Cover art by @AphonicWanderer

We’re back with another chapter of Your Halo Story, featuring fond memories from fellow Halo fans looking back on 25 years in the Halo community.

Keep up with past entries below:

• Your Halo Story: Chapter 1
• Your Halo Story: Chapter 2
• Your Halo Story: Chapter 3
• Your Halo Story: Chapter 4
• Your Halo Story: Chapter 5
• Your Halo Story: Chapter 6

Check out the next batch of fan submissions from our #Halo25Together haul below, and look for even more to come in next month's mail bag!

A long time ago, back in the Halo 3 days, I joined Xbox Live for the first time. Shortly after, I met a few new friends. We all grew close as a group and played so much Halo together. We helped each other get the Recon Armor, we beat the games on Legendary, we created our own little silly Forge based custom game. We even have a running joke that if one of our friends ever uninstalls a Halo game then the actual Covenant would drop out of Slipspace and glass our planet for real.

We put so many hours into 3, ODST, and later Reach. We even started a clan back in Halo Reach, we were the “Reach Liberation Army.” Halo was our staple. Outside of gaming we’ve been to each other’s weddings, graduations, we mourned each other’s losses, and we celebrated each other’s successes.

This group including myself, Fox, Bama, Navy, T, and so many more actually STILL keep in touch! Halo brought us together and for that, I will always be eternally grateful.

Tiberius1776

I was born mere weeks after the release of the very first Halo game. I like to say Halo was made, and then I was made to play it. I played my first campaign at 7 years old on the floor of a childhood friend’s bedroom, not knowing that said game was about to completely change my brain chemistry for the rest of my life. I was immediately pulled in by not only the gameplay, but the gut-wrenching story surrounding the Master Chief.

If it weren’t for Halo, I probably never would have chosen to become an indie sci-fi author and published my first novel. Not only did Halo bring my life inspiration, but it also brought me the best group of friends one could ask for. It started in a Discord server years ago, and became plane tickets and hotel booking to see people I had spent years hearing over multiplayer. I have friends in countries I’ve never been to. I’ve organized co-op campaigns spanning three separate time zones. I couldn’t ask for a better group of friends, and if it weren’t for Halo, I’d never have met some of the most amazing people in my life. The Halo universe is a home to me. It’s familiar in ways I can’t describe. It’s the laughter in my friend’s voices over a live match, it’s the smell of the books I have read curled up in my reading chair, and it’s the characters I love so dearly.

GreenEyedWolf1

De niño —y hasta el día de hoy— siempre estuve solo: rechazado, marginado y excluido. Mi única compañía eran los videojuegos. De niño atravesaba muchas experiencias negativas, y algunas muy dolorosas.

Actualmente tengo casi 20 años y, a los 11 años, conocí Halo cuando mi tío me regaló un Xbox 360. En ese entonces no sabía nada de Xbox ni de Halo. El primer juego que jugué fue Halo 3, sin saber el gran impacto que tendría.

Al ver al Jefe Maestro, desde el primer momento me atrapó: la historia, el soundtrack y toda la emoción que me transmitía.

Pero lo más importante fue que ahí conocí a mi héroe. Alguien que me dio esperanza cuando yo la necesitaba; quien me hizo echarle ganas a la vida, cumplir mis promesas, volverme fuerte para poder proteger a mis seres queridos y avanzar con determinación sin importar el dolor.

Alguien que nunca se rinde, sin importar las circunstancias; que cumple sus promesas y que da esperanza cuando todo está perdido.

El Jefe Maestro.

Cuando jugaba me sentía fuerte, valiente, capaz. Podía pasar horas jugando. Lo tomé como inspiración y, desde entonces, me siento sumamente orgulloso de haberlo elegido. Llevo al Jefe Maestro en mi corazón; siempre me imagino portando su armadura.

En mis proyectos de vida y graduación hago mención del Jefe Maestro. Me volví un gran fan de Halo, jugando todas sus entregas, y lo defendería a capa y espada. Amo Halo: contigo crecí y contigo moriré.

Halo se convirtió en algo más que un videojuego: fue compañía cuando la soledad pesaba y cuando el mundo parecía caerse. Cada vez que veo el tráiler de Halo 3, es imposible no emocionarme. Porque no solo veo un juego… veo algo que me salvó.

Eco M

Als ich noch ein Teenager war, hatte jeder meiner Freunde eine PlayStation – mit FIFA und Call of Duty und so weiter. Doch ein Freund von mir hatte eine Xbox. Mit Halo 3.

Eines Tages haben wir dann zu viert auf seinem damals noch Röhrenfernseher im Splitscreen gegeneinander gespielt. Er hatte Sandkasten als Karte gewählt und diese vorher mit der Schmiede bearbeitet, damit er einen Vorteil gegen uns ahnungslose Neulinge hatte. Er hat sich nämlich ganz hoch teleportiert und von da aus uns gesnipt. War schon nicht nett, haha.

Aber allein das Spiel fand ich so cool, dass ich den Schluss fasste, mir eine Xbox 360 zu kaufen. Vorgenommen und gemacht. Wurde bei Halo 3 online erstmal hart zerlegt… bis ich mit der Zeit immer besser wurde.

Die Kampagne war legendär. Ist sie immer noch. Dann kamen Halo: Reach und Halo CE Anniversary dazu. Da hab ich auch viel aufs Maul bekommen. Die Story von Reach hat mich echt gepackt.

Dann kam 2012 Halo 4 raus – mein Favoritenteil. Rasanter Multiplayer mit Klassenerstellung und Requirierungssystem. Da wurde ich richtig gut. In Lightning Flag 84:0, Killionär öfter in SWAT und Unfrig diverse Male. Boah, waren das Runden!

