Games

Halo Infinite

Lock and load, Spartans – Several new updates have been deployed for Halo Infinite’s multiplayer today including community requested playlist additions and challenge adjustments. We’re humbled and grateful at the showing of support since launch – thank you to everyone who has provided constructive feedback and reported issues at the <a href="https://support.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us">Halo Support site</a>. Today marks another step forward as we partner with you to improve and evolve Halo Infinite. We look forward to resuming work addressing player feedback after the team recharges over the holidays.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Matchmaking Playlist Updates</h2>



At launch, we took a measured approach to include a baseline set of playlists in a simple and straightforward way. Thankfully, our beta period went very well, and we heard your feedback around wanting more variety and more control over the modes you play. And, following Halo Infinite’s first official event, Fracture: Tenrai, we heard your feedback around wanting Fiesta to persist as a regular offering rather than be limited to just the active event period.  



We also heard a lot of feedback around a desire for a pure Slayer playlist – something that was always coming but was originally a bit further out as more time was needed to test and finalize new game mode variants. Slayer fans should expect this playlist to expand with new experiences in the months to come.



As a result of this feedback, we’re excited to bring four new social matchmaking playlists to Halo Infinite today:



<ul><li>Team Slayer</li><li>Free-for-All</li><li>Tactical Slayer (“SWAT”)</li><li>Fiesta </li></ul>



Today’s playlist update is just a first step – we know players want even more agency and more variety  – and the team continues to work on longer term plans for rotational and core playlists, game modes, and improved matchmaking experiences.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg" alt="Spartan flanked by various Halo Infinite weaponry for the MP Fiesta mode" class="wp-image-24820" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Fiesta_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Ranked & BTB Matchmaking Updates</h2>



Since the beta launch, the team has been monitoring matchmaking data and keeping a close eye on the overall system to ensure it’s working as expected. Additionally, we’ve heard feedback from players who are concerned with how the rankings are working and/or express frustration with their ranked experience. Work will continue in this space but we’re making some targeted changes in the short term:



<ul><li>We adjusted the ranked matchmaking rules to increase the priority of close individual skill matches, particularly for players at the higher skill levels. We’re taking this in stages – the first priority increase took place on Dec 11th, and the second took place today.</li><li> We adjusted the BTB matchmaking rules to prioritize making matches with lower latency. This will mainly help players in lower population regions avoid high latency matches.</li><li> We’re doubling the overall matchmaking timeout from 5 minutes to 10 minutes, to better accommodate very high skilled players finding suitable matches, particularly when in full fire teams or searching from low population regions.    </li></ul>



We will continue to monitor ranked and overall matchmaking closely and will share more details on the system and future plans as we can. 



As of this news post, the team is aware of and actively working to address Big Team Battle intermittent matchmaking issues that have been reported over the past few days. We appreciate your patience and support as we continue investigating and working on solutions. Please be sure to follow <a href="https://twitter.com/halosupport">@HaloSupport on Twitter</a> for the latest updates.



Lastly, we understand some players are also eager for more Ranked Playlists beyond the game’s current offering. Please be note that we have more technical complexities to navigate with Ranked Playlists than Social, so any future ranked updates are going to take more time.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Rank Distribution</h3>



We received a ton of feedback, especially early in the beta, about CSR progression. We’re planning a separate post that will dig deeper into some of the issues people are seeing, but wanted to briefly address two areas of feedback here: rank inflation and overall rank distribution. The distributions that we see for each of the 3 ranked playlists over the past week are illustrated below.



