Halo Community Update: Campaign Relief

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This is a reblog from HaloWaypoint:

BY B IS FOR BRAVO

Greetings! Since the last community update, we’ve released the Ghosts of Meridian, had two livestreams, released the Warzone Firefight Beta, and kept a very close eye on feedback, including the many fantastic threads on Warzone Firefight rounds, objectives, and difficulty, your thoughts on Tyrant and Skirmish at Darkstar, recent sandbox updates, and more. We’re tracking down issues with custom games traits, Grifball betrayal thresholds, CSR only moving one point at a time (we pushed out an update to resolve this earlier today), and more. We’ve also noticed that you’ve been using the Spartan Laser a bit more since the buff, and using it well. Here are some stats from the data scientists:

SPARTAN LASER KILLS – INCREASE AFTER PATCH

Laser Variant
Spartan Kills Per Use
Damage Per Use
Spartan Laser
+ 26.2%
+ 10.5%
Endgame
+ 58.3%
+ 14.4%
Selene’s Lance
+ 69.8%
+ 36.8%

While there is no direct correlation just yet, we also observed that overall Splatter kills in Warzone have reduced 37.5%.

HFFL: Man, I am HAPPY about the changes to the Splaser! That is the last weapon I need for UNSC weapons commendations. In fact, it’s the last of all the weapons (not including the Spnkr Rockets) I need to complete for commendations.

In addition, teams across the studio are hard at work on a variety of updates, including many that come straight from feedback you’ve given us. Modes and playlists like Infection, matchmaking preference options, more Forge goodness, UI updates and post-game medals, Campaign balance updates (more on that in just a bit), and lots more that I can’t talk about just yet is in the works. Many of these will be landing with Memories of Reach, which is currently slated for an early May release.

Let’s dig in, starting with Halo 5’s newest experience: The Warzone Firefight Beta.

Continue reading →

HFFL’s Official Halo 5 Spartan Company: Progress towards Achilles Armor!

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Folks, if you still have not joined a Spartan Company or are unhappy with the one you’re in for whatever reason, consider joining HFFL’s Spartan Company.

We’ve just recently gone over 50 members of the 100 member limit cap.

HFFL SparCom member size

As well, we are progressing nicely towards the Achilles Armor that is exclusive to only those persons who have joined a Spartan Company AND have completed level 3 in ALL company Kill Commendations. The Helmet is achieved by completing level 5 of all kill commendations. Continue reading →

Canon Fodder: Stand Your Ground

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This is a reblog from HaloWaypoint:

BY GRIMBROTHER ONE
ISSUE 71

scorpion-a090fcea8f2d459788412924caf75d4cGreetings lore-lovers, and thanks for stopping by. Last issue, we took a look at some of the cool colonial tech that players find scattered across the surface of Meridian, plus we divulged some new info on a couple of cool space ships, and more. This time around, we’re excited to help officially unveil the latest project from our friends and partners at Spartan Games in collaboration with 343 Industries, Halo: Ground Command. Spartan Games will be showing off the title in more glory this weekend at the Salute show in the UK, and we’re here to get you primed and ready. Rounding out our coverage today will be a special highlight of a particularly awesome community creation from the talented folks responsible for the Sins of the Prophets project. We’ve got a lot on the table (literally), so let’s get to it. Continue reading →

Canon Fodder: Looking Glassed

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This is a reblog from HaloWaypoint: 

BY GRIMBROTHER ONE
ISSUE 70
Greetings fiction-folk. Thanks for stopping by our little story-centric Halo haunt again this week. Last issue, we unleashed some epic new deep lore on the Arena map Tyrant – which launched this week as part of the Ghosts of Meridian content release for Halo 5: Guardians – as well as offering fictional glimpses into a couple of new Gravity Hammers and an epic new Warzone boss. If you missed it then, you can check it out now. Shifting gears a bit this week, we’ve got an eclectic buffet to help you get your narrative nosh on including Meridian mining machines, ship stuff, hidden KI colors, and more. Shall we begin? Continue reading →

BIP. BAP. BETA.

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This is a reblog from Halo Waypoint:

BY GRIMBROTHER ONE

warzone-ff_promo main

Amidst the countless hours spent playing Halo in its myriad of forms, there are several moments that tend to stand out among the rest. Late night campaign runs, last second flag-caps, hilarious custom Forge fests, and many, many more. Holding a particularly special place in this upper echelon of experiences is a brilliant gem in the Halo crown: Firefight. Like the franchise itself, Firefight has grown and evolved – from its sweaty palms-inducing, survival-focused origins in Halo 3: ODST to the frenetic and fast paced enemy onslaughts of its Halo: Reach incarnation. Whether it was running laps in a Prowler in Lost Platoon or holding the line in Alpha Site, eliminating Elite Generals in Glacier or the Viva Piñata-palooza of Gruntpocalypse – for millions of us, Firefight is a mode that’s offered many a memory.

HFFL: Heh, I can agree with this. Firefight holds a special place in my Halo heart. I spent countless hours playing it. First in Halo 3 ODST, then more so in Halo Reach. In Reach, it was a game type I could just go into and have fun with or without friends. If no-one was on to game, I’d typically go into Firefight and destroy hundreds of Covenant.

