{"id":27062,"date":"2016-06-18T09:42:53","date_gmt":"2016-06-18T14:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/?p=27062"},"modified":"2016-06-18T09:42:53","modified_gmt":"2016-06-18T14:42:53","slug":"community-update-warzone-firefight-sneak-peak","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/?p=27062","title":{"rendered":"Community Update: Warzone Firefight Sneak Peak"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a reblog from Halo Waypoint:\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

We have returned from the annual pilgrimage of E3. In mostly one piece. Over the past four days, thousands of players stopped by the Halo Wars 2 booth to get hands-on with PC and Xbox One, and many more of you have joined the Halo Wars 2 beta, which still has a few days remaining. In fact, to thank you for your playtime, patience, and enthusiasm, we\u2019ll be extending the Halo Wars 2 Beta on Xbox One through Wednesday, June 22<\/strong><\/span>. We hope you\u2019re able to get a few extra battles in.<\/p>\n

I myself am looking forward to spending some time at home with Deathmatch, which just released today in beta. Grim will be talking a bit more about Halo Wars 2 later on in today\u2019s blog.<\/p>\n

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E3 attendees battle it out against one another in Halo Wars 2, with the help of coaching from 343 & Creative Assembly\u00a0devs<\/em><\/p>\n

We\u2019re a bit exhausted from the past few days down in L.A., but we couldn\u2019t end the week without an update to talk a bit about the past few days, as well as what\u2019s on the way. Plus, we hope a few of you\u00a0may be a bit excited about the Warzone Firefight update. We certainly are. Let\u2019s get to into all that and more.<\/p>\n

COMMUNITY DOUBLES<\/h2>\n

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Community Doubles is this week’s social playlist, and it features a fine selection of community-crafted battlegrounds for you and a partner to try out. We worked with the folks at ForgeHub on selecting the top maps from their recent 2v2 map contest, and then worked with internal teams on getting them ready for their first stint in matchmaking.<\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t seen the maps that made it into the Community Doubles playlist, you can do so\u00a0here<\/a>. As a quick side note, these new maps bring the total of community maps in Halo 5 to 43.\u00a0We love what we’ve seen so far, and\u00a0have no doubt that many more incredible community maps are on the way.<\/p>\n

WARZONE FIREFIGHT<\/h2>\n

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The Warzone Firefight release draws nearer, and various teams across the studio are finishing up the work required to get this sucker out the door and into your eagerly awaiting hands. As stated previously, this release is the biggest one yet, and we\u2019re packing in as much as we can fit. You\u2019ll of course find the improved and updated Warzone Firefight PvE mode on a variety of maps, the Warzone Boss Refresh, a brand new Forge canvas as well as accompanying Forge updates, Campaign Score Attack, updates to Warzone personal scoring, Series 1 of the HCS weapon skins<\/strong>, new places to play in multiplayer, fixes for incorrect rank display as well as non-English languages not displaying placement matches, a couple of achievements for Score Attack as well as Warzone Firefight, new vehicles, armors, weapons, and plenty more that we\u2019ll start to dig into today and over the next few weeks. Let\u2019s take a peek.<\/p>\n

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HFFL:<\/strong> I’ll have a breakdown of the above peek at the REQs at the end of the article.<\/span><\/p>\n

Above is a sneak peek of just the new experiences that await. There’s a new Forge canvas in town, new places to play, and lots more. It only feels appropriate that we give you a closer look at the Temple Banshee before moving on. Stay tuned to this week\u2019s Canon Fodder for more details on this one.<\/p>\n

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Next up, I pass the torch to Grim who will give you a bit more detail on Prospect, the upcoming Warzone Assault map, a tease of another Warzone space, the new canvas, Tidal,\u00a0and plenty more.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n