Dann kam die Xbox One und die MCC, und ich spielte zum ersten Mal die Halo-2-Kampagne. Beste Kampagne! So deep und voller Storytelling – war da voll dabei!

Dann kam Halo 5. Story war so lala – zu wenig Chief. Aber Warzone war cool. Hatte da sogar einen Clan: Die Schwerter von Sanghelios. Wir waren ein gutes Team, oft zu zwölft in Warzone. Doch der Clan löste sich mit der Zeit durch Gier und Neid auf. War besser so.

Dann kam Titanfall 2, und ich gründete mit einem Freund die Pilots of Sanghelios. Wir waren stark in Destiny, Titanfall und Halo vertreten. Irgendwann waren wir 250 Mitglieder und wurden von vielen für unsere Art gefeiert. Doch auch das ging innerlich durch Neid, Gier und Intrigen kaputt. Ich bin dann ausgetreten, weil ich privat vieles klären musste.

Dann war das Jahr 2023. Ich bekam einen Anruf. Es war ein ehemaliges Mitglied von POS. Er erzählte, dass Sanghelios nicht kaputt ist, sondern in sechs Tochterclans weiterlebt – und dass sie alle nach dem Vorbild von POS Darkrai (mir) und meiner Art handeln.

Das rührte mich zu Tränen.

Dahinter gibt es ein Prinzip: das Sanghelios-Prinzip. Auch „Prinzip des reinen Herzens“ genannt. Bis heute, 2026, folgen fast 5000 Menschen weltweit diesem Gedanken, weil er Hoffnung gibt und für Zusammenhalt sorgt.

Gaming verbindet.

Wenn ich daran denke, wo meine Reise mit Xbox und Halo begann – und dass ich heute immer noch MCC oder Infinite spiele und weiß, was aus POS geworden ist – bin ich einfach stolz und dankbar für Halo.

Danke für diese legendären Spiele. 💚

POS Darkrai

Cuando tenía 7 u 8 años, me regalaron un Xbox 360 (en época del One) usado. Mi primo me instaló Halo 3 (era su consola) y, desde entonces, descubrí este hermoso universo. Actualmente tengo 18 años y sigo amando Halo 3.

CarmesiSpart

As someone who just turned 31 and who has been playing Halo since buying my first Xbox with saved up allowance money, it's hard to get absorbed into any other community. I've always enjoyed and indulged in the rich storytelling of the games. I've often gone to bed with thinking of where the story could go and what happens between games, stories that don't even include main characters like Chief or Arbiter.

In this shared universe there are plenty of opportunities for sideline games that become immediate hits with the community, like ODST or REACH that don't follow the OG Master Chief.

Lyle the Forger

Il primo giorno in cui uscì Halo 3 lo presi subito, ma non avevo ancora internet, così imparai tutti i suoi easter egg e completai la modalità PvE in tutti i modi possibili. Ancora oggi, dopo più di 15 anni, ricordo ogni momento insieme a Chief e Cortana.

Grazie ❤️

Proloco#8480

So, I was 10 years old, and my mom bought me Halo: Reach. I was so excited because since I was a kid I watched my brother play Halo 2. I became a great lore fan and wanted to play Reach so bad. I discovered multiplayer and in my first Invasion match, I met this dude called XxIMPERIALRULERxX, we had the same tag F104, because of Fred. He spoked English, and I spoke Spanish, but we became friends. We couldn’t communicate, but we played a lot – campaign, multiplayer and forge. For almost every Halo on the 360, we created a map together that is now lost because I had it and I lost my original account Fernando0447 (I’m now called Fernando0447YT if anyone wondered haha). So we did this map in Forge World, it was set so you could went to any location on foot, and we made it an objective game mode, using the Falcon as your main vehicle. We invested so much time, and one day, as I logged in, he wasn’t there, and then the next day, and the next day, and well I lost access to the account and never got a hold of him again. Pal, if your out there, I know how to speak English now hahahaha, let’s get some matches brooooo.

Extra info: I’ll leave an image of my spartan back in the day so everyone can admire it’s magnificence.

Fernando0447(YT)

Halo, for as long as I can remember has been an integral part in my 26 years of life. My earliest memories were waking up late at night as a little kid and finding my dad playing Halo 2 with some of his friends. I'd end up watching them play before falling back asleep next to my dad on the couch. I was hooked on Halo from that point on.

From reading the books with my dad in person or over the phone while he traveled for work, to playing the story of Halo 1, 2, and 3 with him, and building the Halo Mega sets, to eventually playing online with my own friends in Halo 3 and onwards, I've loved everything Halo. I've collected and read just about every book simply because of how much I love this universe.

Eventually I got to use Halo to form a stronger bond with my wife, taking her through all the games, teaching her the lore, and getting invested together in HCS (LETS GO SSG!!). I am so very thankful to everyone who has worked on Halo, and to the community. It has been an amazing part of my life, and will always be a part of my life. I cant wait to make new memories going forward from flying out of state for the first time this December to go to Halo Fest and the concert, to eventually teaching and playing Halo with my own children.

Thank you again for my giving me an amazing childhood and a way to bond with so many important people. Here is to more Halo! Love you all!

Spartan Duncan

I remember it like yesterday.

It was a Friday night and I had my best friends in the world over to my house. Everyone brought their Xbox and TV and of course we linked the four consoles.

We were so sleep deprived and caffeinated that we thought it would be funny to try to play quad Slayer on my mom's little 5-in black and white kitchen TV.

I wish I would have taken a photo of us four boys laying prone on the floor. Trying to focus on our own little 1-in screen but I'm sure I was living in the moment.

Thanks, Halo.

WhiteWarWagon

My Halo memory is my entire childhood. Even still as an adult I love the game, books and comics. I remember playing Halo on demo at Toys R Us in 2001 as a 7 year old (seven reference). My parents looked at my face and saw how happy I was playing it. Once I got my first Xbox with Halo: Combat Evolved, I was hooked on the campaign. My dad also wanted to play it and see what it was like. We played endlessly on campaign and he helped me with my first ever Legendary run.

