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''Halo'' is a
military science fiction Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction that features the use of science fiction technology, mainly weapons, for military purposes and usually principal characters who are members of a military organization involved in military a ...
media franchise A media franchise, also known as a multimedia franchise, is a collection of related media in which several derivative works have been produced from an original creative work of fiction, such as a film, a work of literature, a television program or ...
, originally developed by
Bungie Bungie, Inc. is an American video game company based in Bellevue, Washington. It is a studio owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The company was established in May 1991 by Alex Seropian, who later brought in programmer Jason Jones (progr ...
and currently managed and developed by
343 Industries 343 Industries 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 ...
, part of
Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
's
Xbox Game Studios Xbox Game Studios (previously known as Microsoft Studios, Microsoft Game Studios, and Microsoft Games) is an American video game publisher and part of the Microsoft Gaming division based in Redmond, Washington. It was established in March 2000, ...
. The series launched in 2001 with the
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
video game '' Halo: Combat Evolved'' and its tie-in novel, '' The Fall of Reach''. The latest main game, ''
Halo Infinite ''Halo Infinite'' is a 2021 first-person shooter game developed by 343 Industries and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is the sixth mainline entry in the ''Halo'' series, following '' Halo 5: Guardians'' (2015). The campaign follows the h ...
'', was released in 2021. ''Combat Evolved'' started life as a
real-time strategy game Real-time strategy (RTS) is a subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in turn-based strategy (TBS) games, players take turns to pla ...
, before morphing into a
first-person shooter First-person shooter (FPS) is a sub-genre of shooter video games centered on gun and other weapon-based combat in a first-person perspective, with the player experiencing the action through the eyes of the protagonist and controlling the pl ...
and releasing as an exclusive on Microsoft's new
Xbox Xbox is a video gaming brand created and owned by Microsoft. The brand consists of five video game consoles, as well as applications (games), streaming services, an online service by the name of Xbox network, and the development arm by the na ...
video game console after Bungie was acquired by the company. Bungie regained its independence in 2007, releasing additional ''Halo'' games through 2010. Microsoft established 343 Industries to direct the franchise going forward, and has produced games itself and in partnership with other studios. ''Combat Evolved'' was a critical and commercial success, serving as the Xbox's "
killer app In marketing terminology, a killer application (commonly shortened to killer app) is any computer program or software that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology, such as computer hardware, a video game ...
" and cementing Microsoft as a major player in the video game console space. Its sequels expanded the franchise's commercial and critical success, and have sold more than 81 million copies worldwide. With more than $6 billion in franchise grosses, ''Halo'' is one of the highest-grossing media franchises of all time, spanning novels, graphic novels, comic books, short films, animated films, feature films, and other licensed products.


Plot

Hundreds of thousands of years ago, the Mantle of Responsibility belonged to the Precursors, who gave all life to the galaxy. However, the Precursors wanted to give such power, instead of to the Forerunners as originally planned, to the human race. In retaliation, the Forerunners drove the Precursors into extinction. Instead of fighting back, the Precursors let themselves die to their creations, turning into a dust to later become themselves once again. It spread like wildfire due to ancient humans rubbing the powders on their pets, believing it helped their pets to live longer. However, instead of helping their pets, it eventually infected and contorted them into a new parasitic species, connected by a hivemind to the minds of the last Precursors: The
Flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...
. The Forerunners fought the Flood, which spread through an infestation of sentient life and had overrun much of the
Milky Way Galaxy The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye. ...
. Exhausting all other strategies, the Forerunners conceived the
Halo Array The Halo (series), ''Halo'' video game and media franchise takes place in a fictional science fiction universe. In the distant past, a race known as the Forerunners fought the parasitic Flood. The Forerunners ultimately activate weapons of mass d ...
— ring-shaped megastructures and weapons of last resort that would destroy all sentient life in the galaxy to stop the Flood. Delaying as long as they could, the Forerunners activated the rings and disappeared. Nearly a hundred thousand years later in the 26th century, humanity—under the auspices of the
United Nations Space Command The ''Halo'' video game and media franchise takes place in a fictional science fiction universe. In the distant past, a race known as the Forerunners fought the parasitic Flood. The Forerunners ultimately activate weapons of mass destruction, th ...
, or UNSC—colonized many worlds thanks to the development of faster-than-light "slipstream space" (i.e.
hyperspace In science fiction, hyperspace (also known as nulspace, subspace, overspace, jumpspace and similar terms) is a concept relating to higher dimensions as well as parallel universes and a faster-than-light (FTL) method of interstellar travel. ...
) travel. Tensions between the government and colonies desiring independence sparked violent clashes. The UNSC sponsored the SPARTAN-II Project to create an elite group of enhanced supersoldiers to suppress the rebellions covertly. In the year 2525, human worlds come under attack by an
theocratic Theocracy is a form of government in which one or more deities are recognized as supreme ruling authorities, giving divine guidance to human intermediaries who manage the government's daily affairs. Etymology The word theocracy originates fro ...
alliance of alien races known as the
Covenant Covenant may refer to: Religion * Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general ** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible ** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...
, whose leadership declared humanity heretics and an affront to their gods—the Forerunners. The Covenant began a genocidal holy war. Their superior technology and numbers proved decisive advantages; though effective, the Spartans were too few in number to turn the tide of battle in humanity's favor. After the Covenant invaded Reach, the UNSC's last major stronghold besides Earth, Master Chief John-117 was left as one of the few remaining Spartans. The rediscovery of the Halo rings set the humans against the Covenant, who believed they were instruments of transcendence, not destruction. Master Chief and his artificial intelligence Cortana were instrumental in the destruction of a Halo ring to stop the Covenant and the threat of the Flood. The Covenant descended into civil war following the expulsion of the Sangheili species, with many grappling over the revelation that their religion was false. The disgraced former Covenant Sangheili commander known as the Arbiter, along with the rest of his race, helped the humans destroy the Covenant and stop its leader, Truth, from activating the Halo Array via the Ark. The Human-Covenant War ended, though new conflicts begin to emerge throughout the universe. In the post-war era, the UNSC creates a new generation of Spartans, and tensions between the UNSC and colonist rebels resumed. The Forerunner known as the Didact briefly returns to assert supremacy over humanity, though he is foiled by the Master Chief and Cortana, who is initially believed dead in the attempt. Cortana's survival through the Forerunner repository of knowledge known as the Domain leads her to break with the UNSC and assert a new hegemony over the galaxy, with artificial intelligence (the "Created") in control. After two years of a scattered war between Cortana and the UNSC, Cortana attacks the
Banished Banished may refer to: * ''Banished'' (TV series), a 2015 drama television series * ''Banished'' (film), a 2007 documentary * ''Banished'' (video game), a city-building strategy game by Shining Rock Software * Banished (Halo), an alien faction ...
, a mercenary organization largely led by the Jiralhanae race. The Banished win the resultant conflict, terminating Cortana and battle the UNSC for control of Zeta Halo.


