Halo is a science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and owned and published by Xbox Game Studios. Central to the Halo series are the three first-person shooter video games Halo: Combat Evolved , Halo 2 and Halo 3 ; novelizations, soundtracks, and other media are also available. The story of the series is about the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced human super-soldier and his artificial intelligence (AI) companion, Cortana, as the humans of a futuristic universe battle the Covenant, a theocratic alliance of alien races. The Halo series has inspired machinima productions, such as Red vs. Blue , and other fan fiction; however, this list only covers media produced or endorsed by series creator Bungie, or the intellectual property overseer Halo Studios.
The Halo video games have been highly successful and influential; the first game was labeled the killer application of Microsoft's Xbox and was credited with selling many consoles. [1] [2] Halo: Combat Evolved is also noted for its intuitive control scheme that has been used by many console first person shooters since. [3] Halo 2 sold 2.4 million copies making US$125 million in the first 24 hours after its release beating the record for highest grossing entertainment release. [4] Halo 3 grossed US$170 million on its first day, $45 million more than its predecessor. [5] Halo 2 and Halo 3 are also the best selling titles of their respective consoles, the Xbox and the Xbox 360. [6] [7]
Game | Release date | Platforms | Notes | ||||
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Halo: Combat Evolved | November 15, 2001 [8] |
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Halo 2 | November 9, 2004 [12] |
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Halo 3 | September 25, 2007 [15] | ||||||
Halo 4 | November 6, 2012 [17] |
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Halo 5: Guardians | October 27, 2015 |
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Halo Infinite | December 8, 2021 |
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Game | Release date | Platforms | Notes | ||||
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Halo Wars | February 26, 2009 [18] |
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Halo 3: ODST | September 22, 2009 [21] |
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Halo: Reach | September 14, 2010 [23] |
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Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary | November 15, 2011 |
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Halo: Spartan Assault | July 18, 2013 [24] |
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Halo: The Master Chief Collection | November 11, 2014 |
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Halo: Spartan Strike | April 16, 2015 |
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Halo Wars 2 | February 21, 2017 [26] |
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Halo: Fireteam Raven | July 2018 [28] |
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Game | Release date | Media type |
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I Love Bees | Mid 2004 [30] | Alternate reality game |
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Iris | June 11 – August 17, 2007 [32] | Alternate reality game |
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Halo ActionClix | September 18, 2007 [33] | Collectible miniatures game |
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Halo Interactive Strategy Game | Late 2008 [34] [35] | Modular board game |
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Halo Recruit | October 17, 2017 [36] | Mixed reality |
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Title | Release date | Length | Label | |
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Halo Original Soundtrack | June 11, 2002 [37] | 65:08 | Sumthing Else Music Works | |
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Halo 2 Original Soundtrack: Volume One | November 9, 2004 [39] | 69:20 | Sumthing Else Music Works | |
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Halo 2 Original Soundtrack: Volume Two | April 25, 2006 [40] | 68:48 | Sumthing Else Music Works | |
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Halo 3 Original Soundtrack | November 20, 2007 [42] | 118:36 | Sumthing Else Music Works | |
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Halo Trilogy – The Complete Original Soundtracks | December 2, 2008 [43] | 321:58 | Sumthing Else Music Works | |
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Halo Wars Original Soundtrack | February 17, 2009 [44] | 53:57 | Sumthing Else Music Works | |
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Halo 3: ODST Original Soundtrack | September 22, 2009 [46] | 114:50 | Sumthing Else Music Works | |
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Halo Legends: Original Soundtrack | February 9, 2010 [48] | 57:04 | Sumthing Else Music Works | |
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Halo: Reach Original Soundtrack | September 28, 2010 [49] | 107:24 | Sumthing Else Music Works | |
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Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Original Soundtrack | November 15, 2011 [50] | 83:43 | Sumthing Else Music Works | |
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Halo 4 Original Soundtrack | October 19, 2012 [51] | 77:23 | 7Hz Productions Ltd | |