Ranked Open Queue 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedOpenQueue-Dec14-1024x432.png" alt="" class="wp-image-24877" width="910" height="383" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedOpenQueue-Dec14-1024x432.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedOpenQueue-Dec14-300x126.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedOpenQueue-Dec14-768x324.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedOpenQueue-Dec14.png 1419w" sizes="(max-width: 910px) 100vw, 910px" /></figure>



Ranked Solo/Duo Controller



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="464" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoController-Dec14-1024x464.png" alt="" class="wp-image-24891" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoController-Dec14-1024x464.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoController-Dec14-300x136.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoController-Dec14-768x348.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoController-Dec14.png 1444w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



Ranked Solo/Duo Mouse+Keyboard



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="460" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoMKB-Dec14-1024x460.png" alt="" class="wp-image-24905" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoMKB-Dec14-1024x460.png 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoMKB-Dec14-300x135.png 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoMKB-Dec14-768x345.png 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/RankedSoloDuoMKB-Dec14.png 1438w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



One of our goals in the design of the CSR system is that the
median CSR should be around Platinum 1. You may notice that the Open Queue
playlist is quite close to our goal, but the Solo/Duo playlists are skewed
towards Diamond/Onyx. You may also notice two other things that are present in
all three playlists:



<ul><li>A decent sized “spike” at Diamond 1. This exists because Diamond 1 is the highest rank we’ll grant to a player immediately after completing their 10 qualifying matches. So the “extra” players in Diamond 1 are players who would add to the high Diamond and Onyx columns if they continued to play more ranked and work their way up through the higher levels of the CSR system. (But for now they have taken a break to do more social matchmaking, or campaign.)</li><li> A smaller spike at Onyx 1500. This is a result of aspects of the CSR algorithm that make CSR progression slightly harder once a player reaches Onyx. </li></ul>



We are working on adjustments to the CSR algorithm to shift the distribution to be more in line with our goals and your expectations, especially for the Solo/Duo playlists. However, as we do that, we have to be careful not to make changes that will have a negative effect on players who have already achieved these higher-than-expected CSRs, so it may take some time.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg" alt="Spartans ready for action in the new Tactical Slayer playlist" class="wp-image-24862" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/Tactical_Slayer_Playlist_Watermarked_1920x1080.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Challenge Updates</h2>



Today marks the third overall update to Challenges and Progression since Halo Infinite’s beta launch on November 15. In each case, Challenges have been iterated and tuned, removing outliers and adjusting troublesome entries, while also helping to speed up overall Battle Pass progression. So far, we’re happy with the results of these changes, but we know there are plenty of opportunities to continue evolving and improving. 



There’s a lot of work to do here to truly address player
feedback around these systems – and broader changes are going to take time
(i.e. performance based XP, per-match XP, additional progression vectors,
etc..)– but in the interim, the team will continue targeting meaningful
services-side updates to hone and improve the overall experience.



Today’s update aims to further alleviate frustrating challenges, adds brand new challenges to take advantage of the new playlists, and reduces the requirements for the weekly Ultimate Challenge. And, while it won’t come into play quite yet, changes have also been made for Event Challenges to help address some initial player feedback.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Challenge Pruning</h3>



Overall, a number of mode and activity-specific challenges
have been removed entirely, had their requirements lowered, and/or had their
weight reduced across the challenge pool. Additionally, the overall weighting
of ‘General’ challenges has been increased. 



We understand the inability to pick a specific mode to coincide with a specific challenge can be frustrating and today’s changes should help reduce some of that friction in the near term as longer-term work continues.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">New Challenges</h3>



Today’s playlist additions will also usher in new playlist-specific challenges. You can expect to find specific playlist versions of each of the following new challenge types:



<ul><li>Personal Score – Accumulate personal score in the specified playlist to complete</li><li>Kills – Earn the required # of kills in a specific playlist</li><li> Double Kills – Earn double kills in a specific playlist</li><li> Complete Games – Play and complete games in a specific playlist</li><li> Win – Win games in a specific playlist </li></ul>



The specific requirements and corresponding XP will vary
depending on the rarity type of the challenge (i.e. “Normal”, “Heroic”,
“Legendary”).



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Event Challenges</h3>



Player’s gave feedback that it was difficult to progress Event Challenges due to them getting ‘stuck’ behind Weekly Challenges and/or not having enough to tackle during the event week. Going forward, and when Fracture: Tenrai returns, Event Challenges will come in more frequently, removing gaps where a player would previously be stuck waiting.  And, while Events will often still have a finite limit to the number of challenges available in a given week – meaning it will take playing across a few weeks to fully complete – the maximum will increase to provide more buffer and let highly engaged players progress a bit faster. 



