Halo 5: Guardians Pre-Order Details

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If you’re eagerly awaiting to play the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta, like we are, there’s just a couple more hours before you get to dive into some high octane Halo action.  Pre-orders for Halo 5: Guardians are available today as well from participating retailers and there’s all the Halo goodness packed into three different options to choose from:

  • Standard Edition ($59.99) – Halo 5: Guardians plus an exclusive poster, only available to those who pre-order.
  • Limited Edition for ($99.99) – Standard Edition plus new digital content to enhance Spartan combat and exclusive items wrapped in a uniquely designed steel book.
  • Limited Collector’s Edition ($249.99) – Limited Edition including additional content such as a commemorative numbered statue designed by 343 Industries (Design details to come later).

Each edition is available right now for pre-order at participating retailers including the Microsoft Store, Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon, and GameStop.  Get the full details at Xbox Wire.

Launching in fall 2015 exclusively on Xbox One, Halo 5: Guardians continues the story of the Master Chief, and introduces a brand new central character to the Halo universe – Spartan Locke.  Peace is shattered when colony worlds are unexpectedly attacked.  And when humanity’s greatest hero goes missing, Spartan Locke is tasked with hunting the Master Chief and solving a mystery that threatens the entire galaxy.

Discuss what you would like to see in the special editions in our forums!

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Halo 5 Guardians Multiplayer Beta Starts Tomorrow, Pre-Download Today

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For everyone who owns Halo: The Master Chief Collection, you’ll get access to the Halo 5: Guardians Mulplayer Beta starting tomorrow at 9:00A PST.  Right now, however, you can pre-download it through the Master Chief Collection. Launch the game, navigate to the “Extras” menu and select Halo 5 Beta.  If you participated in the early access, you’ll be greeted with a 7.7GB update.  For those downloading for the first time, you’ll download a total 10.9GB install for the beta.  We’ll be hosting a couple of game nights during the beta so keep a look out for our announcements.  For those interested in the schedule, here’s what you can expect:

Week One

  • Slayer, (AR starts)
    • Truth
    • Empire

Week Two

  • Slayer (BR starts)
    • Regret
    • Eden
  • Breakout
    • Crossfire
    • Trench

Week Three

  • Strongholds
    • Pegasus or Orion (community votes)
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MCC Receives Spartan Ops Content Update

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The latest content update for Halo: The Master Chief Collection includes Halo 4’s Spartan Ops and continued fixes to matchmaking, custom games, and UI improvements.  The whooping 3GB update will be available next time you launch the game.  Some key fixes in this update along with the release of Spartan Ops includes not allowing matchmaking games not start unless there are even teams and resolving issues where a player would get stuck “Joining Session”.  Here’s the list which can also be found on Halo Waypoint.

Spartan Ops:

  • Added the entirety of Halo 4’s Spartan Ops mode

Matchmaking:

  • Made an update to make sure a match only starts when teams are even.
  • Players will now receive a ‘loss’ when disconnecting before a round has ended.
  • Made an update to include all split screen players in vote tally.
  • Resolved an issue that caused players to become stuck “Joining Session.”
  • Resolved an issue where players could be dropped from matchmaking after disconnecting their controller.

General Multiplayer Updates:

  • Made additional improvements to Halo: CE hit registration.
  • Made an update to the “Halo 2: Anniversary Career Progress” page to ensure achievements are correctly tracked.
  • Fixed an issue where it took a long time to join players that are in a Multiplayer lobby.

General UI/Menu Updates:

  • Made additional improvements to Roster update times.
  • Fixed Halo 3 game type text when viewing saved data in “My Files”.

Halo 2: Anniversary Campaign:

  • Fixed an issue where the ‘Black Eye Skull’ incorrectly prevented players from reaching checkpoints.

Campaign Playlists:

  • Fixed an issue where cross-game playlists could fail to progress to the next level.
  • Made several fixes to Campaign Playlist Carnage Reports.
  • Fixed an issue where Halo 3 Cooperative Playlist progress would not save correctly when completing a mission.
  • Made changes to ensure that Competitive Scoring and Timing are tracked correctly in Halo CE and Halo 2 Campaign Playlists.

Stats & Medals:

  • Made updates to improve stat tracking.
  • Fixed an issue where the “Steaktacular” medal would not be correctly awarded in Halo 3.
  • Fixed an issue where the “Supercombine” medal would be incorrectly awarded in the Halo 4 Campaign.

Achievements:

  • Made an update to ensure that the “Flaming Ninja Anniversary” achievement unlocks when prerequisites are met.

Control Layouts:

  • Updated the Halo 2 “Boxer” Button Layout.
  • Updated the Halo 4 “Legacy” Thumbstick Layout.

General Stability:

  • Made several updates to improve overall game stability.