Then when Halo 2 was released, I got it day one and loved the campaign. Me and my friends would spend hours on splitscreen and saying repeating Johnson's line "We regret coming to Earth" over and over. Then the map pack that released for it showing the ODST view, one of my favourite bits to it.

2007: the almighty Halo 3 was released. Custom games on a Saturday morning at 6am, having to reserve a spot because so many of us wanted to play. We did it all: Monster Trucks, Infection 002, Sword Fight, Duck Hunt. We spent hours upon hours every week after school and on the weekend playing Halo. When the Vidmaster challenges came out with Halo 3: ODST, me and three others where so determined to get Recon. We didn't care how long it took us. We spent 4 hours on Firefight and 3 hours doing the Vidmaster Annual because one of my friends got stuck on a checkpoint where the Ghost was on the edge of a cliff so it was a 50/50 if he survived or not. But we all got Recon at the end! Plus a great friend who is a brother to me was gained because of Halo 3 and has now since moved up north and lives close to our friendship group.

I could write so many more paragraphs about memories from Halo Wars, Reach, and all the way up to Halo infinite. This game series has given me so much such as my first tattoo being the ODST symbol, the design for S115 (my Spartan tag), gotten me through the good times and the bad. Halo was always there as a gathering place for me and my friends who are like brothers to me. Given me memories when i played with my dad, amazing quotes i still repeat to this day.

So without Halo I don't think I would be the gamer or the person I would be today. For 25 years out of 31 as of writing this, Halo has been a home, a gathering point for friends and my favourite game series of all time.

So thank you Halo for everything within these 25 years and happy to see what the future holds for future generations of Halo players

s20boominator

Empecé con Halo 3 y de verdad me encantó. Después fue Halo 3: ODST, y luego Halo 4, Wars 1 y 2, Reach, 5, Infinite. Después regresé a Halo 1 y 2, y de verdad me encanta. He acabado cada juego y no me aburro, solo lo amo… el mejor juego que hayan sacado.

Antonyvidal

The date: March 20, 2004.
The game: Halo: Combat Evolved.

For years leading up to that day, my three older brothers and I lived and breathed Halo. Daily 2v2 local co-op. Xbox Connect marathons. Weekly 10–16 player LANs hosted in our own home. Halo wasn’t just a game to us—it was a proving ground. But this day was different. This would be our first tournament.

By then, everyone knew the hierarchy of the competitive scene. STK—The Ogres, Walshy, and Saiyan—were the undisputed kings before becoming Final Boss. The second-best team was AP, led by the legendary Killer N.

We arrived at a small local tournament in Nederland, Texas—an hour’s drive from our home in Galveston. We were the second team to show up. The first? AP.
Yes, THE AP. We recognized who they were, and they were there forty-five minutes before the doors even opened.

After opening, the event buzzed with disbelief as players began flooding in. This wasn’t Nationals. This wasn’t MLG. This was a local tournament. And yet, here stood the 2nd best team in the world. Everyone was starstruck, including us -- well, more intimidated actually.

The tournament was Big Team Capture the Flag, split into amateur and professional divisions. Every team entered amateur—except AP.
And except us. We never turn back. We never back down.
We are Team PsY.

The format mirrored MLG: winners and losers brackets. As the amateur division played out, AP and we— (PsY)-Foo, (PsY)-Teet, (PsY)-Roo, and (PsY)-TiT —warmed up, practiced, and observed. Then it was time.

Round 1. Best of three. BG CTF. Twenty-minute time limit; if tied, next flag wins.
AP scored first, eleven minutes in. With one minute left on the clock, I tied it 1–1. The building erupted. Everyone was packed into Team AP’s room, but the noise carried through the halls. Time expired. Overtime. We scored a 2nd time, & we won Game One.

"What? How did we--"…. "Who cares. Much more to play."
Round 2. AP responded decisively and took the game.

Round 3. Everything was on the line.
Thirty-five minutes into a brutal, nerve-shredding stalemate, we captured the flag and sealed a 1-0 victory—sending AP to the losers bracket.

Chaos followed. Half of the tournament abandoned AP’s room and packed into ours. At first, it had been empty. Now, spectators trickled in one by one. By lunch, the tournament paused. It was 1:00 PM. I remember a kid saying to me during the break:

“Wouldn’t it be something if four brothers came out of nowhere and beat the #2 team in the world?”

Well, that’s exactly what happened. Because there were only two teams in the pro division, there was no losers’ bracket final. AP advanced directly to the grand finals for a rematch—another best of three.

The first 2 games we split 1–1.
Next game wins. At this point in the tournament, every person had come into our room, as it was completely full of peoople watching us play now.

Thirty-six minutes into the final game, Roo—our best player and sniper—went on an murderous rampage: 11 headshots in a single sniper clip, outdueling Killer N, spawn-camping the entire team, and opening the door for an uncontested flag capture.

Tournament over. We won, and the building exploded with cheeres and applause.
We were euphoric, stunned—and immediately went and shook hands with our opponents. Killer N was pure class. The rest of AP stood frozen, eyes locked on the screen, shellshocked.

I, TiT the youngest, still have the trophy. We carried it home together—four brothers, one hand each—holding it high as we marched through our front door. One of the greatest days of our lives.

To this day, my brothers and I still play Halo: MCC. Every match carries echoes of that room, that crowd, that moment.

Halo: Combat Evolved isn’t just nostalgia. It’s a timeless masterpiece. And that was only 1 part of our story.

Real Team PsY

Mi adolescencia hace 19 años, cuando Halo se volvió la moda, y para mí lo sigue siendo.