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Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn Original Soundtrack | July 10, 2013 [52] | 58:02 | 343 Industries | |
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Halo: Spartan Assault Original Soundtrack | July 18, 2013 [53] | 49:17 | Microsoft Studios Music | |
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Halo 4: Original Soundtrack, Vol. 2 | January 1, 2014 [54] | 81:26 | 7 Hz Productions | |
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Halo 2 Anniversary Original Soundtrack | November 10, 2014 [55] | 87:04 | Microsoft Studios Music | |
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Halo: Spartan Strike Original Soundtrack | April 16, 2015 [56] | 67:34 | Microsoft Studios Music | |
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Halo 5: Guardians Original Soundtrack | November 13, 2015 [57] | 132:48 | Microsoft Studios Music | |
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Halo: The Fall of Reach Original Soundtrack | December 4, 2015 [58] | 64:51 | Microsoft Studios Music | |
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Halo Infinite Original Soundtrack | December 8, 2021 [59] | 146:06 | Skill Tree Records | |
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Halo Infinite Multiplayer: A New Generation Original Soundtrack | December 8, 2021 [60] | 43:58 | Skill Tree Records | |
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Title | Release date | ISBN | Media type |
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Halo: The Fall of Reach | October 30, 2001 [61] | ISBN 0-345-45132-5 | Novelization |
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Halo: The Flood | April 1, 2003 [64] | ISBN 0-345-45921-0 | Novelization |
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Halo: First Strike | December 2, 2003 [67] | ISBN 0-345-46781-7 | Novelization |
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Halo: Ghosts of Onyx | October 31, 2006 [69] | ISBN 0-7653-5470-5 | Novelization |
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Halo: Contact Harvest | October 30, 2007 [72] | ISBN 0-7653-1569-6 | Novelization |
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Halo: The Cole Protocol | November 25, 2008 [76] | ISBN 978-0-7653-1570-0 | Novelization |
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Halo: Evolutions – Essential Tales of the Halo Universe | November 24, 2009 [81] | ISBN 978-0-7653-1573-1 | Collection of short stories |
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Halo: Cryptum | January 4, 2011 | ISBN 978-0-7653-2396-5 | Novelization |
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Halo: Glasslands | October 25, 2011 | ISBN 978-0-7653-3040-6 | Novelization |
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Halo: Primordium | January 3, 2012 | ISBN 978-0-7653-2397-2 | Novelization |
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Halo: The Thursday War | October 2, 2012 [84] | ISBN 978-0-7653-3363-6 | Novelization |
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Halo: Silentium | March 19, 2013 | ISBN 978-0-7653-2398-9 | Novelization |
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Halo: Mortal Dictata | January 21, 2014 [85] | ISBN 978-07653-3545-6 | Novelization |
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Halo: Broken Circle | November 4, 2014 | ISBN 978-14767-8359-8 | Novelization |
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Halo: New Blood | March 2, 2015 | ISBN 978-1-4767-9670-3 | Novelization |
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Halo: Hunters in the Dark | June 16, 2015 [86] | ISBN 978-1-4767-9585-0 | Novelization |
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Halo: Saint's Testimony | July 27, 2015 [87] | ISBN 978-1-5011-0969-0 | Novelization |
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Halo: Last Light | September 15, 2015 [88] | ISBN 978-1-5011-0336-0 | Novelization |
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Halo: Shadow of Intent | December 7, 2015 [90] | ISBN 978-1-5011-2276-7 | Novelization |
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Halo: Fractures | September 20, 2016 [91] | ISBN 978-1-5011-4067-9 | Collection of short stories |
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Halo: Smoke and Shadow | November 28, 2016 [92] | ISBN 978-1-5011-4460-8 | Novelization |
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Halo: Envoy | April 25, 2017 [93] | ISBN 978-1-5011-0687-3 | Novelization |
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Halo: Retribution | August 29, 2017 | ISBN 9781501138362 | Novelization |
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Halo: Legacy of Onyx | November 15, 2017 | ISBN 978-1501132612 | Novelization |
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Halo: Bad Blood | June 26, 2018 | ISBN 978-1501128257 | Novelization |
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Halo: Silent Storm | September 4, 2018 | ISBN 978-1501138386 | Novelization |
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Halo: Battle Born | January 1, 2019 | ISBN 978-1338253641 | Novelization |
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Halo: Renegades | February 19, 2019 | ISBN 978-1501192791 | Novelization |
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Halo: Oblivion | September 24, 2019 | ISBN 978-1982114763 | Novelization |
