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Globe has announced Halo skateboarding shoes and skateboard in commemoration of Halo's 10th anniversary. Pretty nice gesture of love huh? The shoes look nice and i might buy a pair myself. Read below for more details Source: Gameinformer.com The shoes come in Master Chief green with the number 117 etched into the sides. Additionally, the tongue and heel sport the UNSC logo while the wheels are inspired by the iconic Warthog vehicle of the series. The skateboard is selling for $139.99 and the shoes for $69.99.

Today ETC talks to Stewart Hendler director of Halo Forward Unto Dawn. Warning: Contains some language http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7EYfhAtq_E&feature=g-all-u

BS Angel Talking about Flood (some medals and how to obtain them in this mode), Forward Unto Dawn, the map Abandon and much more! Read below for more details Source: http://blogs.halo.xbox.com/Headlines/post/2012/10/03/The-Halo-Bulletin-10312-.aspx Gold Halo 4 wallpaper, made by the amazing minolta1034 486 days ago at E3 2011, we introduced Halo 4 to the world, lifting the veil on our closely-guarded secret with a heart-pounding trailer featuring the return of the Master Chief.* Exactly 365 days later, at E3 2012, we gave media and fans alike their first true taste of the game with a Campaign demo and never-before-seen enemy face. Er, I mean race. Now the countdown really begins, because Halo 4 launches in a mere 34 days. I measure time in Halo Bulletins and according to my calendar, there are only five left – one of which is this one. Let’s just say the number of topics still left to discuss when compared to the number of Bulletins slated to be published before launch do not match up. Yes, there’s still a lot you don’t know. What, you didn’t think we’d tell you everything, did you?... Speaking of things you may not know, Halo 4 recently went gold (!!1!one!!1!). Bonnie Ross, General Manager of 343 Industries to some and Lady Boss to others, wrote up her thoughts about both that particular milestone and also the evolution of our studio. You’ll get to read her part-insightful, part-reflective words later in this Bulletin but for now, how about we take a deep dive into a topic we haven’t had a chance to properly discuss yet, like Halo 4’s brand new Flood mode? Flood Brand spankin’ new Flood screenshot 1! Flood is the spiritual successor to Infection, a fan-favorite game type from Halo 3 and Reach. Our goal was to recreate it and push the mode to be new and different from previous versions. As both War Games and Spartan Ops fit within the fiction of the UNSC Infinity, we wanted to use Halo fiction in this mode too, which led to us to create the Flood form in Multiplayer. Flood-converted humans are much faster and focus on melee attacks, so they were a natural fit for Infection’s successor. Halo 4’s Flood mode is a round-based, ten-player game. It is a true asymmetric experience with the added twist of dynamic teams; this really changes things up as each game is different, especially in the incredibly intense and high-action final seconds. At the beginning of each round, two players spawn as Flood forms and eight players spawn as Survivors. Survivors are standard Spartans equipped with shotguns and magnums, while Flood move very quickly and can only use a melee attack. When a Survivor gets killed by a Flood, the Survivor will convert and respawn as a Flood. The round ends if a Survivor makes it to 3:00 or if all players are converted to Flood. One of the things we concentrated on for War Games was establishing player roles in Multiplayer, so we put a great deal of attention into being the King, Flag carrier, Grif, etc. Being the final Survivor is another role we focused on, and it’s a very intense experience having nine other Flood rush at you. Some (and by some, I of course mean David Ellis) would even say it’s poo-inducing. Brand spankin’ new Flood screenshot 2! We went through several iterations of tuning settings, mostly around getting the Flood to feel right in the sandbox and making the Flood experience noticeably different than the Survivor experience. To ensure the Flood’s gameplay had a unique feel, we honed in on the following elements: The Flood Character Model A unique character model for both first and third-person. The Claw A special melee weapon tuned just for the Flood. Flood Armor Effect A special effect that trails behind Flood characters. Flood Screen Effect A first-person screen effect that shows the haunted view of a Flood. Dynamic Music When playing as the Flood or final Survivor, dynamic music plays in the background to intensify the experience. Flood Gameplay Tuning Flood move faster, react differently to bullets, and have specially tuned armor abilities, the core of which is an enhanced Flood Thrust Pack. The Floodsassination How could we not?! The biggest challenges when designing this mode were getting the Survivor vs. Flood balance just right, keeping the experience interesting and dynamic (whether it’s two Flood vs. eight Survivors or nine Flood vs. one Survivor), and building a system that made initial-round spawning more consistent. Where we landed, for the lattermost thing in particular is that players will not spawn randomly as