Marcial gamas

I was just a pup when my eyes first graced the sacred ring. I was no stranger to combat, I cut my teeth on the Nintendo 64, and even dabbled in the obscure worlds of the Commodore and the CD-i. But perhaps there had never been a moment before where we had such as cinematic and story driven masterpiece. From the moment I began playing, I did not want to stop. After an evening getting accustomed to the game, I spent the next day in a marathon haze of alien blood and saving humanity. I played nearly 12 hours straight through a powerful thunderstorm that threatened to knock out our power grid. There was no Xbox Live, there was no one to play split screen with. Just a true gaming experience, that has kept me coming back for a quarter century.

Thank you.

Kilo FTD

I can honestly say that I grew up with Halo

From playing Combat Evolved on my big brother's Xbox driving the warthog into the ocean on Silent Cartographer as he played the mission.
Playing Halo 2 and struggling with the Chief missions.
Halo 3 on Christmas day, until having to get my 360 serviced on the 27th due to the disk jamming when i reached The Storm.
Halo Wars reigniting my passion for real time strategy games.
Being so excited for ODST I even made a presentation on it for a school project.
Reading through Halsey's journal from the special edition of Reach.
Killing a Hunter with a blind shot from the Magnum as it charged at me in Assault on the Control Room in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.
Watching each episode of Forward Unto Dawn as it released.

While I distanced myself from the series at the releases of Halo 5 and Halo Wars 2, I took the opportunity to buy an Xbox Series S specifically for Halo Infinite's release. In anticipation I played through 5 and honestly feel embarrassed for my previous dislike of the game. Infinite, however, remains one of my favourite games. Chief's speech about humanity will always remain in my heart.

Over the years, I've drawn, painted, written and commissioned countless pieces of art and stories for characters I have created to fit within the universe of Halo, and will continue to do so with endless passion.

Though, honestly the proudest Halo memory I have, one that even made me show my entire family in excitement, was the miniature of Master Chief that I had painted appearing in Halo Spotlight. I will always wear my unicorn of fire with pride.

And, as ever, I'll always be ready for the next mission Halo offers.

Gwen / Deathwatch541

En el año 2004, mi primera consola con el juego Halo me hizo el niño más feliz. Ya ahora, con 27 años, me sigue haciendo muy feliz derrotar al Flood.

Nubmaster6#7351

I was ten years old when my neighbour down the street got his copy of Halo 3 on the Xbox 360. After a few co‑op sessions and countless late nights at his house, I became completely absorbed in the world of Halo…without realising it was about to shape my life in a lasting way. I’d look for any excuse to head over just to play.

Soon enough, I got my own Xbox 360, and for the first time I experienced the freedom of diving into Halo 3 on my own terms. I made so many friends, built so many memories, and honestly, that era defined my childhood. As it was my first experience of online gaming, it was as if my eyes had been opened up to an entire new world. For me, Halo 3 was the golden age of gaming, and I’ve been chasing that sense of community and fun ever since.

From there, the rest is history. I’ve played every Halo game religiously, and the series has become a genuine comfort zone—something I care deeply about. I was even lucky enough to meet Steve Downes a few years ago, and we share the same birthday, which I’ll happily brag about any chance I get.

Thank you to everyone who has ever worked on these games. You’ve given me joy, connection, and memories that have carried me through most of my life. I can’t wait to see what the future holds!

Louie, aka Chief Recon

I remember playing Halo: Combat Evolved on my Xbox 360 after getting home from elementary school. I would play until really late, from midnight until 3:00. I know, "it was really late for a kid," but I was always there to play.

DiergentMeat00

Halo fue mi primera experiencia de shooter; fue simplemente impresionante. Gracias a Combat Evolved, creció en mí ese gusto por los juegos de disparos. Es simplemente un universo fantástico que nos ha dado mucho. Ahora estoy recordando mi infancia con Halo: Master Chief Collection.

Nomad1ct1on

When I was a kid, I would LOVE browsing around EBGames (or as its known elsewhere, Gamestop) and look at the new games to add to my collection. However, I would get really bored with just playing the typical first person shooter on my 360, and I didn't have any money to get the latest. I stopped by my local library to find something to rent out, and there it was... Halo 4!

A bit late to the series, but I liked the cover art and took it home to give it a go, and little did I know that I would go to the library to just rent it over and over again. It was such a unique experience and I couldn't get enough of it, especially with the visuals and couch co-op only made it so much more fun. That's where I started, and I would only grow my library with every Halo game and since then, it's been my mainstay. No community is as passionate (in more ways than one) as the Halo community, and that will always be one of its strengths. There's a spot for everyone, no matter when you joined.

Yipyapsilon

Halo has been part of my life as long as I remember. I watched my dad and uncle play Halo 2 and 3 before I was even old enough to grab a controller, and I spent countless hours playing with them and hopelessly try to beat veterans having a fraction of their experience.

Fooling around creating crazy forge maps for Halo 3, running away from scary flood forms, fighting with my friends over which fps was the best, and having fun on grifball, infection and Warzone are memories from my childhood and teenage years that I remember with care.

My love for Halo didn’t stop at the games; the first novel I read on my own was Halo: The Fall of Reach when I was a kid. Since then I’ve been thrilled, teared up, and laughed my way through the extensive book collection, so many books that I sometimes wonder if I’ll ever finish them all. One day I’ll probably manage to read the entire collection… or at least pretend I have.

Choosing a single favorite Halo memory is impossible. At 22, I’ve lived through the franchise’s 25‑year saga, and I wish more people, and the creators themselves, could share the same love, so the universe can keep thriving.

cokoakeo

One of my best memories was the launch for Halo 3. It was 2007 and my dad had bought me an Xbox 360 for my birthday and pre-ordered me a copy of the game. In that short span of time I played through Halo 2 to get caught up with the story which, at the time, was Shakespeare to my 10 year old brain.