An interesting note that 343 also included about Dedicated Servers:

We’ve seen many inquiries about dedicated server support for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Dedicated servers have been up and running since launch, and we continue to optimize and improve connectivity. The vast majority of games are being played on dedicated servers, but in the event that players cannot connect to a dedicated server, the lobby will stay together and the match will still occur on a peer-to-peer connection. Please be aware that you may connect to the dedicated server quickly enough that you won’t see the ‘connecting to dedicated server’ dialog. The absence of that dialog doesn’t mean that you’re not playing on a dedicated server.

Discuss in our forums.

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Podtacular 456: What Have We to Say Now

It is certainly an interesting time to be a Halo player, with the constant updates of the Master Chief Collection, but our patience will being rewarded.  Bonnie Ross announced earlier this week that Exclusive in-game items and Halo 3: ODST will be available for free for those who played the game between it’s launch and 19 December, and everyone will receive a Remastered Relic for Halo 2 Anniversary.  Furthermore, the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta is receiving an early access period for folks from the media and those who are a part of the Xbox One Dashboard Preview Program.  Amongst the news, we welcome returning guest CMNeir from Halo Tricks and new guests Robowski from Post Game Carnage Report and Drew Freeman from Podcast Evolved.

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Halo MCC to Include Remastered Relic and Halo 3: ODST Campaign as a Thank You to Fans

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A few weeks ago, Bonnie Ross, Head of 343 Industries posted a written apology over on Halo Waypoint addressing the state of the Master Chief Collection when it launched.  In that, she said Halo fans would be compensated for their frustration with the experience.  Today, Bonnie delivers promising new content for those who have played the same since it’s launch through today.  Players will be receiving a free month of Xbox Live, an exclusive in-game nameplate and exclusive in-game avatar, but that’s just the beginning.  As a free content update to anyone who has played the game through today will receive the Halo 3: ODST campaign with the same updates found made to Halo 3 in the collection; 1080P, 60FPS, and all.  Wrapping up the free offerings, this one goes out to all players, including those who play after today: Relic will receive the remastered Halo 2 Anniversary treatment.  There is currently no date on when these will be available.

Discuss in our forums!

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Xbox One Preview Gets Early Access to the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta

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If you were one of those people eagerly waiting for December 29th to roll around to get your hands on the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta, your wait may have just gotten expedited.  All Xbox One Preview users will gain early release access to the beta tomorrow.  Starting December 19th at 16:00 Eastern, 13:00 Pacific until December 22nd at 2:59 Eastern, December 21st, 23:59 Pacific, the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta early access will feature content available during week one of the beta, which includes the three maps Truth, Empire, and Breakout featuring Crossfire, the new arena game mode.  The full beta will feature 7 maps and three game modes in total during the beta test.

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The Sprint – New Vidoc Series Behind Making the Halo 5 Guardians Multiplayer Beta Premieres Tonight

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Earlier today, Xbox Wire announced a new video series premiering on the Halo Channel that will give Halo fans the inside look at making the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta.  While the gameplay reveal of the beta that was shown during Halo Fest and released across the internet was received with mixed reviews, The Sprint will provide an unprecedented look into many of the considerations 343 is taking with Halo 5 multiplayer.  Starting with the first episode tonight at 19:00 Eastern, 16:00 Pacific, 343 will release daily episodes on the Halo channel through December 23rd, with the following schedule:

Episode 1: Balance 

Premiering Thursday, December 18 @ 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, 4:00 p.m. Pacific time

The 343 Industries pro team gives their final feedback on “Truth,” an homage to the Halo 2 map “Midship,” which will be included in the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta.

Episode 2: Give & Take

Premiering Friday, December 19 @ 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, 4:00 p.m. Pacific time

The art team discovers that some of the ideas they have don’t quite meld with the layout set forth by the level designers. With time running out, what compromises must be made?

Episode 3: Prophets

Premiering Saturday, December 20 @ 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, 4:00 p.m. Pacific time

With the map “Truth” well on its way to completion, the art team must shift their focus to the remix map “Regret,” which presents a massive undertaking in and of itself. Will there be enough time to finish it before the deadline?

Episode 4: Breakout

Premiering Sunday, December 21 @ 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, 4:00 p.m. Pacific time

The Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer design team invites Halo pros to the studio to offer feedback that could shape the future of the competitive experience.

Episode 5: Shutdown

Premiering Monday, December 22 @ 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, 4:00 p.m. Pacific time

The Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer design team buckles down to make sure every detail of the upcoming Multiplayer Beta is firing on all cylinders.

Episode 6: Gold

Premiering Tuesday, December 23 @ 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, 4:00 p.m. Pacific time

The Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer design team begins to wrap up production on the public beta… but not before getting a little friendly competition in to celebrate another milestone.

In the meantime, you can refresh yourself with our hands-on coverage of the beta.

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