trained with the skills to live and thrive among the Sangheili, also recognizes this alien prize as an essential means to aid humanity in reaching the same goal of freedom. But behind the scenes, both 'Vadam and Vale are being manipulated by a mysterious figure with their own agenda. And to make matters worse, all involved are unknowingly placing themselves at perilous odds with forces beyond their comprehension.
PARTNERSHIPS
BRAWLHALLA
Looking for an Epic Crossover that celebrates some of Halo’s most iconic heroes? Look no further than the Brawlhalla: Combat Evolved experience!
Finish the fight as the Master Chief or the Arbiter and make use of a versatile arsenal (including the SPNKr, M6 Pistol, Fuel Rod Cannon and Energy Sword) to achieve victory.
For folks looking for even more Halo flavor, be sure to check out the ‘Oddbrawl’ gamemode.
RADAR BLIPS
- JULY 2023 SPOTLIGHT: Join us for a special edition of the Halo Spotlight themed around all things Tenrai, along with additional Digsite-inspired fan art and more!
- HALO IS ON TIKTOK: As a reminder to all, Halo is officially on TikTok, and we’ve already got a plethora of educational and humorous content for you to check out!
- DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH: July is Disability Pride Month! Disability takes many forms, and whether a person's disability is visible or not, Halo is a universe where anyone can be a hero. We celebrate every Spartan as they are. Log into Halo Infinite and MCC at any time this month and you'll unlock the Disability Pride Month 2023 nameplate and emblem.
- SILVER TEAM WEAPON CHARMS: Log into Halo Infinite and you’ll unlock three weapon charms of Riz-028, Kai-125, and Vannak-134 to adorn your weapons with. This offer lasts until August 6.
THE ARTIST’S CORNER
This community update’s artwork is a piece from the legendary Isaac Hannaford, which can be found in Halo Mythos.
It depicts Arbiter Thel ‘Vadam leading his Swords of Sanghelios forces against Jul ‘Mdama’s resurgent Covenant remnant faction during a period that is known as the Blooding Years.
While we helped the Arbiter bring a final end to ‘Mdama’s Covenant as Fireteam Osiris in Halo 5, culminating in a climactic battle at Sunaion where we fought alongside our Sangheili allies, the axis of power in the galaxy would soon shift once more as Cortana dispersed Guardian constructs across the settled regions of the galaxy to impose an imperial peace.
That brings this Community Update to an end. Check out the chapter previews and secure your copy of Halo: Outcasts today, dive into Halo Infinite and finish up that free Tenrai II Event Pass while trying out some of the new Squad Battle maps, explore all the additions and improvements made to MCC (and have a go at the Digsite content on PC), and then finish the fight in Brawlhalla with the Master Chief and the Arbiter!
We'll see you next time.