I remember the night of the launch... It was September in Massachusetts and it was slightly chilly. I was standing in line with my dad for like 3 hours waiting for midnight, I remember this was the first time I had done anything like this. Before this, video games weren't a big deal in the household, yeah we played them but we never went to a launch event. It was such a bizarre experience. There were so many people at this tiny EB Games, at least 80 people waiting in line maybe more. All I remember was when it hit midnight I was excited, the suspense was killing me. Finally after what seemed like hours (probably more like 30 minutes) and when I got that copy I was so happy, it was better than a puppy!

When I got home that game went right into the 360 and I played through most of the story in one sitting, was probably up until 3AM and that was the game that helped me develop insomnia! But for real after beating the story I spent so much time on Halo multiplayer, got my ass kicked because I was 10, I just wanted the Energy Sword and that Gravity Hammer. I think Halo 3 is what got me to appreciate video games, I played them a lot before but this was a game changer, it looked so real at the time that I thought "This is the future, it's only up from here!" And though I don't play Halo as much as I used to it's a big part of my life and I will always jump onto Halo 3 whenever i can.

Frackewe

...but in time, I named him ally. Even friend.

I met my best friend to this day playing Halo. I won Halo 2 T-shirt from a website named Halo2Spy. The competition was to get as many clicks as possible to the website with embedded links. I posted all over Halo related Myspace pages to get the word out. The first time I wore this shirt to school sparked the beginning of my soon to be rival and best friend to challenge me to 1V1 at his house. The rest is history! Love you Garrett!

ZealotZane

I don't have a video but the first time I played Halo was when I was 6. I played Halo: Reach and I fell in love with Halo.

wrejectedshotgu

Well, I also want to share my impressions of Halo. My journey with this franchise began with Halo 4, which I played with my best friend on my older brother's Xbox 360 console. And it was really cool! Many years have passed since then, but we still play Halo.

I can't even single out any specific memories, because they're all amazing. You can't even imagine how many unique situations, how many positive emotions, the countless adventures that took place in multiplayer and campaigns across the various Halo franchise games.

Halo is a part of me. To be honest, I have books, action figures, Xbox discs. The only stream I watched on Twitch was HCS in 2025. This year is a big one not only for Xbox and Halo, but also for me. So, let's celebrate it!

I grew up on video games but my first ever shooter was Halo: Combat Evolved. I learned how to play shooters because of that game and I've played every game since. The Flood mission gave me nightmares when I first played and even today still sends shivers down my spine. I love Halo and will always be a fan thank you all so much for the memories.

M0T0RTUH97

Halo: Combat Evolved was not only my first Halo game; it was my first video game ever. I was eight years old, and at that time my world was small and simple. My brother had Halo installed on his PC—an old white computer with a huge monitor that felt magical to me.

We spent countless hours playing together, sitting side by side, learning the game little by little. Halo was the only game we had, but we never needed another one. Every mission felt like an adventure, every battle like something unforgettable. Without realizing it, I fell deeply in love with the game.

As time passed, Halo became more than just a game. It became a bridge between my brother and me, a shared memory that still lives in my heart. The rest is history. I played every single Halo game, many times, across different years of my life.

Today, when I think about Halo, I don’t just think about a video game. I think about my childhood, my brother, and the moments that shaped who I am. Halo is, and always will be, one of the most important things in my life.

AdezG

I remember when I was a little, my first show of sci-fi. I remember hearing Sgt. Avery Johnson, Master Chief, and co. I remember seeing and fighting the funny looking aliens that bled all kinds of weird glowy colors, I remember the weird guns and I remember the heavier moments. Growing older and now being able to let all of this sink in, I realize I love sci-fi because of Halo. The power suits, the gear, the alien tech, and all of the influences that it took from. Halo defined sci-fi as humanity showing progress in a hostile environment. Even if we slip up and make the wrong choices, as ODST showed me, in the end there will always be a "rookie" waiting to make the right call and push back against the worst of the worst. But it also showed me how weird life could be in theory, and that made me want us to reach for the stars even more.

Reach, 3, and ODST carried my early teens, Reach let me be my own Spartan. I still have that design in my head to this day.

I remember bonding with my life long friend of over 10+ years now over Red vs Blue. We love sci-fi now more than ever.

When all was said and done I played the game with my friend in chronological order from Reach to 4, and we had a blast for majority of it (Library be damned). It was an experience like no other, and the story, while rocky, gave a whole feeling. And, while yes not the initial audience (earliest Gen Z compared to the Millennial audience it was made for), the pull was rather universal to all who wanted it.

And looking back, that started my love for all things techno-jargon and super soldiers in cool armor, it was all a blink, but one I don't think I would ever miss more of.

To all who are of the old guard, thank you for your creative work. To the new guard, keep at it. Do not be reserved for what you wish to make, but do not shy from what made a game what it is, be purposed, and be stylish.

"Per Aspera Ad Astra" - Through hardships, to the stars.

Carlos C.

Cuando llegó Halo 1 me gustó mucho, pero lo que me dio risa eran los Elites de ese tiempo, que cada segundo decían “¡pozole!” cuando los sorprendías por detrás de ellos.

Pepito Pro

Halo: CE came out when I was 11 years old and I was quickly enamored. I read the books, took off school when Halo 3 came out and developed a group of friends that played Halo 3 at LAN parties.

My group of friends and I beat all the campaigns on Legendary and even found most of the skulls. We were the Cowboy Kitties in Halo 3 and Halo Reach we had specific tags for our characters and are planning to get those Cowboy Kitties as tattoos.

When Reach came out, my 3 closest friends waited to play the campaign because I was serving in the Air Force and was deployed to the Middle East.