Game series


Bungie era

Video game developer
Bungie Bungie, Inc. is an American video game company based in Bellevue, Washington. It is a studio owned by Sony Interactive Entertainment. The company was established in May 1991 by Alex Seropian, who later brought in programmer Jason Jones (progr ...
was founded in 1991 by Alex Seropian in
Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, who partnered with programmer Jason Jones to market and release Jones' game '' Minotaur: The Labyrinths of Crete''. Focusing on the Macintosh game market because it was smaller and easier to compete, Bungie became a preeminent game developer on the small
Apple Macintosh The Mac (known as Macintosh until 1999) is a family of personal computers designed and marketed by Apple Inc. Macs are known for their ease of use and minimalist designs, and are popular among students, creative professionals, and software en ...
platform. What became '' Halo: Combat Evolved'' started as a real-time strategy game for the Mac, originally code-named ''Monkey Nuts'' and ''Blam!'', and took place on a hollowed-out world called Solipsis. The planet eventually became a
ringworld ''Ringworld'' is a 1970 science fiction novel by Larry Niven, set in his Known Space universe and considered a classic of science fiction literature. ''Ringworld'' tells the story of Louis Wu and his companions on a mission to the Ringworld, a ...
called "Halo", which became the game's title. ''Halo'' was announced on July 21, 1999, during the
Macworld Conference & Expo Macworld/iWorld was an information technology trade show with conference tracks dedicated to the Apple Macintosh platform. It was held annually in the United States during January. Originally ''Macworld Expo'' and then ''Macworld Conference & Expos ...
. The game morphed from a real-time strategy game into a third-person action game. On June 19, 2000, Microsoft acquired Bungie and ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' became a launch title for the Xbox
video game console A video game console is an electronic device that Input/output, outputs a video signal or image to display a video game that can be played with a game controller. These may be home video game console, home consoles, which are generally placed i ...
. The game turned into a first-person shooter, and was modified to work with a controller. Though the first ''Halo'' was meant to include an online multiplayer mode, it was excluded because the
Xbox Live The Xbox network, formerly and still sometimes branded as Xbox Live, is an Internet, online multiplayer video game, multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft. It was first made available to the Xbox ...
service was not yet available. ''Halo'' was not intended to be the Xbox's flagship game due to internal concerns and gaming press criticism, but Microsoft VP of game publishing
Ed Fries Ed Fries ( "freeze") is an American video game programmer and entrepreneur who was the vice president of game publishing at Microsoft during much of the Xbox's life-cycle. Early life Fries fell in love with games while playing arcade games in the ...
did not act on these concerns. The Xbox's marketing heavily featured ''Halo'', whose green color palette meshed with the console's design scheme. ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' introduced many gameplay and plot themes common to the whole trilogy. Players battle various aliens on foot and in vehicles to complete objectives, while attempting to uncover the secrets of the
eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...
ous Halo. ''Halo'' limited the number of weapons players could carry to two, forcing them to carefully select their preferred armament. Players fight with ranged and melee attacks, as well as grenades. Bungie referred to the "weapons-grenades-melee" format as the "Golden Triangle of ''Halo''". The player's health is measured in both
hit point Health is an attribute in a video game or tabletop game that determines the maximum amount of damage or loss of stamina that a character or object can take before dying or losing consciousness. In role-playing games, this typically takes the for ...
s and a perpetually recharging energy shield. Released for the Xbox in November 2001,
Windows Windows is a group of several proprietary graphical operating system families developed and marketed by Microsoft. Each family caters to a certain sector of the computing industry. For example, Windows NT for consumers, Windows Server for serv ...
and
Mac OS X macOS (; previously OS X and originally Mac OS X) is a Unix operating system developed and marketed by Apple Inc. since 2001. It is the primary operating system for Apple's Mac (computer), Mac computers. Within the market of ...
port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...
s were later developed by
Gearbox Software Gearbox Software is an American video game development company based in Frisco, Texas. It was established as a limited liability company in February 1999 by five developers formerly of Rebel Boat Rocker. Randy Pitchford, one of the founders, se ...
, and released in 2003. A stand-alone expansion, entitled ''Halo: Custom Edition'', was released as a Windows exclusive, and allowed players to create custom content for the game. The success of the game led to a sequel, ''
Halo 2 ''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 '' ...
'', which was announced on August 8, 2002, at Microsoft's X02 press event. It featured improved graphics, new weapons and enemies, and a multiplayer mode on Xbox Live. ''
Halo 2 ''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 '' ...
'' was released on the Xbox on November 9, 2004, and later for
Windows Vista Windows Vista is a major release of the Windows NT operating system developed by Microsoft. It was the direct successor to Windows XP, which was released five years before, at the time being the longest time span between successive releases of ...
on May 17, 2007. The game was released in two different editions: a standard edition with just the game disc and traditional Xbox packaging; and the Collector's Edition with a specially designed aluminum case, along with an additional bonus DVD, extra booklet, and slightly different user manual. ''Halo 2'' introduced new gameplay elements, chief among them the ability to hold and fire two weapons simultaneously, known as " dual-wielding". Unlike its predecessor, ''Halo 2'' fully supported online multiplayer via
Xbox LIVE The Xbox network, formerly and still sometimes branded as Xbox Live, is an Internet, online multiplayer video game, multiplayer gaming and digital media delivery service created and operated by Microsoft. It was first made available to the Xbox ...
. The game uses "matchmaking" to facilitate joining online matches by grouping players looking for certain types of games. This was a change from the more traditional "server list" approach, which was used to find matches in online games at this time. ''
Halo 3 ''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, the game concludes the story arc begun in 2001's '' Halo: Combat Evolved'' and continued in 2 ...
'' was announced at the 2006
Electronic Entertainment Expo E3 (short for Electronic Entertainment Expo or Electronic Entertainment Experience in 2021) is a trade event for the video game industry. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) organizes and presents E3, which many developers, publisher ...
. It utilized a proprietary, in-house graphics engine, and employed advanced graphics technologies. ''Halo 3'' is the final game in the original ''Halo'' trilogy, ending the
story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vide ...
begun in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. The game was released on the
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
on September 25, 2007. It adds to the series vehicles, weapons, and a class of items called equipment. The game also includes a limited map-editing tool, known as the
Forge A forge is a type of hearth used for heating metals, or the workplace (smithy) where such a hearth is located. The forge is used by the smith to heat a piece of metal to a temperature at which it becomes easier to shape by forging, or to th ...
, which allows players to insert game objects, such as weapons and vehicles, into existing multiplayer map geometry. Players can save a recording of their gameplay sessions, and view them as video, from any angle. Following ''Halo 3''s release, Bungie became an independent company once more. They created two more ''Halo'' games as part of their deal with Microsoft: a side story ''Halo 3: ODST'' (2009), and a prequel ''Halo: Reach'' (2010). ''Reach'' was Bungie's final work on a ''Halo'' release.


343 Industries era

While Bungie remained involved in the ''Halo'' series by developing games such as ''ODST'' and ''Reach'', the rights to ''Halo'' remained with Microsoft. To oversee everything ''Halo'', Microsoft created an internal division, called 343 Industries, to oversee the franchise. 343 had already co-developed the ''
Halo Legends ''Halo Legends'' is a collection of 7 short films set in the ''Halo'' universe. Financed by the franchise's overseer 343 Industries, the stories were created by six Japanese anime production houses: Bee Train, Bones, Casio Entertainment, Product ...
'' animated series and had overseen production of '' Halo: Reach'' and 2011's '' Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''. The next game in the series, ''
Halo 4 ''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 cybernetically enhanced human supersoldier, Master Chief, a ...
'', was announced at E3 2011 as the first entry in what would be originally known as the "Reclaimer Trilogy". The game included many staples of previous games, such as new or redesigned weapon types, an improved map-editing tool and expanded multiplayer options and maps. ''Halo 4'' was released worldwide on November 6, 2012, achieving record sales for the franchise. In a new addition to the series, a story-driven multiplayer campaign entitled '' Spartan Ops'' was released over the weeks following ''Halo 4''s release, telling what happened after the end of the main game. In announcing the formation of 343 Industries, Microsoft also announced that Xbox Live would be home to a central hub for ''Halo'' content called Halo Waypoint. Waypoint is accessed from the
Xbox 360 Dashboard The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox series. It competed with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation ...
and offers players access to multimedia content in addition to tracking their ''Halo'' game "career". O'Connor described Waypoint as intended to be the prime destination for ''Halo''. In December 2014, 343 Industries general manager Bonnie Ross expressed Microsoft's aim for the ''Halo'' series to last at least 30 more years. '' Halo 5: Guardians'', was released for the
Xbox One The Xbox One is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. Announced in May 2013, it is the successor to Xbox 360 and the third base console in the Xbox series of video game consoles. It was first released in North America, parts of ...
on October 27, 2015. The game takes place across many worlds, mainly the
Sangheili The Halo (series), ''Halo'' video game and media franchise takes place in a fictional science fiction universe. In the distant past, a race known as the Forerunners fought the parasitic Flood. The Forerunners ultimately activate weapons of mass d ...
homeworld, and revolves around Spartan Locke's hunt for the rogue Master Chief, who is trying to find Cortana. The third part of the Reclaimer Saga, ''
Halo Infinite ''Halo Infinite'' is a 2021 first-person shooter game developed by 343 Industries and published by Xbox Game Studios. It is the sixth mainline entry in the ''Halo'' series, following '' Halo 5: Guardians'' (2015). The campaign follows the h ...
'', was announced during
E3 2018 The Electronic Entertainment Expo 2018 (E3 2018) was the 24th E3, during which hardware manufacturers, software developers, and publishers from the video game industry presented new and upcoming products to the attendees, primarily retailers a ...
. It brings the focus back to Master Chief, and Halo's roots by taking place on the new Zeta Halo. The story mainly focuses on exploring the deeper lore of the ''Halo'' series, the aftermath of the war with Cortana, and battles with the Banished. It released December 2021.