We’ll have more details about these changes, and a few other ways in which Event feedback was addressed, when Fracture: Tenrai returns on January 4.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">HCS Spotlight</h2>



To commemorate and celebrate the first Halo Infinite major esports event – <a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/hcs-raleigh-2021">HCS Raleigh</a> – players will be able to earn double XP for a new set of ranked-focused challenges for one week (Dec. 14 – Dec. 20). Please note: Given new prioritization being added to active event challenges, and this ‘HCS Showdown’ event being live in game this week, you will have ranked-challenges present in your active challenge lineup. Using a swap on this challenge will continue to return a ranked-playlist focused challenge as part of the week long event. 



Channel your inner HCS Pro and jump into ranked matchmaking to speed up your Battle Pass progression and be sure to watch the amateur and pro teams battle it out when HCS Raleigh kicks off on Dec.17. Support your favorite HCS players with official in-game skins and a portion of each sale goes directly to the org. Viewers of this weekend’s event will also have a chance to score exclusive Halo Infinite Twitch Drop cosmetics so be sure to stay tuned to <a href="https://twitter.com/hcs">@HCS on Twitter</a> for the latest info! 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg" alt="Official HCS team skins in Halo Infinite as part of the "HCS Showcase" bonus XP event." class="wp-image-24919" srcset="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-300x169.jpg 300w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-768x432.jpg 768w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080-1568x882.jpg 1568w, https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/12/HCS_Spotlight_VisID_1920x1080.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">We’re Just Getting Started</h2>



We’re excited to get these updates into the game today and hope to see you online in matchmaking over the holidays! Once the team has had a chance to recharge over the holiday break, we’ll be back at it and looking at more opportunities to continue evolving your Halo Infinite experience. Please keep the constructive feedback coming, be sure to <a href="https://support.halowaypoint.com/hc/en-us/articles/360036218972-How-to-Submit-a-Halo-Support-Ticket">file a support ticket</a>  if you run into any issues, and have fun out there!

Multiplayer

Playlists

Halo Infinite Playlist & Challenge Update

Canon Fodder

Community

GrimBrother One

Issue 122

Canon Fodder: Legendary Endings

Welcome to Halo Infinite

Esports

Official HCS

HCS 2021-2022 Season Reveal

Unyshek

Tech Preview 2 Outcomes

<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/Esports_2021_HCS_542.305-1024x576.png" alt="Banner graphic for the Halo Championship Series and Halo Infinite"/></figure>



Hey everyone! I want to start by saying THANK YOU to everyone who grabbed their tickets for the now sold out HCS Kickoff Major Raleigh 2021. Wow. We knew that the community was going to be excited to be under one roof again and especially this time with a new Halo game, but we were all blown away by the response. I want you to know that record-breaking support like that from our community has an even longer term impact on the scene overall and at a high level that’s actually the topic of today’s blog. Before that though, some housekeeping.



Welcome back to another installment in our blog series, Designing the Halo Esports Ecosystem. The goal of this blog series is to detail how we are working to develop a healthy and sustainable ecosystem for Halo esports. If you’re interested in our philosophical approach to esports as a fan, player, team, tournament organizer, or sponsor, then this blog series is for you! If you’re hoping to learn specifics about format and roadmap, stay tuned, more info will be released as we get closer to the launch of Halo Infinite. We know there are lots of questions right now for Raleigh including PC and monitor specs, and much more. Those will all be answered in the coming weeks as we march on towards launch and the big event. 



If you’re new to the series, thanks for joining us! You can catch up with the first seven installments here:



<ul><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-january">January Installment – Overarching goals and approach</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-february">February Installment – Tournament Operators</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-march">March Installment – Viewership</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-april">April Installment – Sponsors</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-june">June Installment – Teams</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-july">July Installment – Competition Platforms and Input</a></li><li><a href="https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/designing-the-halo-esports-ecosystem-august">August Installment – Team Partnership Program</a></li></ul>



Alright Tashi, what are we talking about today? 