I had grown from a young pre-teen, spending hours with my buddies slaying the Covenant and finishing the fight, into an adult serving our country and waiting to make an epic last stand in Reach.

Eventually we all moved away from each other but still got together on Xbox Live to play the newer Halos as they came out.

Life continued to move on and in the midst of 2020 my son was born. I've gotten to watch him grow, explore and learn about life. Of all those Halo memories I've listed my favorite recently happened. My son found a small Halo Megablocks character at a store and my wife bought it for him. He brought it home and said Dad look at this guy he is from Halo. My son had watched me play Halo before and thought it was awesome.

That day he brought that toy home he asked if we could play Halo.

There I was a 34 year old man with my 5 year old son replaying all those core memories. We made our epic last stand on Reach, destroyed the ring, fought the Covenant in Africa and ultimately finished the fight. I've beat these campaigns dozens of times but watching my son experience the Flood for the first time, or not truly understand why Noble 6 couldn't beat all the Elites was emotional and incredible.

For Christmas, a good portion of his presents were Halo Megablocks and I constantly find him playing as Chief and fighting the Covenant throughout the house. I love just watching and listening. (Even if the Warthog I built looks like it got hit with multiple rockets.)

Halo has been a core part of my life and to share it with my son has been more special that I can express in words that would do it justice.

TheDrTiger

Hace años que probé Halo gracias a mi padre, y desde ese momento me encantó Halo. Desde que tuve la oportunidad de pasarme todos los juegos de esta saga, no dudé y los probé todos. Halo es especial para mí porque me recuerda a nunca rendirme. Gracias a los creadores por haber creado uno de los mejores juegos.

Flakarly

Over the past decade, I have made HUNDREDS of Halo pieces, from sketchbooks to slips of paper and napkins, I have drawn Halo on nearly every surface!

This is a staple display piece in my room which is a culmination of some of my favorite traditional works! I worked on paper, notebook cardboard, scratchboards, and tonal paper! I worked with colored pencils, ink, paint, and sometimes, and xacto knife.

If you've been with me on my journey for some time, you may recognize some of these when I had Instagram! Still so proud of the countless hours that went into this board and everything that couldn't be included.

Halo is and will always be the driving force behind my art and what I do on here and beyond. Been a fan for over a decade and I will be one until I draw my last breath. I love Halo! 🙏

AphonicWanderer

I remember being at my grandpa's house with my brother back when we were 9 and 10. He had an original Xbox and Halo 1 for it. I remember the title screen pulled me in and the graphics and music gave me goosebumps, I had never experienced a game like it. Then my mom surprised me with Halo 2 and I had started screaming in joy seeing Master Chief dual wielding SMGs. I played both for a while and saw Halo 3 was coming out but on the Xbox 360 which I didn't have. The following year my parents surprised me and my brother with the Xbox 360 and Halo 3. I started to cry. I was in 5th grade that year and it was one of the best Christmas days ever. I played Halo 1, 2, and 3 nonstop for years. I'm so glad to have the collection now, its part of my life.

bmbnbv93f

I was there during the Fall of Reach. It was a difficult time, we held our own for a while but in the end it fell. It was a sad day when Noble Team died during the planet’s campaign but victory cannot be achieved without sacrifice and Noble Team proved that motto, especially Noble 6.

CODGamer201608

I played Halo for most of my life. I first played during 2017, it was Halo 3: ODST. It was the best game I ever played back then but it still is a good game after all those years.

Potato#7232

Cuando tenía unos 10 años, mi hermano me llevó a un lugar donde podíamos rentar un tiempo limitado en una consola para poder jugar cualquier juego. Ahí él me enseñó el juego de Halo 4. Desde ese entonces quedé maravillado con el universo de Halo. Siempre busqué formas de conseguir todos los juegos y, al fin, después de 6 años lo conseguí: trabajé y ahorré para poder comprar Halo: Master Chief Collection.

KI4804

Recuerdo una vez jugando Sniper en Halo Reach 4 vs. 4. Al último me quedé solo, 4 vs. 1 cara a cara. Una foto que tomé: flama azul vs. Haunted.

cHapa Ubgk

Desde que tuve una Xbox, recuerdo con cariño Halo. Jugar cada historia de Halo era mágico, y los amigos que hice en el camino no se olvidan. Gracias, Halo

KRŸØNIXEG

He jugado Halo por mucho tiempo y ha sido el mejor juego de la historia que he jugado. Cada emoción que sentí fue mágica. ¡GRACIAS, HALO!

Parterruit5

Many years ago, when me and my twin brother were little, we decided to load up Halo 3 and jump into a game of forge on the level Rats Nest. We were just playing around having fun, when we ended up being in the center of the map where the Ghost, Active Camo, and Gravity Hammer spawns. We continued to mess around and eventually I found myself with the Ghost near the outside part facing Active Camo. My twin brother was right in front of it holding the Gravity Hammer facing me. I decided to go full speed straight at him. He then smashed me with the Gravity Hammer and sent me flying over the wall and onto the upper part with the two big box/generator looking things and wedged me between the back wall and one of the boxes.

At first, I didn't realize what had just happened. Both boxes/generators were flat against the back wall, but when I got out of the Ghost, I realized that I had just moved the one box a decent way away from the back wall. I had never before been able to move the boxes with any kind of in game mechanic whether it be trying to recreate what I had just done, move it with another vehicle from a different direction, try to move it with explosives, or anything else, I just could not recreate what I had just done or get either of them to budge again. I figured if I reloaded the map, it would just go back to normal, but it didn't... It never went back to the way it was before. I even loaded Halo 3 on different accounts and different consols to see if it fixed, but it Stayed right where I moved it to. It shocked both me and my twin brother When we figured out that we had made a permanent change to one of the levels in Halo 3. Both boxes have since been moved a decent amount more over the years. It has even transferred over to MCC I have noticed. Nothing crazy, but me and my brother sure thought it was pretty cool and is something me and him will never forget.