Spin-offs

The success of the main ''Halo'' trilogy spurred the creation of spin-off games. ''
Halo Wars ''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 i ...
'' is a
real-time strategy Real-time strategy (RTS) is a Video game genre, subgenre of strategy video games that do not progress incrementally in turn-based game, turns, but allow all players to play simultaneously, in "real time". By contrast, in Turn-based strategy, turn ...
game developed by
Ensemble Studios Ensemble Studios was an American video game developer. It was founded by Tony Goodman in 1994 and incorporated the following year. It borrowed the name of Ensemble Corporation, a consulting firm founded by Goodman in 1990. It was acquired by M ...
for the Xbox 360. Set in the year 2531, the game takes place 21 years prior to the events of ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. Much effort was spent on developing a control scheme that was simple and intuitive, unlike other console strategy games. The game was announced at X06, and released in February and March 2009. In October 2017, 343 Industries developed and released a
virtual reality Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated experience that employs pose tracking and 3D near-eye displays to give the user an immersive feel of a virtual world. Applications of virtual reality include entertainment (particularly video games), educ ...
demo title in partnership with Endeavor One called ''Halo Recruit''. In 2018, 343 Industries partnered with
Raw Thrills Raw Thrills, Inc. is an arcade game entertainment company based in Skokie, Illinois. It is best known for developing arcade games based on films. History Raw Thrills was founded in 2001 by Eugene Jarvis, Deepak Deo, and Andrew Eloff. The staff ...
and PlayMechanix to develop a coin-operated
arcade game An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...
called ' that was released in the later part of 2018, with Round1 USA and
Dave & Buster's Dave & Buster's is an American restaurant and entertainment business headquartered in Dallas. Each Dave & Buster's has a full-service restaurant and a video arcade. As of October 2022, the company has 151 locations in the United States and two ...
arcades releasing first.


Alternative reality games

Alternative reality game An alternate reality game (ARG) is an interactive networked narrative that uses the real world as a platform and employs transmedia storytelling to deliver a story that may be altered by players' ideas or actions. The form is defined by inten ...
s have been used to promote the release of ''Halo'' games, beginning with the Cortana Letters, a series of cryptic email messages, circulated by Bungie prior to ''Halo: Combat Evolved''s release. ''I Love Bees'' was used to promote the release of ''Halo 2''. The game revolved around a website created by
42 Entertainment 42 Entertainment is an American company based in Burbank which specializes in creating and producing alternate reality games (ARGs). The company was founded in 2003 as an independently owned, creative content and interactive agency under the nam ...
, commissioned by Microsoft and endorsed by Bungie. Over the course of the game, audio clips were released that eventually formed a complete five-hour story set on Earth between ''Halo'' and ''Halo 2''. Similarly, ''Iris'' was used as a
viral marketing Viral marketing is a business strategy that uses existing social networks to promote a product mainly on various social media platforms. Its name refers to how consumers spread information about a product with other people, much in the same way tha ...
campaign for the release of ''Halo 3''. It featured five web servers containing various media files related to the ''Halo'' universe.


Cancelled projects

Several spin-off titles were planned or rumored for the
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, 2 ...
,
Gizmondo The Gizmondo is a handheld gaming console developed by Tiger Telematics. It was released in the UK, Sweden and the U.S. starting in March 2005. Its first-party games were developed in studios in Helsingborg, Sweden, and Manchester, England. Gi ...
,
Ultra-Mobile PC An ultra-mobile PC, or ultra-mobile personal computer (UMPC), is a miniature version of a pen computer, a class of laptop whose specifications were launched by Microsoft and Intel in spring 2006. Sony had already made a first attempt in this d ...
, and
Nintendo DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tan ...
. Microsoft announced an episodic video game to be developed by film director
Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...
's Wingnut Interactive in 2006. The game, ''Halo: Chronicles'', was ultimately cancelled as part of budget cuts tied to job layoffs in January 2009. Ensemble Studios developed a ''Halo''-themed
massively multiplayer online game A massively multiplayer online game (MMOG or more commonly MMO) is an online video game with a large number of players, often hundreds or thousands, on the same server. MMOs usually feature a huge, persistent world, persistent open world, alt ...
, often referred to as ''Titan Project'', or just ''Titan''. The project was cancelled internally in 2007–2008, without a formal announcement from Microsoft. 343 Industries announced a
free-to-play Free-to-play (F2P or FtP) video games are games that give players access to a significant portion of their content without paying or do not require paying to continue playing. Free-to-play is distinct from traditional commercial software, which ...
''Halo'' multiplayer game for Windows PC, ''Halo Online'', in 2015. The game launched with a closed
beta test A software release life cycle is the sum of the stages of development and maturity for a piece of computer software ranging from its initial development to its eventual release, and including updated versions of the released version to help impro ...
limited to Russia that year. The title was developed with
Saber Interactive Saber Interactive Inc. is an American video game developer and video game publisher, publisher founded in 2001 with headquarters in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Saber was acquired by Embracer Group in February 2020, making the studio a direct subs ...
using modified version of the ''Halo 3'' engine, and published by Innova Systems. The project was cancelled in August 2016. Players modified the game to circumvent the region limitations and add new content after the project's official cancellation. The "ElDewrito" project saw legal takedowns from Microsoft for violating its game usage rules. Despite this, ElDewrito's playerbase remained active, and the modders claimed its popularity hastened Microsoft's plans to release a Windows version of ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection''.


Other appearances

''Halo'' characters have appeared in tie-ins, such as the characters Spartan Nicole-458 and the Arbiter being playable fighters in ''
Dead or Alive 4 is a 2005 fighting video game developed by Team Ninja and published by Tecmo for the Xbox 360. It is the fourth main entry in the '' Dead or Alive'' fighting series. The story of the game focuses on the continuing war between the Mugen Tenshin ...
'' and '' Killer Instinct: Season Three'', respectively. Master Chief was added as a playable character in ''
Fortnite ''Fortnite'' is an online video game developed by Epic Games and released in 2017. It is available in three distinct game mode versions that otherwise share the same general gameplay and game engine: ''Fortnite Battle Royale'', a free-to- ...
'' alongside a stage inspired by a ''Halo'' multiplayer map in 2020. Another game, '' Halo 2600'', has the players control Master Chief and fight through four regions filled with enemies. It was written by Ed Fries, former vice president of game publishing at Microsoft, in 2010 for the
Atari 2600 The Atari 2600, initially branded as the Atari Video Computer System (Atari VCS) from its release until November 1982, is a home video game console developed and produced by Atari, Inc. Released in September 1977, it popularized microprocessor- ...
. The ''Halo'' theme tune was also available as
downloadable content Downloadable content (DLC) is additional content created for an already released video game, distributed through the Internet by the game's publisher. It can either be added for no extra cost or it can be a form of video game monetization, enablin ...
for '' Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock''. In ''
Forza Horizon 4 ''Forza Horizon 4'' is a 2018 racing video game developed by Playground Games and published by Microsoft Studios. It was released on 2 October 2018 for Windows and Xbox One after being announced at Xbox's E3 2018 conference. An enhanced version ...
'' one level has the player racing across the map in the Warthog as the Master Chief, with the Halo ring visible in the sky, Cortana on the radio and various Covenant based obstacles to avoid.