Flood or Survivors at the beginning of a match. Instead, your initial spawn is based on previous rounds. Flood features an exclusive set of medals that can only be earned by playing this particular game mode, and it also has its own set of custom game options. The former is detailed below. Click here to view the medals and what you have to do to get them: http://blogs.halo.xb...tin-10312-.aspx Brand spankin’ new Flood screenshot 3! Here’s a sneak peek of our planned Flood settings for launch. Round Length 3:00 minutes (Survivor win or all Spartans converted) • Number of Rounds - 3 • Players - 10 Players o 2 Spawn as Alpha per round o 8 Spawn as Survivors For Lead Designer Kevin Franklin, the best part of the design process has been seeing players who have never tried Infection before try out Flood. The overwhelming sentiment from those players has been that it’s a great high-action, high-intensity experience with tons of close quarter combat and close calls. We expect you to tell us what you think, come November 6. Abandon https://waypointprod...0/4/abandon.jpg Abandon screenshot ABANDON DESCRIPTION: On the remote world of Erebus VII, at the very edge of human-occupied space, an ONI research facility which was once teaming with researchers now lies eerily vacant. Although the hostility of this world had been initially considered by its team leaders, it is tragically clear that a great many ‘things’ had simply not been taken into account. Abandon is a mysteriously abandoned ONI research station on a hostile alien planet. Initial surveys of this area were bold and promising, but it quickly became clear that these reports were far more hubris than logic. From the start, the theme for this map was constructed around the story of an ONI research team that mysteriously disappeared. We wanted to leave some story breadcrumbs that helped to imply that something dramatic occurred in this location. We wanted the map to make the player wonder, “What the hell happened here?” Unlike most Halo maps, there is a lot of overtly alien strangeness right in the player’s face. The creepiness and storytelling are simple and clear but doesn’t conflict with the game play. Early on in the development cycle for this map, there was a diverse array of visual ideas and ways to tell the story of this ominous place. Along the way, we had to consolidate this collection into a more concise statement that not only supported the theme but also felt appropriate to the Halo franchise. There was a lot of discussion about how we wanted the environment to feel menacing and forbidding. At one point, the map was a disparate arrangement of flora and fauna and we had to ask the questions, “Does all of this work together?” and “Does all of this support Halo Multiplayer?” When the answers were no, we made the hard call to change direction. Some of our favorite organisms that didn’t make the cut were lovingly known as meat loops, muscle humps, gas sacks, smokers, and momma trees. (Don’t ask). https://waypointprod...onceptart-2.jpg Abandon concept art Abandon had three distinct iterations. The first was the balls-to-the-wall alien greenhouse version. There was a dead monster-like creature on this map that you could use as a ramp, and there was a story that went along with it—something along the lines of: the monster attacked, killed the scientists, and then died from injuries it sustained. There were numerous subplots and supporting elements scattered around the map and in the skybox. The next iteration featured smaller animals trapped in containers underneath the map as the reason for the science team’s ‘disappearance,’ and early concepts show that the place was pretty badly assaulted. This version represented the first paring pass that reined the environment into a simpler and more believable statement of the original theme and cropped out some of the unnecessary components (we wanted to get back to what we really liked about the original concept art). The final iteration was an even tighter trimming of things that weren’t needed or weren’t working. The building’s interior looks relatively pristine compared to where it was originally, which is definitely to its advantage from a playability perspective, because it provides a stark difference between inside the structures and the wild flora that grows outside it. Gameplay-wise, Abandon plays much like the visual theme: claustrophobic and frantic, with danger lurking around every corner. It is a small map with lots of close quarters fighting; however, mid-range and long-range fights can be found in select locations. If you’re a fan of mid-range engagements, stick to the natural side of the map until you pick up your initial ordnance. Then you can go in, guns blazing. Oh, one last thing about this map. A Halo 4 concept artist wanted me to pass along his recommended strategy: Wear a diaper. Assuming you aren’t already, that is… Halo 4 Soundtrack Remix Contest If you have a thing for either music or awesome prizes, you definitely want to check out the just-announced-today Halo 4 Soundtrack Remix Contest. The competition starts October 3 and will run through October 29, with prizes awarded to the most original and creative tracks. Participants will have access to samples of Awakening, To Galaxy, and