Halo Online

*Halo Online*

***Halo Online*** was a planned first-person shooter science fiction multiplayer-based video game being developed by Saber Interactive and published by Innova Systems in colloboration with 343 Industries for PC. The game was officially announced in March 25, 2015, with a closed Alpha test that started on April 21, 2015. On December 28, 2015, a closed Beta test was suspended. On August 24, 2016, the game, in its current form, was cancelled.

The game was planned for an exclusive release in Russia, although it is unknown whether this is a short term plan and will possibly be released worldwide, or to select countries, closer to release. The game's official release date has been delayed, and is therefore unknown. It acts as a multiplayer-only Halo game, with gameplay reminiscent of a combination of *Halo 3* and *Halo 4*.

## Synopsis

While lacking a campaign, *Halo Online*does possess a background setting. Taking place shortly after the events of Halo 3, the game is based around January 28, 2555. It is set on a secret UNSC space installation called Anvil, where SPARTAN-IV and Sangheili soldiers train together in simulated war exercises to sharpen their battle skills and test experimental technology.

## Gameplay

*Halo Online*will act as a conglomeration of almost all classic *Halo*content, with the Hornet and energy sword even returning. New weapons and vehicles will also be implemented, and fan favourite maps from the series will return along with new ones, including one based in a Russian town. The game, being the first ever *Halo*game to be exclusive to PC, will be optimized for a keyboard and mouse, and one match can handle up to sixteen players, with four players required as a minimum for setting up a match.

Players will be able to customize weapons, armor and abilities through specialized loadouts; there are several different types of a weapon available to be modified by the player. Each weapon features variants with increased damage, accuracy, and rate of fire. Just like with *The Master Chief Collection*, players will not be able to customize individual armor pieces, and will only be able to choose from an entire set.

Similiarly to *Halo 5 Guardians*, the end of a match features a victory/defeat animation. Although, unlike Halo 5, only the top three players are shown, not the entire team.

### Professions

In *Halo Online*, the player will be able to choose from three professions: Assault, Sharpshooter and Tactical. These professions dictate what paths the player can go through and what items are available to be unlocked such as armor, weapons and abilities. It also dictates how your loadout can be outfitted, and with what.

### Weapons

#### UNSC

* MA5D Individual Combat Weapon System
	+ MAG Assault Rifle
	+ DMG Assault Rifle
	+ ROF Assault Rifle
	+ SNP Assault Rifle
	+ ADV Assault Rifle
* BR55HB Service Rifle
* BR85HB Service Rifle
	+ ROF Battle Rifle
	+ ACC Battle Rifle
	+ MAG Battle Rifle
	+ DMG Battle Rifle
* Sniper Rifle System 99-Series 5 Anti-Materiel
* M45D Tactical Shotgun
* M41 Surface-to-Surface Rocket Medium Anti-Vehicle/Assault Weapon
* LAU-65D/SGM-151
* M6 Grindell/Galilean Nonlinear Rifle
* M247H Heavy Machine Gun
* AIE-486H Heavy Machine Gun
* M395 Designated Marksman Rifle
	+ MAG DMR
	+ ACC DMR
	+ ROF DMR
	+ DMG DMR
* M9 High-Explosive Dual-Purpose Fragmentation Grenade
* M6H Personal Defense Weapon System
	+ ROF Magnum
	+ DMG Magnum
	+ ADV Magnum
* M6C Personal Defense Weapon System/SOCOM
* M7/Caseless Submachine Gun
* M7057 Defoliant Projector

#### Covenant

* Type-1 Antipersonnel Grenade
* Type-2 Antipersonnel Fragmentation Grenade
* Type-3 Antipersonnel/Antimateriel Incendiary Grenade
* Type-1 Energy Weapon/Sword
* Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer
* Type-25 Carbine
* Type-25 Directed Energy Pistol
	+ ROF Plasma Pistol
	+ DMG Plasma Pistol
	+ ADV Plasma Pistol
* Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle
	+ DMG Plasma Rifle
	+ ROF Plasma Rifle
	+ ACC Plasma Rifle
	+ GOV Plasma Rifle
* Type-25 Directed Energy Rifle/Jiralhanae Variant
* Type-25 Grenade Launcher
* Type-33 Guided Munitions Launcher
* Type-27 Special Application Sniper Rifle
* Type-51 Carbine
	+ ROF Covenant Carbine
	+ GOV Covenant Carbine
	+ SNP Covenant Carbine
	+ DMG Covenant Carbine
* Type-52 Pistol