Cultural influences and themes

In 2006, in acknowledgment of the "wealth of influences adopted by the Bungie team", a list of Bungie employees' favorite science fiction material was published on the company's website. The developers acknowledged that the ''Halo'' series' use of ring-shaped
megastructure A megastructure is a very large artificial object, although the limits of precisely how large vary considerably. Some apply the term to any especially large or tall building. Some sources define a megastructure as an enormous self-supporting a ...
s followed on from concepts featured in
Larry Niven Laurence van Cott Niven (; born April 30, 1938) is an American science fiction writer. His best-known works are ''Ringworld'' (1970), which received Hugo, Locus, Ditmar, and Nebula awards, and, with Jerry Pournelle, ''The Mote in God's Eye'' ...
's ''Ringworld'' and Iain M. Banks'
Culture series The ''Culture'' series is a science fiction series written by Scottish author Iain M. Banks and released from 1987 through to 2012. The stories centre on The Culture, a utopian, post-scarcity space society of humanoid aliens, and advanced su ...
(of which ''
Consider Phlebas ''Consider Phlebas'', first published in 1987, is a space opera novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks. It is the first in a series of novels about an interstellar post-scarcity society called the Culture. The novel revolves around the Idiran ...
'' and ''
Excession ''Excession'' is a 1996 science fiction novel by Scottish writer Iain M. Banks. It is the fifth in the Culture series, a series of ten science fiction novels which feature a utopian fictional interstellar society called the Culture. It con ...
'' were said to be particularly influential). In a retrospective article in ''
Edge Edge or EDGE may refer to: Technology Computing * Edge computing, a network load-balancing system * Edge device, an entry point to a computer network * Adobe Edge, a graphical development application * Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'', Bungie's Jaime Griesemer commented, "The influence of something like ''Ringworld'' isn't necessarily in the design – it's in that feeling of being somewhere else. That sense of scale and an epic story going on out there." Published online as: Griesemer also explained, "One of the main sources of inspiration was ''
Armor Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...
'' y_John_Steakley.html" ;"title="John_Steakley.html" ;"title="y John Steakley">y John Steakley">John_Steakley.html" ;"title="y John Steakley">y John Steakley in which a soldier has to constantly re-live the same war over and over again. That sense of hopelessness, a relentless battle, was influential." The Flood were influenced by the assimilating alien species in Christopher Rowley's ''The Vang''; it has also been speculated that the Master Chief's name "John 117" may have been a reference to a character named Jon 6725416 in Rowley's ''Starhammer'', or to the John Spartan character of '' Demolition Man''. An IGN article exploring the literary influences present in the ''Halo'' franchise commented on similarities between ''Halo'' and
Orson Scott Card Orson Scott Card (born August 24, 1951) is an American writer known best for his science fiction works. He is the first and (as of 2022) only person to win both a Hugo Award and a Nebula Award in consecutive years, winning both awards for both ...
's ''
Ender's Game ''Ender's Game'' is a 1985 military science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. Set at an unspecified date in Earth's future, the novel presents an imperiled humankind after two conflicts with an insectoid alien species they dub ...
'': aspects of the SPARTAN Project and the design of the Covenant Drones are perceived as reminiscent of the super soldier program and Buggers found in the novel. Bungie has also acknowledged
James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post-New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability w ...
's film ''
Aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...
'' as a strong cinematic influence. A report written by Roger Travis and published by '' The Escapist'' compares ''Halo'' with the Latin epic ''
Aeneid The ''Aeneid'' ( ; la, Aenē̆is or ) is a Latin Epic poetry, epic poem, written by Virgil between 29 and 19 BC, that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Troy, Trojan who fled the Trojan_War#Sack_of_Troy, fall of Troy and travelled to ...
'', written by classical Roman poet
Virgil Publius Vergilius Maro (; traditional dates 15 October 7021 September 19 BC), usually called Virgil or Vergil ( ) in English, was an ancient Roman poet of the Augustan period. He composed three of the most famous poems in Latin literature: t ...
. Travis posits similarities between the plots of both works and compares the characters present in them, with the Flood and Covenant taking the role performed by the Carthaginians, and the Master Chief's role in the series to that of
Aeneas In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas (, ; from ) was a Trojan hero, the son of the Trojan prince Anchises and the Greek goddess Aphrodite (equivalent to the Roman Venus). His father was a first cousin of King Priam of Troy (both being grandsons ...
.


Music

Martin O'Donnell and
Michael Salvatori Michael C. Salvatori (born 1954) is an American composer best known for his collaboration with colleague Martin O'Donnell for the soundtracks to the ''Halo'' video game series. Salvatori became acquainted with O'Donnell in college; when O'Donnel ...
collaborated to produce the soundtracks for Bungie's ''Halo'' games. Approached by Bungie to produce something ancient and mysterious for ''Halo''s debut, O'Donnell decided to compose a theme using
Gregorian chant Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe durin ...
, joining in with others to sing the vocal parts. Due to the varying nature of gameplay, the music was designed to use change dynamically based on the gameplay. To afford a more enjoyable listening experience, O'Donnell rearranged portions of the music of ''Halo'' into standalone suites, which follow the narrative course of the game, for the soundtrack releases. For ''Halo 2'', the soundtrack included licensed music from
Incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...
and
Breaking Benjamin Breaking Benjamin is an American Rock music, rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, formed in 1999 by lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel. The first lineup of the band also included guitarist Aaron Fink an ...
alongside the orchestral score; rock guitar virtuoso,
Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai (; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist for ...
, performed various solos throughout the score. The music of ''Halo'' helped spur a renewed interest in chant music. For ''Halo 2''s soundtrack, producer
Nile Rodgers Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. (born September 19, 1952) is an American musician, record producer and composer. The co-founder of Chic, Rodgers has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million ...
and O'Donnell decided to split the music into two separate volumes. The first, Volume One, was released on November 9, 2004, and contained all the themes as well as the "inspired-by" music present in the game (featuring
Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai (; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist for ...
,
Incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...
,
Hoobastank Hoobastank (sometimes stylized as h∞bastank, and originally known as Hoobustank) is an American rock band formed in 1994 in Agoura Hills, California, by lead vocalist Doug Robb, guitarist Dan Estrin, drummer Chris Hesse, and original bassis ...
, and
Breaking Benjamin Breaking Benjamin is an American Rock music, rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, formed in 1999 by lead singer and guitarist Benjamin Burnley and drummer Jeremy Hummel. The first lineup of the band also included guitarist Aaron Fink an ...
). The second release, Volume 2, contained the rest of the music, much of which was incomplete or not included in the first soundtrack, as the first soundtrack was shipped before the game was released. ''Halo 2'', unlike its predecessor, was mixed to take full advantage of
Dolby Dolby Laboratories, Inc. (often shortened to Dolby Labs and known simply as Dolby) is an American company specializing in audio noise reduction, audio encoding/compression, spatial audio, and HDR imaging. Dolby licenses its technologies to ...
5.1 Digital
Surround Sound Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener ( surround channels). Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to sur ...
. In 2014, the in-game music was rerecorded and remastered for the Halo 2 Anniversary release which was part of the Master Chief Collection which included remastered versions of all Halo games with Master Chief as the protagonist. The soundtrack for ''Halo 3'' was released on November 20, 2007. O'Donnell noted he wanted to bring back the themes from the original game to help tie together the end of the trilogy. The tracks are presented, similarly to the previous soundtrack for ''Halo 2'', in a suite form. Unlike previous soundtracks, where much of the music had been synthesized on computer, the soundtrack for ''Halo 3'' was recorded using a 60-piece orchestra, along with a 24-voice chorus. The final soundtrack was recorded by the Northwest Sinfonia at Studio X in Seattle, Washington. The soundtracks were bundled and released as a box set in December 2008. A soundtrack for ''Halo 3: ODST'' was released alongside the game and included many of the tracks from the game. For Bungie's last game in the Halo series, ''Halo: Reach'', Martin O'Donnell and Michael Salvatori returned to compose the soundtrack. O'Donnell wrote "somber, more visceral" music to reflect the darker nature of the campaign and style of the game. As Bungie had been making ''Halo 3: ODST'' and ''Halo: Reach'' at the same time, Martin O'Donnell had also been composing the soundtracks at the same time, but production for the music of ''Halo: Reach'' did not begin until after the release of ''Halo 3: ODST''. The soundtrack was released on iTunes on September 15, 2010, and in a two-disc set on September 28, 2010. For ''Halo Wars'', the task of creating the game's music fell to Stephen Rippy. Rippy listened to O'Donnell's soundtracks for inspiration and incorporated the ''Halo'' theme into parts of his arrangements. In addition to synthesized and orchestral components, the composer focused on the choir and piano as essential elements, feeling these were important in creating the "''Halo'' sound". Rather than use the Northwest Sinfonia, Rippy traveled to Prague and recorded with the FILMharmonic Orchestra before returning to the United States to complete the music. A standalone compact disc and digital download retail version of the soundtrack was announced in January 2009 for release on February 17. The music of ''Halo 4'' was composed by
Neil Davidge Neil Davidge (born 29 June 1962) is an English record producer, songwriter, film score composer, musician, and occasional backing vocalist. Once an associate of dance producers DNA, he is best known as the long-term co-writer and producer for ...
and Kazuma Jinnouchi. The ''
Halo 4 Original Soundtrack The ''Halo 4 Original Soundtrack'' is the official soundtrack to the first-person shooter video game ''Halo 4'', developed by 343 Industries and published by Microsoft Studios. British record producer Neil Davidge was ''Halo 4''s main composer an ...
'' was released on October 22, 2012, followed by a two-disc Special Edition on November 6. Neil Davidge served as an out-of-house composer for 343 Industries which proved to be very expensive leading Kazuma Jinnouchi to take over the responsibility of music production for ''Halo 5: Guardians''. The music by Neil Davidge and Kazuma Jinnouchi for ''Halo 4'' received mixed reviews, being recognized as creative music but too different from the original Halo formula. In 2014, Kazuma Jinnouchi confirmed he would be composing the soundtrack for '' Halo 5: Guardians''. On October 30, 2015, ''Halo 5: Guardians Original Soundtrack'' was released on CD and Vinyl. The soundtrack used a 30-person choir located in Prague, Czech Republic. The orchestral soundtrack was recorded at the Abbey Road Studio over the duration of 5 separate trips. In 2017, 343 Industries and Creative Studios released a sequel to ''Halo Wars'' titled ''Halo Wars 2''. The soundtrack was composed by
Gordy Haab Gordy Haab (born 1976) is an American film, video game and television composer based in Los Angeles, California. His work has been featured in works associated with franchises including most recently '' Star Wars Battlefront II'', for which he ...
, Brian Lee White and Brian Trifo under the direction of Paul Lipson who had helped in the audio and music of nearly every previous Halo title. The ''Halo Wars 2'' soundtrack featured many melodies from the music that Stephen Rippy had composed for the first ''Halo Wars'' but with new arrangements and more melodies to represent the individual characters. The original game soundtrack was released on February 17, 2017, and released digitally on February 21, 2017.