Revival from the Halo 4 Soundtrack, allowing for a wide range of potential remix styles and musical genres. For full contest submission guidelines and rules, visit: Halo4Remix.com. Entries will be judged by composer Neil Davidge of Massive Attack, Halo 4 audio director Sotaro Tojima and electronic musicians Sander Van Doorn and CASPA, based on originality, creativity, and musicality. Winners will be announced on November 16. Prizes for the Halo 4 Fan Remix Contest will vary per region and are subject to change: USA Grand Prize • Samsung Series 7 Laptop • Halo 4 Limited Edition Xbox 360 320GB Console • Halo 4 Trigger Stereo Headset • Complete Collection of Official Halo Soundtracks First Prize • Halo 4 Limited Edition Xbox 360 320GB Console • Halo 4 Trigger Stereo Headset • Complete Collection of Official Halo Soundtracks Second Prize • Halo 4 Trigger Stereo Headset • Halo 4 Official Soundtrack Canada Grand Prize • Halo 4 Limited Edition Xbox 360 320GB Console • Halo 4 Trigger Stereo Headset • Complete Collection of Official Halo Soundtracks • 12+1 Month Halo 4 Xbox LIVE Gold Membership First Prize • Halo 4 Limited Edition Xbox 360 320GB Console • 12+1 Month Halo 4 Xbox LIVE Gold Membership Second Prize • Xbox 360 Halo 4 Limited Edition Wireless Controller • Halo 4 Game Mexico Grand Prize • Halo 4 Limited Edition Xbox 360 320GB Console • Halo 4 Trigger Stereo Headset • Complete Collection of Official Halo Soundtracks First Prize • Halo 4 Trigger Stereo Headset • Complete Collection of Official Halo Soundtracks Second Prize • Halo 4 Trigger Stereo Headset UK, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands Grand Prize (1 per market, 6 in total) • Samsung Series 5 Laptop • Samsung 2.1 Wireless Audio Dock • Halo 4 Limited Edition Xbox 360 320GB Console • Halo 4 Trigger Stereo Headset • Complete Collection of Official Halo Soundtracks Runner Up Prize (1 per market, 6 in total) • Halo 4 Limited Edition Xbox 360 320GB Console • Halo 4 Trigger Stereo Headset • Complete Collection of Official Halo Soundtracks Australia Grand Prize • Halo 4 Limited Edition Xbox 360 320GB Console • Halo 4 Trigger Stereo Headset • Complete Collection of Official Halo Soundtracks • 12+1 Month Halo 4 Xbox LIVE Gold Membership First Prize • Halo 4 Limited Edition Xbox 360 320GB Console • 12+1 Month Halo 4 Xbox LIVE Gold Membership Second Prize • Xbox 360 Halo 4 Limited Edition Wireless Controller • Halo 4 Game Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn https://waypointprod...duntodawn-2.jpg We’ve been counting down the days to Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn with a series of short vignettes. That time is over though, because the live-action digital series that takes you back to the beginning of the human and Covenant war, leading into the events of Halo 4 starts on Friday. Yes, I’m talking about this Friday. The Friday that is only two days away… The first episode is just the beginning of this story and like any good story, it has to introduce the world and the characters to you in the right way before we get to the blowing shi – er stuff – up. This series is about great characters as well as great big explosions, so settle in for the whole ride…there will be plenty of all of the above to go around. There are some hints in Part I about important ideas in Halo’s future, so if you’ve been paying attention for a while, there’s a lot in there for your eyes only. That said, this show has also been created to help introduce many fans to the fiction of the universe (there are lots of people who don’t follow every date and character detail in the books or even the main Campaign stories – blasphemy, I know) and answers to questions like “So how did this galaxy-spanning war with a mysterious alien collective kick off, anyway?” We hope you love it, and we hope it’s as exciting a part of the big ramp-up to Halo 4 as we meant it to be! Office of Halo Intelligence: Part 11 https://waypointprod...wallpaper-2.jpg Bonnie Ross, General Manager for 343 Industries, has been with the studio since the beginning. Her insight, especially as it relates to the journey that was the development of Halo 4, provides a unique perspective on both the completion of our first full title and also the changes the studio has seen since its conception. Enjoy the words from someone who has an intimate relationship with both our game and the people that comprise our studio. 34(3) days… and counting Jessica asked me to write a section about us hitting gold last week. When we all celebrated last Thursday night, there was joy, relief, and pride. There was celebratory drinking, and champagne was poured on people’s heads, but mainly there was a lot of reminiscing about the path we took over the last few years. So I figured I’d write about that journey to the gold (disc) at the end of the Halo 4 rainbow. Along that journey, it is easy to be critical, even overly critical of every move and every mistake. When you get to the end, something washes over you (could be champagne over the head from a fellow 343er, Josh) that makes you look back at the journey with a little more forgiveness, Vaseline on the lens, maybe even a little regret that this part of our journey is over. Year of the Forerunner: In 2008, we weren’t working on Halo 4 yet