{"id":27875,"date":"2016-12-07T01:36:35","date_gmt":"2016-12-07T06:36:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/?p=27875"},"modified":"2016-12-07T01:36:35","modified_gmt":"2016-12-07T06:36:35","slug":"halo-update-monitors-bounty-preview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/halofanforlife.com\/?p=27875","title":{"rendered":"Halo Update: Monitor’s Bounty PREVIEW"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whew, it’s been a couple of months since I’ve posted an update. To be fair, the last couple of months haven’t seen any real significant updates. That changes with December’s update!<\/span><\/p>\n

The following is a reblog from Waypoint, with my remarks in BLUE<\/span><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Well folks, the hour has finally come. It\u2019s no surprise that this\u00a0time of year exudes a spirit of gift-giving, and we couldn\u2019t be more excited to help you unwrap a very special present from us to you: Monitor\u2019s Bounty. Halo 5\u2019s latest content release is an epic salvo of experience-enhancing additions, from new weapons, armor, and skins, to brand new ways to build and play, all alongside the biggest Forge update ever seen in a Halo game. In fact, we’ve got so much in store that we’ve split up the reveal across two days.<\/p>\n

Today, we\u2019re excited to begin our bountiful breakdown of everything that\u2019s in store for your hungry hard drives on Thursday, Dec. 8. That\u2019s right, baby \u2013\u00a0the day after tomorrow<\/em>. Be sure to return to Waypoint tomorrow\u00a0for deep dives into Forge, Canon Fodder, Warzone, and Playlists.<\/p>\n

To kick off this party, let\u2019s take a look at all the\u00a0free\u00a0REQ items heading your way in Monitor\u2019s Bounty.<\/p>\n

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HFFL:<\/strong> I will have a short breakdown of this some time tomorrow. For now though…HOLY CRAP, CQB and EOD! Loving the Reach Pilot helmet too. Hmm, I wonder if that means we’ll get a ‘Haunted” version too????<\/span><\/p>\n

We\u2019ll be talking more in the near future about how you can acquire those last few items above (everything can be earned by playing the game!)\u00a0Stay tuned\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Check back tomorrow for Grim’s Canon Fodder for a deeper look at the fiction behind many of the new REQs included in Monitor’s Bounty. For now, here’s a preview of a sweet new assassination, “Inevitability.”<\/p>\n

\"cu_10_assassination_inevitability-bd3dc9f7925947cbbd7e31ca598b52e4\"<\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> This along with the other ones are going to be brutal! I’m going to have to turn my assassinations back on to watch these! (I have that commendation done, so that’s why they are off at the moment. No animation for assassinations means better chance of not dying while performing it…<\/span><\/p>\n

“JOIN IN PROGRESS” CUSTOM GAMES BROWSER<\/h2>\n

The Monitor’s Bounty update will bring the long-awaited Custom Games Browser to Halo 5 on Xbox One and Windows 10. Here’s what 343’s UX Design Lead Vincent Hui has to say about this new feature:<\/p>\n

Vincent<\/strong>: We know getting a full fireteam together to run customs isn\u2019t always easy, and while\u00a0Looking For Group<\/em>\u00a0is great for appointment gaming, sometimes you just want to jump in and discover something new. The new Custom Games Browser enables you to search for\u00a0in-progress<\/em>\u00a0games from the main menu. Games you can join are based on their privacy settings when they are created in the lobby.\u00a0We\u2019ve also updated the Content Browser so that if you find a map or mode that you like, you\u2019ll be able to browse for in-progress custom games from that file\u2019s options.<\/p>\n

This Custom Games Browser is something the\u00a0team has wanted to add for a long time for the community, but we needed the Content Browser and the search engine that powers it up and running first. Thanks for being patient, and we hope you enjoy it whether you\u2019re running Duck Hunt 24\/7, or just looking for new friends to slay!<\/p>\n

And here’s a quick glimpse of how it will look in game\u00a0\u2013 again, on both Xbox One and Windows 10 PCs:<\/p>\n

\"custombrowser-8202a31822a44b22838e0ec5c2581d3b\"<\/p>\n

The new “Join in Progress” Custom Games Browser for Halo 5: Guardians\u00a0on Xbox One & Windows 10<\/em><\/p>\n