Adaptations

The ''Halo'' franchise includes various types of merchandise and adaptations outside of the video games. This includes bestselling novels, graphic novels, and other licensed products, from action figures to a packaging tie-in with
Mountain Dew Mountain Dew, stylized as Mtn Dew, is a carbonated soft drink brand produced and owned by PepsiCo. The original formula was invented in 1940 by Tennessee beverage bottlers Barney and Ally Hartman. A revised formula was created by Bill Brid ...
. Numerous action figures and vehicles based on ''Halo'' have been produced. Joyride Studios created ''Halo'' and ''Halo 2'' action figures, while ''Halo 3'' poseable and collectible action figures, aimed at collectors, were produced by
McFarlane Toys McFarlane Toys is an American company founded by comic book creator Todd McFarlane which makes highly detailed model action figures of characters from films, comics, popular music, video games and various sporting genres. The company, a subsidia ...
and became some of the top-selling action figures of 2007 and 2008.
MEGA Bloks Mega Brands Inc. (formerly Mega Bloks Inc. and Ritvik Holdings) is a Canadian children's toy company currently owned by Mattel. Mega Bloks, a line of construction set toys, is its most popular product. Its other brands include Mega Construx, Meg ...
partnered with Microsoft to produce ''Halo Wars''-themed toys.


Books

As part of Microsoft's multimedia efforts, Microsoft Studios decided to create a tie-in novel for ''Combat Evolved''.
Eric Nylund Eric S. Nylund (born November 12, 1964) is an American novelist and professional technical writer. His wife, Syne Mitchell, is also a science fiction writer. He holds a B.Sc. in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a ...
wrote '' Halo: The Fall of Reach'' in seven weeks, and published in October 2001. The game itself was turned into a novelization by William C. Dietz in 2003, called '' Halo: The Flood''. Nylund would write additional ''Halo'' works including the novels '' First Strike'' (2003) and ''
Ghosts of Onyx ''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx'' is a military science fiction novel by Eric Nylund, based on the ''Halo'' series of video games. The book was released in October 2006 and is the fourth ''Halo'' novel; Nylund's third contribution to the series. ''Onyx'' ...
'' (2006). Other novels have been written by
Joseph Staten Joseph Staten is an American writer best known for his work at video game studio Bungie. At Bungie, Staten served as director of cinematics for the studio's games, including the ''Halo'' series; he would write mission scripts and movie dialogue ...
, Tobias S. Buckell,
Karen Traviss Karen Traviss is a science fiction author from Wiltshire, England. She is the author of the ''Wess'Har'' series, and has written tie-in material based on '' Star Wars'', '' Gears of War'', ''Halo'', ''G.I. Joe'' and the newest ''Nomad'' Series wo ...
,
Greg Bear Gregory Dale Bear (August 20, 1951 – November 19, 2022) was an American writer and illustrator best known for science fiction. His work covered themes of galactic conflict ('' Forge of God'' books), parallel universes ('' The Way'' series), ...
,
Matt Forbeck Matt Forbeck (born August 4, 1968) is an American author and game designer from Beloit, Wisconsin. Biography Forbeck first became interested in role-playing games at age 13 when he started playing ''Dungeons & Dragons''. He earned a degree in crea ...
,
John Shirley John Shirley (born February 10, 1953) is an American writer, primarily of fantasy, science fiction, dark street fiction, westerns, and songwriting. He has also written one historical novel, a western about Wyatt Earp, ''Wyatt in Wichita'', and ...
,
Troy Denning Troy Denning is an American fantasy and science fiction author and game designer who has written more than two dozen novels. Background Denning grew up in the mountain town of Idaho Springs, Colorado. An avid reader of science fiction and fant ...
,
Cassandra Rose Clarke Cassandra Rose Clarke (born 1983) is an American author who writes speculative fiction novels. Education Clarke graduated from the University of St. Thomas in 2006 with a bachelor's degree in English. She received a master's degree in creative wr ...
, and
Kelly Gay Kelly Gay is an American author, known for her work in the science fiction/fantasy genre, particularly urban fantasy. Gay has written books in both the adult and young adult genres, penning the latter under the name of Kelly Keaton. She is partic ...
. A collection of ''Halo'' short stories, ''Halo: Evolutions'', was simultaneously released in print and audiobook formats in November 2009. ''Evolutions'' includes original material by Nylund, Buckell,
Karen Traviss Karen Traviss is a science fiction author from Wiltshire, England. She is the author of the ''Wess'Har'' series, and has written tie-in material based on '' Star Wars'', '' Gears of War'', ''Halo'', ''G.I. Joe'' and the newest ''Nomad'' Series wo ...
and contributions from Bungie. Tor re-released the first three ''Halo'' novels with new content and cover art. Another collection, ''Halo: Fractures'', compiled new and previously released short fiction in 2016.


Comics

The ''Halo'' universe was first adapted into the graphic novel format in 2006, with the release of ''
The Halo Graphic Novel ''The Halo Graphic Novel'' is a graphic novel anthology of the military science fiction video game series ''Halo'', published by Marvel Comics in partnership with Bungie. ''The Halo Graphic Novel'' was the series' first entry into the sequential ...
'', a collection of four
short stories A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
. It was written and illustrated by graphic novelists
Lee Hammock Lee Hammock is a professional writer and game designer. Hammock has worked on numerous products for numerous companies, including '' NeoExodus: A House Divided'' RPG by Louis Porter Jr. Design, '' The Halo Graphic Novel'' and the '' Dawning Star Ca ...
,
Jay Faerber Jay Faerber (born 1972) is an American comic book and television writer. Faerber is known for his work on ''Generation X'' and ''New Warriors'' for Marvel Comics, and '' The Titans'' and '' Connor: Spotlight'' for DC Comics. He later wrote his ow ...
,
Tsutomu Nihei is a Japanese manga artist. Nihei has been drawing comics professionally since the mid-1990s. In 1995 he was awarded the Jiro Taniguchi Special Prize in that year's Afternoon Four Seasons Award for his submission, ''Blame''. After working as an ...
, Brett Lewis,
Simon Bisley Simon Bisley is a British comic book artist best known for his 1990s work on '' ABC Warriors'', '' Lobo'' and '' Sláine''. Early life Simon Bisley began drawing when he was six years old. He is self-taught, with only a short one-year stay a ...
, Ed Lee and
Jean Giraud Jean Henri Gaston Giraud (; 8 May 1938 – 10 March 2012) was a French artist, cartoonist, and writer who worked in the Bandes dessinées, Franco-Belgian ''bandes dessinées'' (BD) tradition. Giraud garnered worldwide acclaim under the pseu ...
. At the 2007
New York Comic Con The New York Comic Con is an annual New York City fan convention dedicated to Western comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, cosplay, toys, movies, and television. It was first held in 2006. History The New York Comic Con is a f ...
,
Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...
announced they would be working on an ongoing ''Halo'' series with
Brian Michael Bendis Brian Michael Bendis (; born August 18, 1967) is an American comic book writer and artist. He has won five Eisner Awards for both his creator-owned work and his work on various Marvel Comics books.Bendis, Brian Michael and Oeming, Michael Avon, ' ...
and
Alex Maleev Alex Maleev ( Bulgarian: Алекс Малеев) is a Bulgarian comic book illustrator, best known for the Marvel Comics' series '' Daredevil'' (vol. 2) with frequent collaborator Brian Michael Bendis. Career Coming from a fine arts background, ...
. The limited series, titled '' Halo: Uprising'', bridges the gap between the events of ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3''; initially planned to conclude shortly before the release of ''Halo 3'', the constant delays led to the final issue being published April 2009. Marvel announced at the 2009 Comic Con that two new comics, a five-part series written by
Peter David Peter Allen David (born September 23, 1956), often abbreviated PAD, is an American writer of comic books, novels, television, films and video games.Buxton, Marc (March 29, 2014)"From 'Future Imperfect' to '2099': Peter David's Greatest Hits" Co ...
and a second series written by Fred Van Lente, would appear the coming summer and winter. David's series, ''Halo: Helljumper'', is set prior to ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' and focuses on the elite Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. The five-part series was published between July and November 2009. Lente's series, originally titled ''Spartan Black'', revolves around a black ops team of Spartan supersoldiers assigned to the UNSC Office of Naval Intelligence. The rebranded comic, ''Halo: Blood Line'', debuted in December 2009. A comic-retelling of the novel ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' was the most recent comic series entitled: ''Halo: Fall of Reach''. ''Fall of Reach'' was split into three mini-stories: ''Boot Camp'', ''Covenant'', and ''Invasion''. Two new series were announced in 2013. A three-part series, ''Halo: Initiation'' was released August 2013 with Brian Reed returning as writer. Also announced was ''Halo: Escalation'', an ongoing comic series covering the period directly after ''Halo 4''. By August 2021, the Halo series consisted of thirteen different graphic novels and comic book series, written by various authors.