Thank you for your time, if this even gets read at all, I'm sure there will be tons of submissions. Thank you for keeping Halo alive and allowing me to share this amazing memory.

Fat Stak

Great memories with good friends. The time of my life. Playing Southpaw claw and learning to doubleshot. MLG tourneys. Parking lot tag in Dallas '06. Playing with my bestie Biohazard for hours. Meeting so many cool people and so much more. Winning second with Awok3n in Miami.

Halo 2<3.

I hope everyone who helped make those memories special are blessed.

PMS Telina

Jugaba cuando estaba triste. Halo 2 me salvó.

W r o n a s e s

I remember growing up as a little kid, I had somehow never known Halo existed. My family never got the original Xbox and the one person I knew that did have one never had any of the games.

It wasn't until I was 12 and saw Halo 3 on a Best Buy shelf and all the trailers for ODST that the series snagged my interest to the point I begged my parents for a Xbox 360 for Christmas back in 2009. And seeing Chief fighting the Covenant on the Ark and Rookie navigating the streets of New Mombasa sealed me in and has held on since.

Halo is a franchise I make sure to revisit every year and I hope Campaign Evolved gives all the players experiencing the world and lore for the first time the same sense of wonder it gave so many of us that were kids back in the 2000s.

Covenantslayer1

My first memory involving Halo was at age 3, waddling into our basement and seeing my older brother playing the first level of Halo: CE on his Xbox 360. I had never played any video game before, and as annoying little brothers usually do, I started begging him to play, which he wasn't really fond of. But how couldn't I? The cool looking guns, snappy sound design, and weird looking aliens caught my eye. But my mother, who was doing laundry at the time told him to let me play with him.

And so, he handed me a controller.

It was way too big for my 3 year old hands, and so I found it more productive to hold the controller completely upside down. Naturally, I wasn't being very useful to my brother like this, so I was more of a spectator than a player. But that memory has stuck with me forever. Since then me, my brother, and my sister have regularly played splitscreen. Our unanimous favorite was Reach, which is still my favorite video game of all time to this day. Halo is a franchise that has been extremely close to my heart ever since I first played it. The memories I've forged with family with this franchise will last forever.

WantedRaider

One of my most precious memories is playing CE with my brother back in 2001. It was the only game that came bundled with our OG Xbox and we didn't have much to buy other games because of the prices in our country. We were in awe exploring what looked like an endless universe.

I remember H2 LAN parties together and discovering H3 online in the 360, meeting some of our best online friends. We played Reach's Firefight and H4 MP locally whenever we could met. Now, the MCC and Halo Infinite helps me remember those beautiful memories I once shared with my brother who is no longer with us, but who, in essence, lives forever within the universe and our minds.

Thank you Bungie, 343/Halo Studios for keeping alive such wonderful times.

S1MT3

I was born the year the first Halo came out so I never got the chance to experience CE but my older cousin had an OG Xbox and Halo 2 and I would always look forward to going over there to play it because, duh, it’s Halo. I must’ve been about 6-7 when I was allowed to play campaign with my older brother’s supervision lol. I adored watching my older brother and cousin play and stay up all night while I had to go to bed early. In the morning, I would wake everyone up by turning it on so I could be the first to play and I usually played campaign by myself on easy mode.

Halo caught my attention first by that music, it just felt so majestic and different then once you understood what Halo was about plus with cutscenes it just hit different every time I loaded it up. I loved playing with no gravity too, overall just a fun time. Halo is a great soft reminder of my childhood and my older brother who taught me a lot of what I love today. Every time I see the cover or hear the theme song I'm instantly taken back to my cousin's room. The first Halo me and my older brother owned was Halo: Reach and we got it for Christmas. We loved it. That was my graduation into the Halo world as well as I started playing online with my brother and really playing co-op campaign without my brother. I even played the campaign multiple times. Loved the campaign and everything about the game. Thank you Halo for giving me a lifetime of memories, it’s one of the things that sit at the forefront of my childhood and just my older brother in general who obviously I adore very much. Halo was my introduction to shooter games and I’m forever grateful to have played it and experienced it during the peak times.

ItstooeasyJJ

My uncle introduced me to Halo when I was 6 years old on the Xbox 360's Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary on Truth and Reconciliation. I killed all the Marines before saving the Captain and after a lot of practice, I finally was good but once I got to 343 Guilty Spark…. Honestly My 6 year old self wasn't even paying any attention to what was happening in Key's vlog and after the cutscene finished I was like "Ew those little crawling things are ugly." Then I was like just these little things are the new enemy than after fighting off infection forms then the combat forms came in and luckily I was on easy mode so i had a shotgun and I said this is easy and I was so wrong. Then I see the Flood decides to hold weapons and it made my 6 year old self life harder. But the hell really decided to begin once I got to the Library. I couldn't beat it and gave up. Fast forward 4 years and I had completely forgotton about the game.

My mom bought an Xbox Series S and told me I can get any game with Xbox Game Pass. I see Halo: The Master Chief Collection and so much nostalgia came back. I beat Halo: Combat Evolved in a week at 10 years old in 2021 now I am almost 15.

Halo will always be one of my favorite shooter games as a child.❤️

Bevis

I remember my first video game. It was Halo. I believe I was 4 years old and Halo 2 was being played by my cousins in the den and I was just getting into gaming. I approached my eldest cousin and asked him if I could join. I remember loving every second of it, fighting over the energy sword. Lobbing grenades and inevitably walking into them. My first ever double kill was achieved that day, I felt like a little badass. It was fun because at the time, controls like Halo’s were still relatively new on console and everyone was still getting a hang on them.