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Halo: Meridian Divide | October 1, 2019 | ISBN 978-1-338-28099-9 | Novelization |
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Halo: Shadows of Reach | September 22, 2020 | ISBN 978-1-982143-61-9 | Novelization |
Halo: Point of Light | March 2, 2021 | ISBN 978-1-982147-86-0 | Novelization |
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Halo: Divine Wind | October 19, 2021 | ISBN 978-1-80336-015-7 | Novelization |
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Halo: The Rubicon Protocol | August 9, 2022 | ISBN 978-1-98214-788-4 | Novelization |
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Halo: Outcasts | August 8, 2023 | ISBN 978-1803367507 | Novelization |
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Halo: Epitaph | February 27, 2024 | ISBN 978-1803369204 | Novelization |
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Halo: Empty Throne | December 10, 2024 | ISBN 978-1668052129 | Novelization |
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Title | Release date | Media type |
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The Halo Graphic Novel | July 19, 2006 [96] | Graphic novel |
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Halo: Uprising | August 22, 2007 [99] | Comic book series |
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Halo Wars: Genesis | March 3, 2009 [102] | Supplemental graphic novel |
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Halo: Helljumper | July 22, 2009 [104] | Comic book series |
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Halo: Blood Line | December 23, 2009 [106] | Comic book series |
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Halo: Fall of Reach | September 15, 2010 [107] | Comic book series |
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Halo: Initiation | August 14, 2013 [109] | Comic book series |
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Halo: Escalation | December 11, 2013 [110] | Comic book series |
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Halo: Tales from Slipspace | October 25, 2016 (Only Digital Pre-orders)/November 29, 2016 (All others) [114] | Graphic novel |
Title | Release date | Media type |
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The Art of Halo: Creating A Virtual World | November 9, 2004 [115] | Art book |
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Conversations from the Universe | November 9, 2004 [117] | Supplemental booklet |
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Bestiarum | September 25, 2007 [118] | Supplemental booklet/DVD |
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The Art of Halo 3 | November 25, 2008 [119] | Art book |
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Halo Encyclopedia | October 19, 2009 [120] | Guidebook |
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Dr. Halsey's Personal Journal | September 14, 2010 | Supplemental booklet |
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Halo: The Essential Visual Guide | July 4, 2011 [122] | Guidebook |
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Halo: The Great Journey: The Art of Building Worlds | October 18, 2011 [123] | Art book |
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Awakening: The Art of Halo 4 | November 6, 2012 [125] | Art book |
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Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide | September 16, 2013 [128] | Guidebook |
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Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo | September 6, 2016 | Guidebook |
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Halo Warfleet | September 5, 2017 | Guidebook |
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Halo Encyclopedia | April 20, 2022 [129] | Guidebook |
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Title | Release date | Media type |
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Halo | – | Film |
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Halo Waypoint | November 5, 2009 [131] | Application |
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Halo Legends | February 16, 2010 [135] | Series of anime shorts |
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Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn | October 5, 2012 – November 2, 2012 | Web series |
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Halo: Nightfall | November 11, 2014 – December 9, 2014 | Web series |
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Hunt the Truth | March 22, 2015 – October 26, 2015 | Podcast |
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Halo: The Fall of Reach (miniseries) | October 27, 2015 | Web series |
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Halo (TV series) | March 24, 2022 [142] | Television series |
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Halo: Combat Evolved is a 2001 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox, for which it was released on November 15, 2001. The game was ported to Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X in 2003. It was later released as a downloadable Xbox Original for the Xbox 360. Halo is set in the 26th century, with the player assuming the role of Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier. Master Chief is accompanied by Cortana, an artificial intelligence. Players battle aliens as they attempt to uncover the secrets of the eponymous Halo, a ring-shaped artificial world.