because Bungie was working on ODST and Reach. So as a small 343 team, we had the luxury of a year to just think about the universe and the technology. Where did we want to go next? We had controversial discussions about the Forerunners and their origins. Should they always be a mystery or should we open up that Pandora’s Box? As you already know, we opened that box and Frank and the team set to help define the future fiction, the Forerunner backstory and characters that would ultimately become the Prometheans, the Didact and other inhabitants of Halo 4. While we weren’t thinking about the exact Halo 4 story back then, we were working on high-level themes for Halo 4 and the overall saga. We were thinking about Chief and Cortana, and we were thinking about new enemies and new threats, specifically Forerunner in nature. We chose the acclaimed science fiction novelist Greg Bear to write a trilogy dealing with elements of that story. As Greg’s first novel in that trilogy came out in 2010, he had a lot of questions before we had answers: what did the Prometheans look like? What did the living, breathing Forerunner civilization feel like? So between 2008 and 2010 our artists, designers, and writers met repeatedly with Bear to give him character sketches, talk about physics, shapes and characters that would ultimately take their first tentative steps in his book before coming to life on Requiem. Ghetto Halo: In the middle of 2009, we started working on the real design of Halo 4 and the not inconsiderable task of staffing it. Our rapidly growing team was crammed in a really small section of this building in Redmond Town Center (a mall). We were sitting two to three people in closet-sized offices meant for one, or camping out on the couch in the hallway. When people came onboard or interviewed, we would routinely get the comment, “Wow, really, this is Halo? I would think you guys would work in a better space than this.” We pretended like we wanted it to be that way – so uncool that it was cool, but in reality we were Halo wannabes and our company knew it and treated us as such. That all changed with the unsanitary sacrifice of our office savior Kenneth Scott. Kenneth, who fell for the “this space is just temporary while our real space is under repair” line during the interview process, joined our team as the Art Director. When the reality of the bad space set in, Kenneth started doing phone interviews for potential candidates in the hallway because there were no private meeting spaces. When it got too noisy in hallway, Kenneth moved his office to the men’s bathroom instituting a do not flush policy during phone interviews. Some of our best talent was recruited from the men’s bathroom. It was my own wailing and lamentation over Kenneth’s bathroom interviews that finally got my manager to approve us moving to a new space. When we moved into a much improved space, we started working on the Halo 4 prototype. How do you prototype Halo when you’ve never even built Halo before? Halo is already a beautifully balanced sandbox and we wanted to add more toys – and maybe some more sand. As a new team, we were in an awkward and unfortunate situation in that not only did we need to prototype how to take Halo forward; we needed to figure out how to build Halo in the first place. Halo? In 2010 we started working on what we call “vertical slice” which is really just a representative section of how we imagine the final game will look, feel and play. Going through that prototype process, we made the obvious decision that before we could add new things to the Halo recipe, we first needed to fully understand the existing ingredients. Could we make a level that feels and plays like Halo? Could this team build Halo? Typically with a vertical slice, you’re supposed to showcase the graphical art bar as well as a segment of gameplay. Our artists were working on a lot of art, but in 2010, David Berger and the development team were in the beginning of overhauling the engine so that in the future our artists could get their art in the game without compromising their vision. For the vertical slice, the mission we chose to build was part of our second mission, Requiem. We submitted it to our user research testing and it tested well. Users thought it was Halo, and they liked it. We at 343, as small a step as that was, celebrated a great milestone – and a kind of game design Hippocratic Oath:“First, do no harm.” When Kiki and the team presented the slice to the execs, it was met with straight faces with people saying this just looks like Halo, this just plays like Halo. “Yeah, I know”, I replied proudly, “Isn’t that great? 