Continue reading →

Halo 5 Warzone Firefight Gameplay Preview

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This is a reblog from IGN:

BY SEAN FINNEGAN  Firefight. The word brings back intense memories for Halo players like me, who spent hours and hours fighting off wave after wave of Covenant forces when the mode was first introduced back in Halo 3: ODST. I was in college then, and much of what I remember about my nights and weekends were those times when, side by side with my roommates on the couch, we vigorously cursed the endless enemy AI or celebrated our momentary victories over the alien threat with high fives and an inordinate amount of yelling. Continue reading →

Halo API Hackathon Contest

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Back in October of 2015, we launched the public API Beta for Halo 5: Guardians, and since then we’ve been blown away by community-created websites and apps. Places like Halo Tracker, Halo Data Hive, and Halo Carnage are just a few of the destinations that are providing a unique statistical experience to Halo 5 players. Continue reading →

Halo Championship Series Pro League Invitational at Pax East

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Just a few weeks ago, Team Allegiance and Counter Logic Gaming met in Hollywood, California to determine which team would stand atop the rest as the 2016 Halo World Champion. While only one team came away with the $1 million prize, both teams were to be invited directly into the HCS Pro League as a commendation for their incredible performance throughout the Halo World Championship season and final tournament. CLG’s dominant roster currently remains intact, but the members of Team Allegiance have completely disbanded leaving their spot in the league unfilled. Continue reading →

Halo Championship Series Pro League Details

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During the Halo World Championship, we announced the imminent launch of the Halo Championship Series: Pro League – the next evolution of Halo esports. The HCS Pro League will celebrate the world’s top players and teams as they compete on weekly scheduled match days, and will also be accompanied by a robust open series that fosters the best up-and-coming talent as they fight to battle their way into HCS Pro League at the end of each season. Throughout the season, we’ll look forward to watching key matchups as top amateur teams rise to the top, and prepare for an epic season finals where both new talent and new champions will emerge. Continue reading →

Firefight Gameplay World Premiere Promo

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If you’re like me, you are pretty excited for Halo 5’s Warzone Firefight.

I’ve long been a fan of Firefight from the days of Halo 3 ODST to Reach. I am SO happy it’s making a return to Halo, even if it’s a bit different than we’ve had before.

Here’s the promo for Warzone Firefight:

Also, there will be a LIFESTREAM today at 6pm EST / 3pm PST. It’s expected that we will learn yet more about what Warzone Firefight has to offer, and details about the beta of it.

We bid a fond farewell to BS Angel!

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Jessica Shea aka BS Angel is leaving 343 today. She tweeted about it yesterday to the shock of many including myself.

She posted this on Waypoint:
On 9/13/10, I went from community member to 343 Industries employee. On 4/8/16, I am going back from whence I came.

The past several years have been amazing, in entirely too many ways to list. The people I’ve met, the places I’ve been, the projects I’ve worked on, … as a long-time fan of Halo, it’s really been a dream come true. Through it all, you, the community, have been my closest partner. We’ve celebrated the wins and mourned the losses, both in game and out. I won’t say goodbye, because I’m certainly not going anywhere. You’ll still find me traversing the virtual battlefields I love so much. 🙂

Thank you for everything – the good times and bad, the laughs and tears, the friendship and support. You all do, and will continue to, mean the world to me.

<3, Jessica

She was a very cool Community Manger for those first few years, then went into producing for 343. She hasn’t said what’s next for her, but I hope it’s something awesome!

While she won’t be working for 343 anymore, she did say in follow up tweets to the one above that she’d still be playing a lot of Halo!

If you’re on Twitter, go give her a shout out/thanks! I did.

Infection coming to Halo 5!

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So you might have already heard the news…Infection IS coming to Halo 5! But when?

Well, if the following screen shots give you any clue, it will be with the Reach update coming next month! (Unless 343 delays again…)

Check out the armor!

Yep, that is Emile, but infected! Bad Arse!!Emile Infected Armor

Infected from behind Continue reading →

3-D print your Halo 5 Spartan with NEW stances and an even BIGGER size option!

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This is a reblog from Halo Waypoint (with commentary by me too of course):

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We now have five new stances to choose from for all available print sizes: Patrol, Center Mass, Looks Skyward, Tactical Carry, and Flanker. Not only that, based on your feedback we’ve also added a brand new premium size option – featuring twice the print material, and twice the armor, weapon, and color detail. It’s the ultimate option for the hardcore collector, and you can order yours today. Continue reading →

Halo Toy Review: Jakks Pacific Master Chief

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Jakks Pacific logo

New to the Halo line of toys comes Jakks Pacific. They are known for the HUGE action figures. This is their first foray into Halo as a licensee. What a great choice for their first figure, none other than Master Chief!

Before I get started, let me first say a big thanks to Jakks for sending me not one, but TWO of these. I will be giving one away, so stay tuned for details of that contest.

Secondly, I normally do product reviews with a white background. However, this figure is SO HUGE, that I had to set it on the floor. I chose to pose it in front of my dishwasher,,, This way the background was mostly black. kay, those out of the way, let’s get started with the review, shall we?

Technical Specs:
Height: 31 inches tall
Cost: $50 US, plus tax
Articulation: Limited, will explain below with pics as well

As always, click on pics to make bigger. Continue reading →