### Vehicles

#### UNSC

    \*M274 Ultra-Light All-Terrain Vehicle

* D77H-TCI Pelican
* M12 Force Application Vehicle
	+ M12 Light Reconnaissance Vehicle
	+ M12G1 Light Anti-Armor Vehicle
	+ M831 Troop Transport
	+ M12R Light Anti-Aircraft Vehicle
* M808 Main Battle Tank

#### Covenant

* Type-25 Rapid Assault Vehicle
* Type-26 Assault Gun Carriage
* Type-32 Rapid Assault Vehicle
* Type-26B Ground Support Aircraft

### Powerups and Equipment

* Active Camouflage
* Overshield
* Power Drain
* Radar Jammer
* Deployable Cover
* Flare
* Regeneration Field
* Trip Mine
* Hologram
* VISR
* Bubble Shield
* Promethean Vision
* Hardlight Shield

## Maps

Many of the maps in *Halo Online*are either directly ripped from *Halo 3*, a remake of a map from *Halo 3* or entirely new maps altogether.The game has a total of 12 maps, with 4 being original maps, and the other 8 being remade or directly ripped from *Halo 3*, some even being renamed entirely.

It is unknown currently if any planned map packs for *Halo Online*exist or are being considered, although given *Halo'*s history with the DLC extensions, the likelihood is high if the game is popular enough. *Halo Online*once again continues the tradition of including at least one remake of Blood Gulch from *Halo: Combat Evolved*.

### Standard Maps

* Diamondback

*"Hot winds blow over what should be a dead moon. A reminder of the power Forerunners once wielded."*
* Edge

*"The remote frontier world of Partition has provided this ancient databank with the safety of seclusion."*
* Icebox

*"Downtown Tyumen's Precinct 13  offers an ideal context for urban combat training."*
* Reactor

*"Being constructed just prior to the Invasion, its builders had to evacuate before it was completed."*
* Bridge

*"Without cooling systems such as these, excess heat from the Ark's forges would render the construct uninhabitable."*
* Closed Area

*"Once, nearby telescopes listened for a message from the stars. Now, these silos contain our prepared response."*
* Elevation

*"A relic of older conflicts, this base was reactivated after the New Mombasa Slipspace Event."*
* Guardian

*"Millenia of tending has produced trees as ancient as the Forerunner structures they have grown around."*
* Hangar

*"Software simulations are held in contempt by the veteran instructors who run these training facilities."*
* Refuge

*"Remote industrial sites like this one are routinely requisitioned and used as part of Spartan training exercises."*
* Riverworld

*"The crew of V-398 barely survived their unplanned landing in this gorge...this curious gorge."*
* Sandtrap

*"Although the Brute occupiers have been driven from this ancient structure, they left plenty to remember them by."*
## Marketing Promotions and Release

### Trailers

#### Announcement

*Main Article: Halo Online Announce Trailer*

*Halo Online*was first announced on March 25, 2015 with the Halo Online Announce Trailer. It showcased gameplay on several different maps, as well as the armor and weapon customization menus. Due to *Halo Online*possessing no campaign or story, the trailer was more focused on showing off the game's multiplayer elements, with focus on its new customization options and new armor types; features that are not new to *Halo*, but of which is executed differently in *Halo Online*exclusively. The trailer was set to the track Sacred Icon Suite 2 of the*Halo Legends* soundtrack.

#### Story

   : *Main Article: Halo Online Story Trailer*

A story trailer for *Halo Online*was released on December 29, 2015. The trailer went through the basic backstory to the game, detailing the events leading up to the Spartans and Elites training on Anvil Station. The trailer was fairly basic, and can be found on the *Halo Online*website.