\"custombrowserselection-62d22eaebd45427c9acaee1bb844be65\"<\/p>\n

Joining an in-progress game in Halo 5<\/em><\/p>\n

\"customssearchwindow-3b5b5a32f89a4003a80dfe4001d34ec2\"<\/p>\n

Halo 5 Custom Game search<\/em><\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> I have to be honest here, this really isn’t a priority with me. But hey, if it helps build the community, cool!<\/span><\/p>\n

FULL ARENA & FORGE EXPERIENCE ON WINDOWS 10<\/strong><\/p>\n

With the addition of the new Custom Games Browser, players now\u00a0have access to the entire Halo 5:\u00a0Forge\u00a0and Arena multiplayer experience on Windows 10, completely free of charge. Though it doesn’t include Matchmaking, Halo 5 on Windows 10 will now make it possible to find and play games with friends and strangers alike in addition to\u00a0having full access to an ever-expanding, incredibly robust Forge game and map editor. Build, share, and play Halo 5 on your Windows 10 PC for free and unleash the new functionality of Halo 5: Forge to create brand new experiences when Monitor’s Bounty is released on Dec. 8.<\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> Ugh…one step closer to XBOX ending and PC only gaming for MS games…sigh.<\/span><\/p>\n

OBSERVER MODE<\/h2>\n

Another new feature coming to Halo 5\u00a0with the Monitor’s Bounty update is Observer Mode. Once again, here’s 343 UX Design Lead Vincent Hui with some insights into this cool new addition:<\/p>\n

Vincent<\/strong>: For the 2016 Halo World Championship, we unveiled an in-game overlay known as the Observer HUD that showed the status and weapon details for all\u00a0eight players in the match. It was a great tool for viewers and casters to see how many players were on respawn and who had Power Weapons and Power-Ups. Not bad for a weekend prototype by\u00a0Jeff Christy, Gareth Lough, Sean Walsh, and myself that Chris Lee allowed us to slip into the build just before the event.\u00a0After the tournament, we moved onto other fun things, and we haven\u2019t had a chance to get back to this pet project until now.\u00a0It\u2019s a long journey to go from prototype to shippable feature, so for this update we\u2019re excited to give everyone a chance to use it as part of Observer Mode.<\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> Okay, now THIS IS NEEDED, if you’re going to hold tournament. That is something I’m planning for the near future for HFFL, so stay tuned!<\/span><\/p>\n

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Observer Mode enables any user in a Custom Game lobby to enter the match as an observer.\u00a0Unlike spectating, observers don\u2019t have to wait for a film to be available \u2013 just create a Custom Game or join a fireteam in one, change your team affiliation, and watch the match in real-time when it starts. You\u2019ll see what the other players see since you\u2019re in the same game and connected to the same dedicated server.<\/p>\n

Most camera controls are available along with player outlines and observers can toggle the Observer HUD on or off. The overlay supports up to\u00a0eight players and\u00a0two teams so it\u2019s great for Doubles, 4v4 Arena, or Free-for-All (and not so great for your awesome 1v2v3v4v5 multiteam version of Strongholds\u2026sorry). We hope this opens up new possibilities for players to cast games, stream cool game modes, and run online tournaments without disrupting those playing the game or waiting for the film to be accessible.<\/p>\n

\"observermode-d868d25e8ab64dfe98a158b908a1ac23\"<\/p>\n

Observer Mode will be coming to Halo 5: Guardians\u00a0on Xbox One\u00a0on Dec. 8, 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> Seriously folks, this is going to be cool!<\/span><\/p>\n

VOICES OF WAR PREMIUM REQ PACK<\/h2>\n

\"voicesofwar_waypointbanner_1120x334-cce6b8b6f96945529048d25b693fe592\"<\/p>\n

In conjunction with the release of Monitor’s Bounty comes the all-new “Voices of War” REQ Pack for Halo 5. This new premium addition brings three all-new multiplayer announcers into Halo 5\u00a0to liven up your Arena\u00a0and Warzone matches featuring\u00a0commentary from Spartan Buck, 031 Exuberant Witness, and Yabda the Merciless.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to note\u00a0that unlike everything else coming in the massive Halo 5 update, this particular REQ pack is\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0free \u2013\u00a0it\u2019s a premium purchase that will be available for $9.99, (UGH…)<\/span> <\/strong>which includes all three announcers. These will appear in Spartan Customization as a new setting, allowing you to select which announcer you’d like to use (including switching back to the classic MP announcer whenever you feel the need).<\/p>\n