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PROSPECT<\/strong>Thanks, Bravo. While our battle-hardened away team braved the harrowing halls of conventional warfare, those of us holding the proverbial fort down were embroiled in a variety of preparatory activities \u2013 not the least of which has been giving some late-game TLC to Halo 5\u2019s latest upcoming free content release: Warzone Firefight. While much has been discussed regarding the fireteam-friendly cooperative mode itself, the update includes much more than just the update\u2019s namesake. One of the most exciting aspects of the impending content release\u2019s repertoire is the addition of some awesome new multiplayer maps upon which Halo fans will soon be unleashed. Today we\u2019ll take a look at Prospect \u2013 a new Warzone Assault variant set on the glassed human colony of Meridian.On Prospect, players get dropped immediately into a mining facility and are tasked with attacking the defenders that lie within. A key opening strategy is to take advantage of various flank paths hidden in the terrain to gain the upper hand. The level itself is layered with strategically-placed scaffoldings, plenty of cover, and well-worn trenches, all designed to give players on both sides of the battle more options to take the fight to their opponents, whether they are pushing the objective or holding the line at the Core. Speaking of which, defending that Core now has more options than before. On Prospect, players can focus on power weapons and rush, or opt to try open the gates open to get vehicles in to support ground troops. All in all, it\u2019s an exciting new opportunity to evolve the nature of the Warzone Assault game type, and we\u2019re eager to see what new strategies and tactics begin to emerge when your boots hit the glassy ground in the near future.\"prospect1-3ec82dd73de945df8362f9d3bcc8c792\"\"prospect2-96ffa3a781fa4df680c65c364f29bd60\"HFFL:<\/strong> Finally we get a Warzone Assault map that isn’t just half of a regular Warzone map. This is NOT Skirmish at Darkstar (lite). This is a completely new map! What’s funny is, I’m getting a bit of a Longbow vibe here. Regardless, I look forward to playing on it!<\/span><\/p>\n

ROLLING TIDE<\/h2>\n

On my desk, I keep a running list of reasons why I\u2019d love to be 343 Industries UGC Director Tom French. Among the obvious ones like \u201cepic beard,\u201d \u201cwizard powers,\u201d and \u201cpet pig,\u201d are at least twenty others that all center around \u201cmaking the Halo community explode with joy.\u201d It\u2019s no secret around these parts \u2013 or any others \u2013 that the Halo 5 Forge team has become ridiculously adept at delivering the proverbial goods, and their latest offering does nothing to derail that trend.<\/p>\n

Introducing Tidal, a brand new Halo 5 Forge canvas \u2013 yes,\u00a0canvas<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 for creative cartographers to get their build on.\u00a0Tom French, sometimes a man of few words, has\u00a0left a few words waiting for you just below.<\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> I’ll have \u00a0yet another breakdown of the image below at the end of this article.<\/span><\/p>\n

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“Welcome to Tidal!”<\/p>\n

– Tom French<\/p>\n

CONCEPTUAL HEALING<\/h2>\n

Next up, here’s a quick look at another specific something we haven’t yet shown you. You may remember the mysterious top banner in Bravo\u2019s\u00a0Hints and Heroes<\/a>\u00a0blog, which at the time was an unreleased piece of concept art for an upcoming Warzone map.\u00a0Today, we reveal the full piece of art, as well as an added bonus peice of artwork from that same map. Keep an eye out for tonight’s Canon Fodder for a bit more detail.<\/p>\n

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BURNING QUESTIONS<\/h2>\n

Over the past few days, we\u2019ve been keeping a close eye on your thoughts regarding Halo Wars 2, and noticed a few questions in particular popping up around the community that we thought we\u2019d elucidate a bit on. And now, your questions!<\/p>\n

Q: Where does the story of Halo Wars 2 fall on the Halo timeline?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:\u00a0<\/strong>After decades adrift and declared \u201clost with all hands,\u201d the brave crew of the UNSC\u00a0Spirit of Fire<\/em>\u00a0are mysteriously awoken above an ancient Forerunner haven known as the Ark (which Halo fans will remember from\u00a0Halo 3<\/em>). In\u00a0Halo Wars 2<\/em>, Captain Cutter and his crew will face one of humanity\u2019s most formidable threats yet: The Banished \u2013 a fierce and powerful Brute faction led by a cunning and lethal warrior known as Atriox. Brought to life through detailed in-game graphics and the incredible cinematic artistry of Blur Studio, the story of\u00a0Halo Wars 2<\/em>\u00a0explores a vital and exciting corner of the Halo universe directly after the events of\u00a0Halo 5: Guardians<\/em>.<\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> Hmm, something still doesn’t seem to add up though. The Ark has been visited by both UNSC and former Covenant factions. Why wasn’t the Banished at the Ark then? And why didn’t these factions face off against one another then, instead of it being the Spirit of Fire? (for the record, I’m EXTREMELY happy that the Spirit of Fire has returned!)<\/span><\/p>\n