### Press Conference

On March 26, 2015 a press conference about *Halo Online* was held. At this press conference there were holographic pyramids with several renders of *Halo Online* content with them. The press conference largely covered all the content that will be found in the game, and was held the day after the game was released.

## Reception

Game not yet released; no reception available.

## Trivia

* 343 Industries has no plans to expand the game to other territories. However, they stated if it were to happen, the game would have to go through "region-specific changes" to match players' expectations in different territories.
* 343 Industries has no plans to bring the game to Xbox One, as the game was built "from the ground up" for PC.
* Most of the in-game assets in *Halo Online*are a hybrid of *Halo 3*and *Halo 4*graphics, maps and assets.
* *Halo Online*is the first *Halo*game with no campaign mode and to be focused on multiplayer only.
* *Halo Online*is the first *Halo*game to be exclusive to one geographical location.
* While *Halo Online*is exclusive to Russia, players in other countries have managed to gain access to it. How they went about doing this hasn't been disclosed, and 343 has not condemned the action.

## Gallery

Halo Online Promotional PosterHalo Online Title Art

## Links

### External Links

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 **Halo Waypoint** - *Halo Online Closed Beta Launching in Russia*
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 **IGN** - *Halo Online is a Free-to-Play PC Shooter Coming only to Russia*
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 **Youtube:** *Halo Online PC 4K Gameplay - Avalanche Map*
4. ↑ **Youtube:** *Halo Online PC 4k Gameplay - Edge Map*
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 **Youtube:** *Halo: Online Gameplay - Epic Gravity Hammer Killing Spree (Slayer/SWAT)*
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 **Youtube:** *HALO ONLINE - FIRST IMPRESSIONS & GAMEPLAY!*
7. ↑ **Youtube:** *Halo: Online - New maps! (Narrows)*
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 **Youtube** *- Halo Online - Reactor*
9. ↑ **Youtube:** *Halo Online - Standoff 4v4 Slayer Gameplay*
10. ↑ **Youtube:** *Halo: Online - New maps! (The Pit)*
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 **Youtube:** *Halo Online PC 4k Gameplay - Valhalla/River World Map*
12. ↑ **Youtube:** *Halo Online - OMG IS THAT LAST RESORT!? Official beta KB/M*
13. ↑ '*Halo Online - New Beta Maps: High Ground and Last Resort*
14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 **Youtube** - *IGN* - Halo Online Announcement Trailer - Rewind Theater
15. ↑ **Youtube:** *Halo Online (PC) - DMR Swat Gameplay*
16. ↑ **Youtube:** *Halo Online - Weapon "SMG" +5 types*
17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 **Youtube:** *Halo Online Commentary - Full Reveal of Maps, Weapons, and Vehicles splitter 02*
18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 18.2 **Youtube:** *Halo Online: Valhalla and forge*
19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 **Youtube:** *Halo Online Commentary - Full Reveal of Maps, Weapons, and Vehicles splitter 01*
20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 20.2 20.3 **Youtube:** *Halo Online - Leftover Forge Mode*
21. ↑ **Youtube:** *Halo Online - Weapon "Covenant Carbine" +7 types*
22. ↑ 22.00 22.01 22.02 22.03 22.04 22.05 22.06 22.07 22.08 22.09 22.10 22.11 22.12 22.13 22.14 22.15 22.16 22.17 22.18 22.19 22.2022.21 22.22 22.23 22.24 22.25 22.26 22.27 22.28 22.29 22.30 22.31 22.32 22.33 22.34 22.35 22.36 22.37 22.38 22.39 22.40 22.4122.42 **Youtube:** *Halo News Today|Halo Online: TONS of Customization and NEW Armor Abilities!*
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 23.2 23.3 23.4 23.5 23.6 23.7 23.8 23.9 **Youtube:** *Halo Online - All Armor Pieces*

## *​*References

 Ports
 Fan-Made Games