Here are a few samples to give you a better idea what to expect when the Voices of War announcers\u00a0invade the casting booth for your\u00a0Halo 5 multiplayer matches:<\/p>\n

Spartan Buck:\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0031 Exuberant Witness:\u00a0\u00a0 | \u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0
\nYabda the Merciless:\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 |\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> While I’m not “exuberant” (see what I did there) about paying for the voice, I will. I, like I’m sure many of you, are NOT fans of Sarah Palmer. SO getting these voices will eliminate her from your Warzone experience, not to mention give you other voices for matchmaking! Heh, looks like 343 wizened up to many hating Palmer and just KNEW we’d pay for her to go away… Well, kudos to them. What does suck is that I like the voice actor, Jennifer Hale. It’s the character that’s gawd awful, IMO.<\/span><\/p>\n

Now Buck, he’s starting to lose some of his luster, at least to me. As for Exuberant Witness and Yabda though? Oh yeah! EW is kind of like this game’s Auntie Dot, but more…exuberant… ANd who doens’t love a smart-mouthed Grunt?<\/span><\/p>\n

REQ GIFTING<\/h2>\n

With the release of the\u00a0Monitor\u2019s Bounty content update, the team has added a new feature to the game\u2019s REQ System. While it\u2019s technically not new\u00a0content<\/em>, the new gifting system is still noteworthy and in need of some explanation, particularly as you log into the game on Thursday, Dec. 8\u00a0and find yourself in possession of a brand-new gift-able REQ Pack.<\/p>\n

To help familiarize the community with this new feature,\u00a0all Halo 5: Guardians players will automatically receive a Gold Gift Pack in their REQ Inventory that can\u00a0only<\/em>\u00a0be gifted to someone else<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 you literally can\u2019t open it yourself. So help celebrate the release of Monitor\u2019s Bounty and the upcoming holiday season by sharing some Gold Pack love with your favorite Halo 5 friend!<\/p>\n

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On Dec. 8 everyone will receive a special “GIFT ONLY” Gold Pack that can only be given away to someone else!<\/em><\/p>\n

WHAT IS IT?<\/strong><\/p>\n

REQ Gifting gives Halo 5 players who are Spartan Rank 5 or higher a new choice when purchasing Gold Packs from the Marketplace store. Are you buying a Gold Pack for yourself or would you like to\u00a0gift<\/strong>\u00a0it to someone else?<\/p>\n

Note that gifting is currently only applicable to Gold Packs purchased for money via Marketplace,\u00a0not<\/em>\u00a0packs purchased using in-game RP. REQ Packs that are able to be gifted will be clearly noted with a \u201cGIFTABLE\u201d icon next to the purchase price. This currently only applies to Gold Packs.<\/p>\n

WHY CAN’T I GIFT OTHER REQ PACKS OR GOLD PACKS PURCHASED WITH RP?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We know players who have amassed massive stockpiles of RP would love nothing more than to help spread that love amongst their friends but\u00a0after\u00a0reviews with\u00a0the Xbox Live\u00a0Enforcement Team,\u00a0studying examples of similar systems in the wild and consulting a variety of experts, concerns over a multitude of potential scams and exploits\u00a0led to the\u00a0decision to limit this new feature to real-money transactions only. Further, Gold Pack Gifting is only available to players once they\u2019ve reached Spartan Rank 5 or greater in Halo 5: Guardians.<\/p>\n

HFFL:<\/strong> I”m currently running a giveaway on twitter for free GOLD REQ packs. Please Follow and RT for your chance to get a Gold REQ Pack. Thanks. (Oh, and through a like on there too, if you don’t mind…)<\/span><\/p>\n

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With REQ Pack gifting starting Dec 8, I will be gifting REQ Packs galore! Follow\/RT for a chance at one. I'll be giving away several packs!<\/p>\n

— Sal Salerno (@HaloFanForLife) December 7, 2016<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n