Xbox Game Studios is an American video game publisher based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, spun out from an internal Games Group, for the development and publishing of video games for Microsoft Windows. It has since expanded to include games and other interactive entertainment for the namesake Xbox platforms, other desktop operating systems, Windows Mobile and other mobile platforms, web-based portals, and other game consoles.
Halo 2 is a 2004 first-person shooter game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox console. Halo 2 is the second installment in the Halo franchise and the sequel to 2001's critically acclaimed Halo: Combat Evolved. The game features new weapons, enemies, and vehicles, another player character, and shipped with online multiplayer via Microsoft's Xbox Live service. In Halo 2's story mode, the player assumes the roles of the human Master Chief and alien Arbiter in a 26th-century conflict between the United Nations Space Command, the genocidal Covenant, and later, the parasitic Flood.
Halo 3 is a 2007 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie for the Xbox 360 console. The third installment in the Halo franchise following Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) and Halo 2 (2004), the game's story centers on the interstellar war between 26th-century humanity, a collection of alien races known as the Covenant, and the alien parasite known as the Flood. The player assumes the role of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier, as he battles the Covenant and the Flood. In cooperative play, other human players assume the role of allied alien soldiers. The game features vehicles, weapons, and gameplay elements familiar and new to the series, as well as the addition of saved gameplay films, file sharing, and the Forge map editor—a utility which allows the player to perform modifications to multiplayer levels.
In the Halo universe, an Arbiter is a ceremonial, religious, and political rank bestowed upon Covenant Elites. In the 2004 video game Halo 2, the rank is given to a disgraced commander named Thel 'Vadam as a way to atone for his failures. Although the Arbiter is intended to die serving the Covenant leadership, the High Prophets, he survives his missions and the Prophets' subsequent betrayal of his kind. When he learns that the Prophets' plans would doom all sentient life in the galaxy, the Arbiter allies with the Covenant's enemies (humans) and stops the ringworld Halo from being activated. The Arbiter is a playable character in Halo 2 and its 2007 sequel Halo 3. The character also appears in Halo 5: Guardians and additional expanded universe material. A different Arbiter, Ripa 'Moramee appears in the 2009 real-time strategy game Halo Wars, which takes place 20 years before the events of the main trilogy.
Halo is a military science fiction video game series and media franchise, originally developed and created by Bungie and currently managed and developed by Halo Studios, part of Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios. The series launched in November 2001 with the first-person shooter video game Halo: Combat Evolved and its tie-in novel, The Fall of Reach. The latest major installment, Halo Infinite, was released in late 2021. Spinoffs include real-time strategy and twin-stick shooter games.
Halo.Bungie.Org (HBO) is a fansite created in 1999 by Claude Errera and two associates as a news site for the Bungie video game Halo: Combat Evolved. The site was started in 1999 as Blam.bungie.org based on the project's development name before it was called Halo. The site covers all Halo properties and posts game news, rumors, and fan art and videos.
Joseph Staten is an American writer best known for his work at video game studios Bungie, Microsoft Studios, and 343 Industries.
Certain Affinity is an American video game development studio based in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 2006 by Max Hoberman and a small number of other ex-Bungie employees and other industry veterans. On October 18, 2024, Certain Affinity was acquired by Keywords Studios.
The first-person shooter video game Halo 3 was the focus of an extensive marketing campaign which began with the game's developer, Bungie, announcing the game via a trailer at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in May 2006. Microsoft, the game's publisher, planned a five-pronged marketing strategy to maximize sales and to appeal to casual and hard-core gamers. Bungie produced trailers and video documentaries to promote the game, partnering with firms such as Digital Domain and Weta Workshop. Licensed products including action figures, toys, and Halo 3-branded soda were released in anticipation of the game; the franchise utilized more than forty licensees to promote the game, and the advertising campaign ultimately cost more than $40 million.