Live-action


Unproduced feature

In 2005,
Columbia Pictures Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production studio that is a member of the Sony Pictures Motion Picture Group, a division of Sony Pictures Entertainment, which is one of the Big Five studios and a subsidiary of the mu ...
president Peter Schlessel began working outside the studio system to produce a ''Halo'' film adaptation.
Alex Garland Alexander Medawar Garland (born 26 May 1970) is an English writer and filmmaker. He rose to prominence as a novelist in the late 1990s with his novel '' The Beach'', which led some critics to call Garland a key voice of Generation X. He subsequ ...
wrote a script, which was then pitched to studios by couriers dressed as Master Chief. Microsoft's terms required $10 million against 15 percent of gross; most studios passed, citing the lack of risk for Microsoft compared to their large share of potential profits.
20th Century Fox 20th Century Studios, Inc. (previously known as 20th Century Fox) is an American film production company headquartered at the Fox Studio Lot in the Century City area of Los Angeles. As of 2019, it serves as a film production arm of Walt Dis ...
and
Universal Pictures Universal Pictures (legally Universal City Studios LLC, also known as Universal Studios, or simply Universal; common metonym: Uni, and formerly named Universal Film Manufacturing Company and Universal-International Pictures Inc.) is an Ameri ...
decided to partner to produce the film, paying Microsoft $5 million to option the film and 10 percent of grosses.
Peter Jackson Sir Peter Robert Jackson (born 31 October 1961) is a New Zealand film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known as the director, writer and producer of the ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) and the ''Hobbit'' trilogy ( ...
was slated to be the
executive producer Executive producer (EP) is one of the top positions in the making of a commercial entertainment product. Depending on the medium, the executive producer may be concerned with management accounting or associated with legal issues (like copyrights o ...
, with
Neill Blomkamp Neill Blomkamp (; born 17 September 1979) is a South African filmmaker. He employs a documentary-style, Hand-held camera, hand-held, cinéma vérité technique, blending naturalistic and photo-realistic computer-generated imagery, computer-gene ...
as director. Before Blomkamp signed on,
Guillermo del Toro Guillermo del Toro Gómez (; born October 9, 1964) is a Mexican filmmaker, author, and actor. He directed the Academy Award–winning fantasy films ''Pan's Labyrinth'' (2006) and ''The Shape of Water'' (2017), winning the Academy Awards for Be ...
was in negotiations to direct.
D. B. Weiss Daniel Brett Weiss (; born April 23, 1971) is an American television writer, director, and producer. Along with his collaborator David Benioff, he is best-known as co-creator of ''Game of Thrones'' (2011–2019), the HBO adaptation of George R. ...
and
Josh Olson Joshua R. Olson is an American screenwriter and podcaster, known for writing the 2005 film ''A History of Violence''. Career Olson wrote and directed the low budget horror film ''Infested'' in 2002. He wrote the screenplay for the 2005 film ' ...
rewrote Garland's script during 2006. Pre-production of the film was halted and restarted several times. Later that year, 20th Century Fox threatened to pull out of the project, leading Universal to issue an ultimatum to Jackson and Schlessel: either reduce their large "first-dollar" revenue deals, or the project was ended. Both refused, and the project stalled. Blomkamp declared the project dead in late 2007, though Jackson insisted the film would still be made. Blomkamp and Jackson collaborated on ''
District 9 ''District 9'' is a 2009 science fiction mockumentary film directed by Neill Blomkamp in his feature film debut, written by Blomkamp and Terri Tatchell, and produced by Peter Jackson and Carolynne Cunningham. It is a co-production of New Zea ...
'', but the director told
/Film ''/Film'', also spelled ''Slashfilm'', is a blog that covers movie news, reviews, interviews, and trailers. It was founded by Peter Sciretta in August 2005. Podcasts Six podcasts have run on the site. ''The /Filmcast'', hosted by David Chen, De ...
that he was no longer considering working on a ''Halo'' film if the opportunity arose. The rights for the film have since reverted to Microsoft. Blomkamp would produce a series of live-action shorts as promotion for ''Halo 3'', collectively titled ''Halo: Landfall''.


''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''

''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn'' is a live-action film and miniseries set in the Halo universe. Although shot as a feature-length film, ''Forward Unto Dawn'' was originally released as a webseries consisting of five episodes released between October 5, 2012, and November 2, 2012. The series' plot, occurring in the early days of the Human-Covenant War circa 2526, revolves around Thomas Lasky, a young cadet at Corbulo Academy of Military Science, and how John-117 inspired him to eventually become a leader. Lasky is also a prominent character in ''Halo 4'' as a commander on the UNSC Infinity. The name of the series, aside from being a reference to the UNSC frigate ''Forward Unto Dawn'', is given new significance in the series as part a running motif based on a poem. The film cut was released on Blu-ray and DVD on December 4, 2012.


''Halo: Nightfall''

On April 3, 2014, it was announced that
Ridley Scott Sir Ridley Scott (born 30 November 1937) is a British film director and producer. Directing, among others, science fiction films, his work is known for its atmospheric and highly concentrated visual style. Scott has received many accolades thr ...
and his production company,
Scott Free Productions Scott Free Productions is an independent film and television production company founded in 1970 by filmmakers and brothers Ridley Scott and Tony Scott. They formed the feature film development company Percy Main Productions in 1980, naming the ...
, were working on a ''Halo'' digital feature alongside 343 Industries and
Xbox Entertainment Studios Xbox Entertainment Studios was a short-lived American television and movie studio based in Santa Monica, California created internally by Microsoft Studios in 2012, in order to create "interactive television content" for Xbox Live. On July 17, ...
; Scott would be the executive producer, with
David W. Zucker David W. Zucker is a television executive and executive producer, best known for producing ''The Good Wife''. He is currently the Chief Creative Officer for Scott Free Productions. He is also the executive producer of notable shows like Eric Gar ...
and
Sergio Mimica-Gezzan Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (also known as Srđan Mimica; born May 2, 1956) is a Croatian-born American film and television director. He is the son of famous Croatian film director Vatroslav Mimica. He has received three Directors Guild of America awar ...
as the directors. The feature was expected to follow the same format as Machinima's ''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''. On June 9, 2014, it was announced at E3 2014 that the feature, titled ''Halo: Nightfall'', would be included with ''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'' at its November 2014 launch. The feature introduces a new character to the franchise, Agent Jameson Locke, played by actor
Mike Colter Mike Randal Colter (born August 26, 1976) is an American actor best known for his role as Luke Cage in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, appearing in the streaming television series ''Luke Cage'' (2016–2018), '' The Defenders'' (2017), and ''Jess ...
; ''Nightfall'' is considered to be his origin story. Locke is one of the Spartans portrayed on the cover art and plays a large role in the series. On July 24, 2014, 343 Industries released the first trailer for the feature. ''Halo: Nightfall'' is available to watch through Halo Channel, an application for the Xbox One, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone. On March 16, 2015, the series became available to stream, download, and buy on physical disc.