As alluded to above, today my friends we are talking about the role that players and fans have in the ecosystem and what you can do to help grow the scene. 



Let’s dig in!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> THE POWER IS YOURS </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/image-6185bce7caea0-1024x477.png" alt="Epic black and white photo of a fan standing up and cheering at the Halo World Championship"/></figure>



For this entire series we’ve talked about how the Halo esports ecosystem is comprised of so many different groups and how they all fit together. Fans and Players are the most critical part of this ecosystem. Here’s what we said way back in January when we kicked off this series: 



<ul><li>Players (Pro, Amateur, and general competitive players): This one is obvious. The players are central to the entire ecosystem and without a healthy player base for the entire game, the ecosystem is not sustainable. This is mission critical.</li><li>Fans (Viewers, Event Spectators, fans who engage in-game): Fans and viewers are also critical – we want as many people watching Halo Infinite tournaments and content as possible, and it’s important for us to take strides to increase viewership.</li></ul>



The first and main message we want to get across is that each and every one of you can make a difference and have an impact. No, seriously. Every show that you decide to watch on Twitch, every tournament you decide to compete in, every retweet on Twitter and like on YouTube – they all matter. If every individual feels empowered to make a difference, then collectively as a community we will make a huge impact. 



I sometimes get asked, “Tashi, I love Halo esports and want to help it grow. What can I do?” Today we’re going to list out exactly what you can do!



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> PLAYER AND PRO PLAYER CHECKLIST </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/image-6185ba8046bca-1024x439.png" alt="Photo of Pro Player Lucid at DreamHack Anaheim 2020"/></figure>



Let’s start with the Pro Players – folks like Frosty, Tripppey, Respectful, Tapping Buttons, BZllRK, and of course so many more across the world. Outside of grinding to win every tournament you enter, here are the ways we think you can be contributing to the health of the ecosystem and thus the health of your careers. (Please bear with me, this might get preachy)



<ul><li>Stream when you play: For those that already stream all the time, kudos to you and we’re excited to see you grow when Halo Infinite releases! For those that don’t stream, we know it’s been hard while waiting for a new game but it’s go-time when Infinite drops. Streaming is one of the most powerful and impactful things you could be doing as a professional Halo player<a>. </a>Here’s why:<ul><li>You get to have a community of your own that supports you, including financially through subscriptions and donations. </li><li>You have a wealth of VOD content that lets you spread your reach and grow your community even more when you get to post awesome stream clips on social media. </li><li>You are far more attractive to teams and sponsors, which again means more financial support for you. Even if you have a small audience, if you’re putting in the work then that makes a big difference.</li><li>Fans have a place to watch you before and after a tournament. If you pop off on the mainstage, people are going to want to watch you the next time you turn on your stream. If you don’t stream, they’re either not going to watch anyone or they’re just going to watch someone else. </li><li>You can help bring in more viewers into the stream and as noted above and in prior blogs – viewers are critical. You don’t get to compete and be a pro player without viewers.</li><li>There are going to be many online tournaments and also opportunities to stream your scrims – this is really great content that will attract even more viewers than your normal streams in the ranked p<a>laylist.</a> Progress might be slow, but if you focus on consistency as the goal then you will be rewarded in the long run. </li></ul></li><li>Be a positive influence: <a>Not every pro player is going to be a role model that everyone looks up to – and that’s ok. However, using your social media platforms or streams as places to dump toxic waste about the game, the ecosystem or really anything for that matter into the community is a bad idea.</a> Players who are positive and professional will have more opportunities, will be more attractive to fans and sponsors, and will have a bigger influence on the future of the game, community, and ecosystem. Anger, toxicity, and sarcasm work against you. We all love Halo and want it to have a positive and thriving scene. Be wise in how you use your influence as a pro. Additionally, players will be held to the official code of conduct which details behavior that is not acceptable in our scene, and we as a community need to hold each other to high standards on top of that.</li><li>Be active on social media: The conversation for Halo esports is on social media, and it’s mostly on Twitter. Between events, it’s a great way to not only connect with fans, but also connect and chat with other pro players. There lots of great conversations that many fans would be interested in seeing, and overall it helps drive interest into you and your brand as professional Halo player. </li><li>Promote your Team’s cosmetics: If you’re on a partnered Team, you should be wearing your Team’s cosmetic items as much as you can on stream and even off stream as well. The Team’s will be earning revenue from each of the sales and their success in Halo means they can continue to invest in the scene to pay player salaries, managers, team houses, and much more. A little goes a long way here. You can add a command to your Twitch channel, pin a tweet on Twitter, and post links in your YouTube videos. Speaking of YouTube…</li><li>EXTRA CREDIT – Start a YouTube channel and upload regularly: YouTube is a great way to bring fans closer to you and provide them entertainment. Not everyone is going to be the next Nadeshot, and that’s ok. You don’t need 100,000 subscribers for the channel to be worthwhile investing some time into, and these days it’s easier than ever to upload gameplays from your Twitch streams directly to your YouTube. There are more Halo fans on YouTube than ever and that will continue to grow.</li></ul>