Halo 4 is a 2012 first-person shooter video game developed by 343 Industries and published by Microsoft Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. Halo 4's story follows a genetically enhanced human supersoldier, Master Chief, and his artificial intelligence construct Cortana, as they encounter unknown threats while exploring an ancient civilization's planet. The player assumes the role of Master Chief who battles against a new faction that splintered off from remnants of the Covenant, a former military alliance of alien races, as well as a new enemy: mechanical warriors of the Forerunner empire known as the Prometheans. The game features a new selection of weapons, enemies, and game modes not present in previous titles of the series.
Halo 3 Original Soundtrack is the official soundtrack to Bungie's first-person shooter video game Halo 3. Most of the original music was composed by Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori, but also includes a bonus track, "LvUrFR3NZ", which was the winning entry in a contest held before the soundtrack's release. The 2-CD set was released on November 20, 2007.
Halo 3: ODST is a 2009 first-person shooter game developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft Game Studios. The fifth installment in the Halo franchise as a side game, it was released on the Xbox 360 in September 2009. Players assume the roles of United Nations Space Command Marines, known as "Orbital Drop Shock Troopers" or ODSTs, during and after the events of Halo 2. In the game's campaign mode, players explore the ruined city of New Mombasa to discover what happened to their missing teammates in the midst of an alien invasion. In the "Firefight" multiplayer option, players battle increasingly difficult waves of enemies to score points and survive as long as possible; Halo 3's multiplayer is contained on a separate disc packaged with ODST.
Halo Wars is a real-time strategy (RTS) video game developed by Ensemble Studios and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 video game console. It was released in Australia on February 26, 2009; in Europe on February 27; and in North America on March 3. The game is set in the science fiction universe of the Halo series in the year 2531, 21 years before the events of Halo: Combat Evolved. The player leads human soldiers aboard the warship Spirit of Fire in an effort to stop an ancient fleet of ships from falling into the hands of the genocidal alien Covenant.
Halo Studios is an American video game developer located in Redmond, Washington, part of Xbox Game Studios. Headed by Pierre Hintze, the studio is responsible for the Halo series of military science fiction games, originally created and produced by Bungie, and is the developer of the Slipspace Engine. Originally named after the Halo character 343 Guilty Spark, the studio was created by Microsoft Game Studios in 2007 due to the departure of Bungie after the release of Halo 3.
Bungie, Inc. is an American video game company based in Bellevue, Washington, and a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment. The company was established in May 1991 by Alex Seropian, who later brought in programmer Jason Jones after publishing Jones's game Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete. Originally based in Chicago, Illinois, the company concentrated on Macintosh games during its early years and created two successful video game franchises called Marathon and Myth. An offshoot studio, Bungie West, produced Oni, published in 2001 and owned by Take-Two Interactive, which held a 19.9% ownership stake at the time.
Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary is a 2011 first-person shooter video game developed by 343 Industries, Saber Interactive, and Certain Affinity, and published by Microsoft Game Studios for the Xbox 360 console. It is a remaster of the 2001 game Halo: Combat Evolved, originally developed by Bungie. Announced at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in 2011, it was released on November 15, 2011, the tenth anniversary of Combat Evolved and the original Xbox it released on. Anniversary was later included as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection for Xbox One in 2014, and for Windows and Xbox Series X/S in 2020.
Halo: Spartan Assault is a twin stick shooter video game developed by 343 Industries and Vanguard Games. Part of the Halo media franchise, the game was released on July 18, 2013, for Microsoft's Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 platforms. The game subsequently released on Xbox 360, Xbox One, Steam, and iOS. Halo: Spartan Assault is set between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4. Players control the human soldiers Sarah Palmer and Edward Davis as they fight a new splinter faction of the alien Covenant. The game launched with 25 single-player missions; an additional campaign released as downloadable content. The console versions also feature an exclusive cooperative horde mode.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a compilation of first-person shooter video games co-developed by 343 Industries in partnership with Certain Affinity and Saber Interactive, and published by Xbox Game Studios. The collection includes the first six main installments in the Halo franchise released between 2001 and 2012, originally developed by Bungie and 343 Industries. It originally released for Xbox One on November 11, 2014.
... a tight, intuitive control scheme that finally made first-person shooters make sense on a console.