Paramount+ television series

On May 21, 2013,
Xbox Entertainment Studios Xbox Entertainment Studios was a short-lived American television and movie studio based in Santa Monica, California created internally by Microsoft Studios in 2012, in order to create "interactive television content" for Xbox Live. On July 17, ...
and 343 announced that a live-action
television show A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...
of ''Halo'' would be produced with
Steven Spielberg Steven Allan Spielberg (; born December 18, 1946) is an American director, writer, and producer. A major figure of the New Hollywood era and pioneer of the modern blockbuster, he is the most commercially successful director of all time. Spie ...
serving as executive producer through what is now Amblin Television. It was originally titled ''Halo: The Television Series''. Neill Blomkamp was rumored to be directing the pilot for the series. Xbox Entertainment Studios shut down in 2014. Later, it was announced the series would premiere on the American premium cable network
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
. It had been in
development hell Development hell, development purgatory, and development limbo are media and software industry jargon for a project, concept, or idea that remains in development for an especially long time, often moving between different crews, scripts, game engi ...
for many years. On March 1, 2018, it was announced that the series would start filming in late 2018, with speculation of the series airing in mid- to late-2019. On June 28, 2018,
Kyle Killen Kyle Killen is an American television writer and producer. He is best known as the creator and showrunner of the critically acclaimed but short-lived television series '' Lone Star'' (2010), ''Awake'' (2012) and ''Mind Games'' (2014). He also wr ...
was hired as showrunner and executive producer and
Rupert Wyatt Rupert Wyatt (born 26 October 1972) is an English screenwriter, director and producer. He made his directorial debut with the 2008 film ''The Escapist (2008 film), The Escapist'', which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. His second film wa ...
as director and executive producer. On December 4, 2018, Wyatt stepped down as director and executive producer from the project due to scheduling conflicts. On February 21, 2019,
Otto Bathurst Otto Benjamin Charles Bathurst (born 18 January 1971) is a British television and film director. In 2014, he won a BAFTA for his work on BBC drama ''Peaky Blinders''. He was also previously BAFTA nominated for his work on BBC series ''Crimina ...
replaced Wyatt as director and executive producer. On April 17, 2019, it was announced that
Pablo Schreiber Pablo Tell Schreiber (born April 26, 1978) is a Canadian-American actor. He is best known for his stage work and for portraying Nick Sobotka on ''The Wire'' (2003), William Lewis on '' Law & Order: Special Victims Unit'' (2013–2014), Mad S ...
was cast as Master Chief. On August 2, 2019, ''Deadline'' reported that
Natascha McElhone Natascha McElhone (; born Natascha Abigail Taylor, 14 December 1971) is a British actress. She is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. In film, she is best known for her roles in '' Ronin'' (1998), '' The Truman Show'' (1 ...
had been cast in two key roles: Cortana and Dr.
Catherine Halsey Major recurring characters of the ''Halo (series), Halo'' multimedia franchise are organized below by their respective affiliations within the series' fictional universe. The Halo (franchise)#Original trilogy, original trilogy's central story rev ...
,
Bokeem Woodbine Bokeem Woodbine (born April 13, 1973) is an American actor. In 1994 he portrayed Joshua, Jason's troubled brother, in ''Jason's Lyric''. He won a Black Reel Award, and was nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award and a Critics' Choice Television Awa ...
was also cast as Soren-066, along with
Shabana Azmi Shabana Azmi (born 18 September 1950) is an Indian actress of Hindi film, television and theatre. One of India's most acclaimed actresses, Azmi is known for her portrayals of distinctive, often unconventional female characters across several ge ...
as Admiral Margaret Parangosky, and
Yerin Ha Yerin Ha is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role in the Paramount+ series ''Halo'' (2022–). She was named a 2021 rising star by the Casting Guild of Australia (CGA). Early life Ha was born in Sydney to Korean parents. Her gr ...
as Kwan Ha. It was also announced that the series would be released in early 2021. Filming was incorrectly reported to have officially began in October 2019. In November 2020,
Jen Taylor Jennifer Taylor is an American actress. She is best known for her roles as Cortana in ''Halo'' games and the intelligent personal assistant. Career Jen Taylor taught herself how to do voice work by recording the radio and imitating what she ...
, who voiced Cortana in every major game in the ''Halo'' franchise, replaced McElhorne in that role. It then was reported that filming began in February 2021 and that ViacomCBS was shifting the show from Showtime to
Paramount+ Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. The following busin ...
with Showtime retaining production credits. The series premiered on March 24, 2022.


Animated series

Microsoft announced at
Comic-Con A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book Fan (person), fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events ...
2009 that it was overseeing production of a series of seven short
anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...
films, together called ''Halo Legends''. Financed by 343 Industries, the animation was created by six Japanese production houses:
Bee Train Production , commonly referred to simply as Bee Train, is a Japanese animation studio founded by Kōichi Mashimo in 1997. Since their involvement with '' Noir'', '' .hack//Sign'', and ''Madlax'' (among other series) they have a strong following in the yuri f ...
,
Bones A bone is a rigid organ that constitutes part of the skeleton in most vertebrate animals. Bones protect the various other organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells, store minerals, provide structure and support for the body, an ...
, Casio Entertainment, Production I.G.,
Studio 4°C is a Japanese animation studio founded by Eiko Tanaka and Koji Morimoto in 1986. The name comes from the temperature at which water is most dense. History Studio 4 °C has produced numerous feature films, OVAs, and shorts. Early film t ...
, and
Toei Animation () is a Japanese animation studio primarily controlled by its namesake Toei Company. It has produced numerous series, including ''Sally the Witch,'' ''GeGeGe no Kitarō,'' ''Mazinger Z'', ''Galaxy Express 999'', ''Cutie Honey'', ''Dr. Slump'', ' ...
.
Shinji Aramaki is a Japanese anime director and mechanical designer from Fukuoka Prefecture. He graduated from Fukuoka Prefectural Fukuoka High School and Okayama University. He was a member of Artmic and is currently the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at SOLA ...
, creator and director of '' Appleseed'' and ''
Appleseed Ex Machina ''Appleseed Ex Machina'', also known as in the original version, is a 2007 Japanese animated CG science fiction film and is the sequel to the 2004 ''Appleseed'' film, similarly directed by Shinji Aramaki, and was produced by Hong Kong director ...
'', served as the project's creative director.
Warner Bros. Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. (commonly known as Warner Bros. or abbreviated as WB) is an American film and entertainment studio headquartered at the Warner Bros. Studios complex in Burbank, California, and a subsidiary of Warner Bros. D ...
distributed ''Legends'' on DVD and Blu-ray in February 2010. Six of the stories are officially part of the ''Halo'' canon, with the seventh, made by Toei, intended to be a parody of the universe. An animated version of ''The Fall of Reach'' was included in the ''Halo 5: Guardians'' Limited Edition and Collector's Edition.


Reception and critical response

The ''Halo'' franchise has been highly successful commercially and critically. During the two months following ''Halo: Combat Evolved''s release, it sold alongside more than fifty percent of Xbox consoles. ''Halo 2''s sales generated
US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...
125 million on its premiere day, making it the fastest selling United States media product in history up to that time. Combined with ''Halo''s sales, the two games sold 14.8 million units before ''Halo 3''s release. At the end of 2007, ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' were the number one and two best-selling Xbox titles, respectively, and ''Halo 3'' was the best-selling Xbox 360 title. The ''Halo'' series had sold more than 81 million copies by 2021. ''Halo''s success led to the term "''Halo'' killer" being used to describe console games that aspire, or are considered, to be better than ''Halo''. It was the Xbox's
killer app In marketing terminology, a killer application (commonly shortened to killer app) is any computer program or software that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology, such as computer hardware, a video game ...
. Total franchise sales amounted to more than $6 billion in 2021. The soundtracks to ''Halo 2'', ''Halo 3'', ''ODST'' and ''Reach'' all appeared on the Billboard 200 charts for at least one week. By May 2011, total gross of ''Halo'' merchandise was $2 billion, with 40 million copies of the games sold. The total amount climbed to $2.3 billion in July 2011, and $2.8 billion in January 2012. Total franchise grosses exceeded $4.6 billion by October 2015, with 25% of the figure from non-game-related merchandise. The ''Halo'' adaptations have been successful as well. Many of the novels have appeared on ''
Publishers Weekly ''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
''s
bestseller A bestseller is a book or other media noted for its top selling status, with bestseller lists published by newspapers, magazines, and book store chains. Some lists are broken down into classifications and specialties (novel, nonfiction book, cookb ...
charts and the ''Halo Graphic Novel'' sold more than 100,000 copies, a "rare hit" for the games-to-comics genre. ''Ghosts of Onyx'', ''Contact Harvest'', ''The Cole Protocol'' and the first volume of ''Cryptum'' appeared on ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' bestseller lists, and ''The Cole Protocol'' also opened 50th overall on ''
USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...
'' bestsellers list. Tor's first three novels sold more than one million copies by April 2009. Overall, the ''Halo'' series has been very well received by critics. ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' has received numerous
Game of the Year Game of the Year (GotY) is an award given by various award events and media publications to a video game that they feel represented the pinnacle of gaming that year. Events and ceremonies British Academy Games Awards (BAFTA Games Awards) ...
awards. In March 2007, IGN listed it as the top Xbox game of all time, while readers ranked it the fourteenth best game ever on "IGN Readers' Choice 2006 – The Top 100 Games Ever". Conversely, Game Spy ranked ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' tenth on its list of "Top 25 Most Overrated Games of All Time", citing repetitive level design and the lack of an online multiplayer mode. ''Halo 2'' also received numerous awards, with IGN listing it as the number two top Xbox game of all time in March 2007. From its initial release on the Xbox in November 2004 until the launch of ''
Gears of War ''Gears of War'' is a media franchise centered on a series of video games created by Epic Games, developed and managed by The Coalition, and owned and published by Xbox Game Studios. The franchise is best known for its third-person shooter vide ...
'' on the Xbox 360 in November 2006 – two years later – ''Halo 2'' was the most popular video game on Xbox Live. ''Halo 3'' was nominated for and won multiple awards; it won ''Time'' magazine's "Game of the Year" and IGN chose it as the Best Xbox 360 Online Multiplayer Game and Innovative Design of 2007. Most publications called the multiplayer aspect one of the best features; IGN said the multiplayer map lineup was the strongest of the series, and GameSpy added that the multiplayer offering will greatly please "''Halo'' veterans". Complaints focused on the game's plot. ''The New York Times'' said the game had a "throwaway" plot and Total Video Games judged the single-player aspect ultimately disappointing. The series' music and audio has received enthusiastic response from game reviewers.