As a pro player, you can have a tremendous impact on the scene overall which ultimately helps you out directly. Don’t take this opportunity for granted. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"> FAN CHECKLIST </h2>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://wpassets.halowaypoint.com/wp-content/2021/11/image-6185bbdc0aac7-1024x389.png" alt="Photo of fan at an HCS event holding a blue cosplay flag from CTF in Halo 5."/></figure>



For the fans out there who love playing and watching Halo – we appreciate you. We know many of you want to see Halo grow because it’s the game and community that you love, and that resonates deeply with us. We want to provide some insights that enable you to have the biggest impact if you’re not sure how you can help. 



<ul><li>Watch events and content: Viewership is critical for the Halo esports scene, and when you watch tournament streams, pro player streams, and even content on YouTube or Twitter – that has a really big impact. Obviously, we need to do our part to entertain you and we take our responsibility there seriously.</li><li>Purchasing in-game content: We are sharing revenue for ALL of the items in the Esports Store within Halo Infinite when the game launches on Day 1. Whether it’s a partnered Team’s bundle or a bundle that represents each of the four major regions and the tournament operators investing there, this is the best way to support these partners directly. The more that the ecosystem can support these partners, the more that they will be able to support the players and fans as time goes on. This is an absolutely critical component of this entire ecosystem. </li><li>Be active on social media: As mentioned earlier, having conversations online about the league, the Teams, the players, and everything going on is a great way to generate more and more excitement for the events and ultimately draw more fans to this awesome community of ours. If your favorite Team is tweeting about Halo, give it a Like/RT and even a reply. Let’s make Halo fans the most active and talkative game in esports!</li></ul>



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



For players and fans alike, there are lots of really critical ways that you can support the community and scene that you love. We all want Halo esports to grow, and if we work together and push in the same direction, we can really have a huge impact and bring on more Spartans to our cause. We have to act as a unified community. 



I’d love to hear what other ideas and suggestions you might have! <a href="https://twitter.com/tashi343i">Start a conversation with me on Twitter</a> and let’s keep the ideas flowing!



Until next time,



Tashi

Tashi

Designing The Halo Esports Ecosystem – November

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

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…



<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 | 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>

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

343 INDUSTRIES

Inside Infinite – October 2021

Halo has always been about heroism, hope, and the Master Chief, Spartan-117. In Halo Infinite, Chief is going head-to-head with the toughest foes he’s ever faced, in the most expansive, awe-inspiring, Halo story ever told. Today, we’re thrilled to give you a fresh look at just some of the action you’ll be able to dive into when Halo Infinite launches on December 8, 2021: 



<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 | Campaign Overview" width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/tgn8VOv9dc0?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
</div></figure>



Pre-order Halo Infinite on <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/halo-infinite" target="_blank">Xbox</a> and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://store.steampowered.com/app/1240440/Halo_Infinite/" target="_blank">PC</a> today, and be ready to fight Escharum and the mighty Banished forces that have made Zeta Halo their base of operations.

Master Chief’s Story Continues, December 8, 2021