Looking back, I think that they may have let me get some kills just to feel like I wasn’t a loser but ever since that day I’ve loved the game. I love my family for introducing me and I can’t wait to see where Halo’s, and our, stories go.

KoffeeAndTV

My story starts way back in 2012 when I was 8 years old. My dad had just gotten Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and was playing it one night after I was put to bed. I woke up late and walked downstairs because I heard noises and saw flashing lights. When I came around the corner, I saw something that would shape me for the rest of my life.

The TV was filled with the bright colors and beautiful scenery of the Installation 04. Before this all I knew was the Lego video games I'd play with my brother. My dad noticed me and I asked him about it. He told me it was a game that I was too young for and put me back to bed. I would ask him about it constantly for 2 years. Then for my 10th birthday my dad told me to come downstairs in one hour after my brother fell asleep. So I laid in bed for an hour, made sure he was asleep and came downstairs to see my dad in the kitchen with Halo pulled up on the TV. He got me some juice and some chips and we started playing together. I was captivated by the game instantly, the music, the sounds, the ring, and "the green guy." My dad was very busy so it was very rare we could have what we called "Halo Nights" We finally beat the first Halo in 2015. By then I found out there were more and wanted to play them. So my dad got me Halo: The Master Chief collection for Christmas. From there I taught my brother how to play and we became the dynamic duo. We beat every Halo game together and he became the Chief to my Arbiter.

As I got older, I met my now fiancée and one of the most important things to me was that we played Halo together and we did. Every person that meant something to me I wanted to play Halo with them. To share my experience with those I loved. From siblings, to friends, to cousins and people online. To this day I love Halo and got to meet Steve Downes and Jennifer Taylor themselves, I hope to someday meet Keith David because the Arbiter is my favorite character. So much so that when I turned 18 I got my first tattoo of the Heretic symbol that was branded onto the Arbiter's chest onto my own. It means a lot to me because, just like the Arbiter I was shunned for things I couldn't control and so I let it become my identity and cared for those that were the same as myself. Outcasts. Now that I'm 21 Halo is still a huge part of my life amd forever will be. Thank you Halo for everything. Happy 25th!

In the photo I'm the Spartan on the left, my brother is in the middle and my fiancée is on the right. My dream team!

DJ (djdiii04)

La sección conocida como La Biblioteca me ha dejado especialmente marcado, ya que cada vez que la jugaba, la tétrica ambientación y las paredes tan estrechas me dejaban sin aliento. Por más de una semana, no podía dormir sin imaginar el horrible destino de todos los malaventurados que entraron ahí, en especial Chips Dubbo.

Mario117#3465

When I was a little girl, my mom got my dad the Xbox for Christmas as a way for him to de-stress after work. The first game she bought for it was Halo. Little did she know that my older brothers would take it for their own! For 12 years I have watched my brothers play Halo and now its my turn to play and complete the games on my PC.

Halo is one of the best video games ever made!

HerShrekness

My story begins on Christmas 2004. I was just 5 years old when I got my first Xbox, and with it, Halo: Combat Evolved. The impact it had on me went far beyond just being an action game; Halo represents the unbreakable bond with my brother, my father, and my friends. We spent countless afternoons playing through the campaign over and over again.

That passion continued with Halo 2 and grew even stronger in 2007, when I got an Xbox 360 and was able to experience Halo 3. By that time, it wasn't just about playing: I was constantly researching lore theories on YouTube and watching speedruns. Towards the end of 2013, I enjoyed Halo Wars, ODST, and Halo 4.

Although I unfortunately missed out on owning a console during the 8th generation, I never stopped playing the classic titles on my 360. Today, as an adult with my own gaming PC, I have deeply reconnected with the franchise thanks to Halo Infinite. It is a great title that brought back those same feelings of wonder I first felt with Combat Evolved.

In short, Halo became part of my daily routine and my life. It signifies my childhood and my adolescence; it has accompanied me through every stage of my life and my relationships. I love the work you do and what you have achieved with fans like me. Huge regards to everyone responsible for keeping this beautiful saga alive.

Sincerely, Alexis

alexURU117

Since I was 8 years old, I've been playing Halo with my dad. It was our game, something we could always fall back on when we were bored or when things were rough and we needed a break. Halo 3, Halo Reach, Halo 4...

I'm 26 years old now and dear old dad is pushing 60. Speed and distance has done nothing to change our love of the game, and he will always be the Arbiter to my Chief. Love you dad.

FoxMcCloud97

Just growing up with Halo and playing with my older brothers and their friends. Also pretending to be sick to stay home from school to play Halo 3 great times indeed.

ZPRIMETIME02

Back during the 360 days of Halo: Reach I made friends with someone through custom games. Nearly everyday after I got home from school I would jump online and play custom games or forge with him. Sometimes we would build things together in forge, other times we would rock as a duo on assassination towers and cause mayhem.

A few months later we still played often but suddenly he didn't log in for a week, which I found strange. We had played together every week until then. Near the end of that week I get a message from him, although that message wasn't actually from him but his parents…

The message started that he had passed away from cancer. This message was sent to all his friends on behalf of his parents. I also received a more personalised message from the parents saying that he really enjoyed playing with me and that they personally wanted to say thank you for making their son happy.

The last game mode we played together was Forge on Forge World. We were just flipping each other on grids with the armour lock glitch to see if we could go to space.

As long as he is in my memory
Then he will never truly vanish
Because after all,
Spartans Never Die

taumata

All year long, we’ll be inviting Halo fans to share their favorite Halo memories, celebrate Halo's iconic legacy, and vote on community polls to help us tell the whole Halo story.

Whether you’re a battle-hardened Spartan or a Halo rookie, we hope you’ll join the fun by sharing your Halo story through our official submission form, on social media using hashtag #Halo25Together, in our official Discord server, or on r/Halo with the #Halo25Together tag.