Cultural impact

The main trilogy, particularly its protagonist, are considered iconic and a symbol of today's video games; a wax replica of Master Chief was made by
Madame Tussauds Madame Tussauds (, ) is a wax museum founded in 1835 by French wax sculptor Marie Tussaud in London, spawning similar museums in major cities around the world. While it used to be spelled as "Madame Tussaud's"; the apostrophe is no longer us ...
in
Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, where
Pete Wentz Peter Lewis Kingston Wentz III (born June 5, 1979) is an American musician best known as the bassist and lyricist for the rock band Fall Out Boy since 2001. Before Fall Out Boy, Wentz was a fixture of the Chicago hardcore scene and was the lea ...
compared the character to notable characters from previous generations like
Spider-Man Spider-Man is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer-editor Stan Lee and artist Steve Ditko, he first appeared in the anthology comic book '' Amazing Fantasy'' #15 (August 1962) in the ...
,
Frodo Frodo Baggins is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's writings, and one of the protagonists in ''The Lord of the Rings''. Frodo is a hobbit of the Shire who inherits the One Ring from his cousin Bilbo Baggins, described familiarly a ...
, and
Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the protagonist of the original film trilogy of the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. Portrayed by Mark Hamill, Luke first appeared in ''Star Wars'' (1977), and he returned in ''The ...
. '' GamesTM'' stated ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' "changed video game combat forever", and ''Halo 2'' showcased Xbox Live as a tool for communities. Game Daily noted ''Halo 2''s launch was "easily comparable to the biggest in other sectors of the entertainment industry", marking the first time a video game launch has become a major cultural event in the United States. ''Halo'' has been described as a series that "has reinvented a genre that didn't know it needed to be reinvented", with aspects of the main trilogy being duplicated in other first-person shooter games multiple times. ''
Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' called ''Halo'' "the equivalent of ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...
''". The fandom is referred to as the "''Halo'' nation".


Machinima

The ''Halo'' franchise spurred an array of productions in an emerging genre of
machinima Machinima, originally machinema () is the use of real-time computer graphics engines to create a cinematic production. Most often, video games are used to generate the computer animation. The word "machinima" is a portmanteau of the words ''ma ...
—the use of games for filmmaking. Most productions are set outside ''Halo'' canon, while others are based on
fan fiction Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settin ...
closely relating to the story. ''Halo 3'' includes a saved film function that allows camera angles not possible in previous games, and other features that simplify production. The game has become one of the most popular tools for generating machinima, and Microsoft updated its
user license agreement An end-user license agreement or EULA () is a legal contract between a software supplier and a customer or end-user, generally made available to the customer via a retailer acting as an intermediary. A EULA specifies in detail the rights and restr ...
to allow noncommercial distribution of such films. A notable machinima production is the
comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...
series ''
Red vs. Blue ''Red vs. Blue'', often abbreviated as ''RvB'', is an American web series created by Burnie Burns with his production company Rooster Teeth. The show is based on the setting of the military science fiction first-person shooter series and media fr ...
'' created by
Rooster Teeth Productions Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC is an American digital media company headquartered in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2003 by Burnie Burns, Matt Hullum, Geoff Ramsey, Jason Saldaña, Gus Sorola, and Joel Heyman, Rooster Teeth is a subsidiary of Warne ...
. It has achieved an unparalleled level of success in ''Halo'' machinima in specific, and machinima in general; it is credited with bringing attention to the genre. ''Red vs. Blue'' generated annual revenues of US$200,000, and special promotional episodes were commissioned by Bungie. The first series, ''
The Blood Gulch Chronicles ''Red vs. Blue'', often abbreviated as ''RvB'', is an American web series created by Burnie Burns with his production company Rooster Teeth. The show is based on the setting of the military science fiction first-person shooter series and media fr ...
'', ended on June 28, 2007, after 100 regular episodes and numerous promotional videos. Subsequent series include '' The Recollection'', which contains more dramatic elements than its comedic predecessor, '' Project Freelancer'', '' The Chorus Trilogy'',
Anthology In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically categ ...
, and The Shisno Paradox. Other machinima series include ''Arby ‘n the Chief'', ''Fire Team Charlie'', ''The Codex'', and the in-game interview show '' This Spartan Life''.


Esports

Players began creating impromptu ''Halo'' tournaments and local parties after the release of the first game. Bungie looked at the success of these matches as inspiration for crafting the online multiplayer components of ''Halo 2''. Larger organizations soon began operating ''Halo'' competitive games. In August 2002, G4 hosted the Halo National Championship Finals, a FFA ree-for-alltournament involving sixteen players from across the country (hosted by
Wil Wheaton Richard William Wheaton III (born July 29, 1972) is an American actor. He portrayed Wesley Crusher on the television series ''Star Trek: The Next Generation'', Gordie Lachance in the film ''Stand by Me (film), Stand by Me'', Joey Trotta in '' ...
of ''Star Trek'' fame.) The Associates of Gaming Professionals (AGP), which focused solely on ''Halo'', held its first event in November 2002. Inspired by friends placing bets on their ''Halo'' matches, Mike Sepso and Sundance DiGiovanni formed
Major League Gaming Major League Gaming Corp. (MLG) is a professional esports organization. MLG is headquartered in New York City, New York and was founded in 2002 by Sundance DiGiovanni and Mike Sepso. MLG has held official video game tournaments throughout the ...
the same year. Microsoft and 343 Industries sponsored their own professional ''Halo'' league, called the Halo Championship Series (HCS), in 2014. It was started in partnership with the
Electronic Sports League The ESL Gaming GmbH, doing business as ESL (formerly known as Electronic Sports League), is a German esports organizer and production company that produces video game competitions worldwide. ESL was the world's largest esports company in 2015, ...
(ESL). Seasons 1 and 2 ran on ''The Master Chief Collection''. In August 2015 Microsoft announced it would be increasing the total prize pool of the HCS to $1 million USD, for the newly announced Halo World Championship, which will be the debut event for ''Halo 5''. This prize pool was later announced to be crowd-funded, which later resulted in
Major League Gaming Major League Gaming Corp. (MLG) is a professional esports organization. MLG is headquartered in New York City, New York and was founded in 2002 by Sundance DiGiovanni and Mike Sepso. MLG has held official video game tournaments throughout the ...
announcing that the prize pool had climbed to $2 million USD. Later that week, 343 announced that the prize pool was locked at $2.5 million USD. This was the largest console esports prize pool ever.


References


External links

*
''Halo''
at Bungie
Halopedia
nbsp;– an external wiki {{DEFAULTSORT:Halo (Series) Video games about ancient astronauts Esports games Science fiction shooter video games Microsoft franchises Military science fiction Video game franchises introduced in 2001 Video games adapted into novels Video games adapted into comics Video games adapted into films Video games adapted into television shows Fiction about megastructures Space opera video games Space opera Alien invasions in fiction Fiction set in the 26th century Genocide in fiction