343 can build Halo, this is huge.” The execs sat with straight faces repeating, “This just plays like Halo.” I walked my team from the room. “Was that good or bad?”, Kiki asked. “Um, good. I think they ate something bad for lunch.” To be fair to the execs, they didn’t want to see the inside of the sausage making factory, they just wanted to know this team could not only build Halo, but take Halo forward. They wanted to see the “Wow.” It was kind of a crazy time in the studio as we had a bunch of “wow” on paper, but really nothing in the game yet. Coming out of vertical slice, the team heard the message that it wasn’t enough. While it was in the plan to take that “wow” from paper to game, we were just getting started. Bungie wasn’t built in a day, and neither was 343. Year of the Wow: In my opinion, 2011 was our hardest year. The team might argue that 2012 was the toughest, as people put in such long days and endless weekends. But in 2012, we knew what we were building and the stress came from wondering if we would we have enough time to get everything we wanted into the game. In 2011, we knew the game we wanted to build, but the “wow” and the magic was slow in coming together. Josh and the team had their design work cut out for them. In 2011, the focus was sandbox. As you know, Halo has had (mostly) the same enemies in the sandbox for the last 10 years. For Halo 4, we had new enemies, new weapons, and new vehicles all ready to go into the sandbox. But as you also know, Halo’s sandbox is delicately balanced, so adding new stuff while ensuring it’s fun and properly thought-out, is easier said than done. For the first part of 2011 the fun wasn’t coming together. Then one magical day, I think it was sunny (a statistical anomaly in Seattle), Josh wandered over to me with a gleam in his eye – and explained that he’d just got done playing for a few hours and it was fun, it was really fun, and he thought we had it. And so it happened. Over the next few months the game started to come together. Daily playtests went from Chris and the producer team begging for players to people vying for an empty seat every day at 4:00. There is never a specific date when you exit preproduction as different areas move out of preproduction early and others later. But in Fall of 2011, every part was out of preproduction and into full production. We could play through the entire game, and for the most part it was fun. We had one mission, Dawn, where Kenneth, Neill and the art team had set their visual target and polished it to a glittering finish, and it was beautiful. The multiplayer maps were fun, the new modes were fun. Spartan Ops was starting to come together. In Fall of 2011, we could see the light even after we recovered from our exit from preproduction party. Year of the Dragon: 2012 was a very long work week that never ended. In January of 2012 we had all of the pieces of the game in some form of done or undone, and all that was left was the long hours to put all of the pieces together and polish the game to perfection. Or as close to it as time and physics permitted. From February on, there would be something new to look at or play every week. The cinematics team started dropping in all of their work and the story came to life. Every time you played the game it was new, different and better. It was a pretty amazing time to be part of 343, part of Halo 4. Everyone on the team worked incredibly long hours – basically for the entire year of 2012. Phil Spencer, the VP of Microsoft Studios told me our building smelled like human. Good human, I’m sure. In one of the take-home tests where we were supposed to play Campaign Co-op, I played the first three missions with business guy Matt. Matt wanted to explore and ensure we looked at every inch of the first three missions. It took us hours and hours to trek through three missions playing Co-op on Normal. I’ve explored every rock, plant, structure, vehicle, and vista in the first three missions. At one point in Requiem, Matt called for me to come over and look at this amazing view (literally a Sparth concept piece brought to life), and as we stood together looking over the edge, I had flashbacks of childhood family vacation pictures at the Grand Canyon – it was that awe-inspiringly beautiful. Of course, the Grand Canyon isn’t filled with inverted megastructures made of massy hardlight, but you get the idea. In between vista viewings, we also shot a few things. Last week before we hit gold, I was playing a Spartan Ops take-home on Legendary (so not a Legendary player, for the record). I got in a mission with Tajeen, Kiki, and artist Chris. In between expletives from getting annihilated by another pack of alien scum bearing Fuel Rod Canons, I found myself laughing giddily, waiting to respawn into some impossible new situation to “help” my team. It was fun, it was invigorating, and you could almost see the gold through the plasma mortars. I started this journey with huge passion for Halo, and that hasn’t changed. I ended this journey with huge passion and respect for 343 and our people. Halo 4 is a result of the energy, blood, sweat, tears and the distinct human smell of the people at 343. At the end of the day, at the end of the year, at the end of the journey, it is about the people, the team. It has been an honor to work alongside such an amazingly talented and passionate group of people. So is this the end of the journey, or is it just the beginning? I hope it is the beginning for us at 343. I hope we did the fans proud. No regrets, but sentimental. There is no crying in Halo, but I dare you not to by the time the credits roll. Thank you for bearing with us. Thank you for letting us try our hardest. I hope we earn it. b There is no possible way I can end this on a better note than Bonnie, so I do believe that is my cue to wrap this sucker up. Try your hand at the remix contest, check out the first episode of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn this Friday, and I’ll see you here next week, same time, same place, but with new stuff to talk about. Until then…