Q: Tell me more about Halo Wars: Definitive Edition.\u00a0 Will it be an Xbox Play Anywhere title?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:\u00a0<\/strong>Players who purchase the\u00a0Halo Wars 2<\/em>\u00a0Ultimate Edition will find a pretty awesome bonus in the form of\u00a0Halo Wars: Definitive Edition<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 an enhanced version of the original Halo Wars featuring improved graphics, additional Achievements and all of the DLC created for the original game \u2013 all running natively on Windows 10 and Xbox One. And yes,\u00a0Halo Wars: Definitive Edition\u00a0<\/em>is indeed an Xbox Play Anywhere title! Look for more information on\u00a0Halo Wars: Definitive Edition<\/em>\u00a0in the coming months.<\/p>\n

Q: Can you play the campaign cooperatively?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:\u00a0<\/strong>Yes.<\/p>\n

Q: Um, why do Anders and Cutter look different?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A:<\/strong>\u00a0Because they\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0different \u2013 for both casting and technical reasons. The first Halo Wars game, for all its glitteringly wondrous CG, contained characters that Blur essentially \u201cmade up.\u201d They were effectively \u201chand drawn\u201d amalgams of character, rigging and aesthetics. Those characters were created in 2008, using 2007 tech and they looked fantastic at the time. But since then, the industry has made geometric leaps forward in technique and technology and the trend, rightfully, has been towards proper facial and performance capture. The end result is much better immersion in the story and far more believable \u201cpeople\u201d because they\u00a0are<\/em>\u00a0people \u2013 recordings of the performance rather than a simulation or cartoon of it.<\/p>\n

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Gideon Emery\u00a0and Faye Kingslee<\/em><\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> Honestly, I LIKED the look of the characters from the original Halo Wars. Cutter was more gritty and battle hardened. Anders looked good in the original as well. Bravo explains below that the actor for Anders couldn’t answer the call for the role again. I do think this new Anders is..well…pretty hot! As for Cutter, he looks a good 10 years younger in the trailer. I and several of my friends joke that it was cry sleep that helped to de-age him. I went so far as to say nanobots helped too…<\/span><\/p>\n

As we mentioned, the actors have also changed. Gideon Emery is our new Cutter, and as you can see from his headshot, we\u2019ve very literally captured his exquisitely sculptured features, but grayed and aged him to match the game chronology and further, show the impact of war and time on his face. Faye Kingslee is now the actress now playing Anders, and you\u2019re going to love her performance \u2013 while respecting the original character, she\u2019s poured a lot of herself into this.\u00a0<\/em>And while we loved Kim Mai Guest as our previous actress for Anders, getting our schedules to jive was a challenge.\u00a0 We\u2019re really excited to have both Faye and Gideon join the Halo family, and we can\u2019t wait to show you more of the story and the amazing Blur cinematics in\u00a0Halo Wars 2<\/em>.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ll have\u00a0plenty\u00a0<\/em>more to say regarding\u00a0Halo Wars 2<\/em>\u00a0at various times throughout the year, so make sure and stay tuned to all your happy Halo haunts over the coming months. We can\u2019t wait to share more. Back to you, Brav\u2026<\/p>\n

<3
\nGrim<\/p>\n

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT<\/h2>\n

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This week, we’re spotlighting\u00a0Freakshow<\/a>\u00a0by WeedCough. It’s a creepy old, abandoned amusement park, and we can’t wait to get some games in.<\/p>\n