Developer 343 Industries hasn’t always had the best luck with theHaloseries. The developer’s first two attempts to pick up where Bungie left off were met with derision and division from fans and critics alike thanks to some large departures from the series' early entries. Changes like equippable loadouts, more linear campaigns, iron sights, and lootboxes all felt geared to bringHalomore in line with other prominent first-person shooters. Such changes resulted inHalolosing much of its identity. However, the upcomingHalo Infiniteseems to have rediscovered it, and the success ofHalo: The Master Chief Collectionplayed a key role in that.
Funnily enough, while 343’s previous attempts to modernize the series have largely fallen flat with fans, its ongoing, consistent support forHalo: The Master Chief Collectionhas brought the developer much praise, and it’s clear 343 has been listening to that feedback. Based on previews and the game’s recent test flight,Halo Infiniteseemingly has more in common with Bungie’s titles than any of 343’s initial outings. WhenHalo Infinitehits stores this December, itmay very well be the definitive modernHalotitle, but one shouldn’t necessarily assume it’s going to render the older titles obsolete; these oldergames still have a lot of life left in them.
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Halo: The Master Chief Collection’s Multiplayer
Despite how oldThe Master Chief Collection’scontents are, each entry has been generously supported over the years.Halo 3,a 14-year-old game, is still receiving content updates including new weapons, maps ported fromHalo Online, and fresh cosmetics. More recently, 343 announced a new Firefight mode that will pit players against waves ofHalo’sterrifying parasitic species, the Flood — a first for the series' wave-based survival mode. It’s worth mentioning that this announcement came barely three months ahead ofHalo Infinite’slaunch, implying that ongoing support forThe Master Chief Collectionisn’t likely to stop anytime soon.
It’s also worth noting thatThe Master Chief Collection’smultiplayer, by its very nature, will boast significantly more variety thanHalo Infinite’s.If one gets tired ofHaloInfinite’smultiplayerafter a few matches, the collection could be a good way for fans to get a different kind ofHalofix while taking a break fromInfinite. Thankfully, each game in the collection is fairly well-populated. While not possessing a community as massive as the likes ofFortnite,Call of Duty: Warzone,orDestiny 2,the vintageHalogames still attract thousands of players per day looking for some old-schoolHaloaction.
The Master Chief Collection Modes Missing From Halo Infinite
Halo Infinitewill finally be launching this December, but not all of its modes will be available on day one. A few features won’t be arriving until months after the game releases, with the most notable late additions being the co-op campaign and Forge. These two modes have been integral parts ofHalofor quite some time now, with the former originating inHalo 1,and the latter appearing in every mainline game sinceHalo 3.
Suffice to say, their omissions are shocking, but fortunately,The Master Chief Collectionis well-equipped to meet players' cooperative or creative needs. The bundle’s six campaigns all boast co-op gameplay, with four of the titles allowing up to four players to squad up, while only two games —Halo 1and 2 — are limited to two players. When adding up thelength of everyHalogameincluded in the collection, that amounts to approximately 49 hours of playtime, which gives players a great deal of time to kill beforeHalo Infinite’sbig co-op update.
Forge inThe Master Chief Collectionis just as great of a time-passer, if not better. Within the mode, players can toy around with maps, weapons, vehicles, and more fromHalo 2: Anniversary,Halo 3,Halo: Reach,andHalo 4to craft their own custom maps for any purpose they see fit; maybe it’s a Grifball arena, an intricately designed battlefield for capture the flag, or perhaps a backdrop for aHalomachinima. The possibilities are endless, makingThe Master Chief Collectionthe perfect avenue forHalofans to flex their creative muscles while waiting forInfinite’sForge Mode to drop.
Between its strong multiplayer support and diverse modes of play,Halo: The Master Chief Collectionboasts a resilient set of legs that will surely keep players coming back for more even afterHalo Infinitearrives this winter. Anything short of a full server deactivation doesn’t seem capable of halting thisHalobundle’ssuccess.
Halo Infinitewill launch on July 14, 2025 for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