343 Industries is currently developing Halo 5, and with the this progress comes the need to fill another position, Environment Artist. 343 Industries hopes for an experienced artist, able to work efficiently in a close team environment, and much experience with high res and game res. 343 industries also has laid out a list of qualifications for this position. Qualifications: Five years professional experience working with game environments and at least one AAA title credit on the Xbox 360 or equivalent as an environment artist preferred. Bachelor’s degree in Art, Design or Architecture preferred. Experience with Autodesk Maya required. Experience with other DCC applications (3DS Max, XSI) will be considered. Experience with Photoshop, or similar 2D art packages required. Experience with ZBrush or Mudbox required. The ability to take and effectively act on artistic direction required. Artist must have strong working knowledge of modern game asset development principles and techniques. Thorough understanding of the economy of building assets for real time environments required. Artist should have strong time management and communication skills. Superb high and low polygon modeling skills required. Strong sculpting, painting and texturing skills required. The ability to quickly grasp new technical concepts required. A fine attention to quality and detail both artistically and technically is required. Experience working in proprietary engines and technologies preferred. If you feel as though you match these qualifications, and are interested in this job opportunity, visit here for all of the details and the opportunity to apply. SOURCE:HALO WAYPOINT SOURCE:MICROSOFT-CAREERS

343 industries announced today that it will be partnering with Gallery Books for a multi-year contract to produce more Halo lore. After the announcement Frank O' Conner had this to say of the new deal: “We’ve had the luxury of working with amazing novelists and publishing partners in the past – and we’re excited to continue that tradition and growth with the announcement of our new novel publishing partner, Gallery Books – and we can’t wait to share the worlds and wonders we’ll build together.” Louise Burke, President of Gallery Books, spoke of the partnership as well: “We are thrilled to be working with 343 Industries and Microsoft on these upcoming Halo books, it’s a phenomenal brand that continues to grow and we look forward to continuing the ascent with them.” The first publication is currently set to be released in Fall of 2014. This is very exciting news to all of you Halo lore fans, I'm sure. Be sure to let us know what you think of this deal in the Comment Section below. SOURCE:HALOWAYPOINT

343 Industries dropping more news at the next generation Halo and inevitably leaking valuable info. 343 Industries released a job listing recently for someone experienced in Online and Connection Engineering to go to work on a Halo title. Taking detailed info from the article, they are looking for someone who will work on a "new experience in the Halo universe." They will be helping 343i to deliver Online and Connected Experiences for the mentioned Halo title. They will collaborate with other designers, to deliver polished code as well. View attachment: New-1.JPG1.JPG To qualify, the person needs to have Experience with services development and at least 5 years of C++ Expertise. Finally, a big red flag, "Experience on a current Generation AAA game title." This could hint at a Halo experience being released on the 360. Furthermore, it could just be that you need experience on the past gen to qualify. So what do you guys think? Is this a current generation title for Halo, or just simply looking too deeply into this? Source: Microsoft.com Dualshockers.com

Gameinformer interviewing Daniel Cudmore, the man playing Master Chief in the web series; Forward Unto Dawn. Read below for more details Source: Gameinformer.com The second episode of Halo’s live-action web series premiered today, and we had a chance to talk to Daniel Cudmore, the actor behind Master Chief’s mask. You won’t see Cudmore’s face in Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, but if you did, you may recognize him from the X-Men films where he played Colossus, or the Twilight series where he plays Felix. We asked Cudmore about taking on the role of a beloved video game character, and whether or not Master Chief flashes a thumbs-up when he gets a solid head-shot. Would you consider yourself a gamer? I am and I’m not. I enjoy playing games and then I’ll have a bit of an ADD moment and I can’t sit around for too long, but I think it also depends on the game too. The funny thing is, I think I was bought Halo 3 by my girlfriend at the time, who is my wife now, she bought it to kind of impress me and I think that’s the only game that I played front to back. There might have been some other ones, but I think that was the one. Do have other favorite games other than Halo 3? I do remember when I was in college when the very first PlayStation and Call of Duty came out. I remember everyone went away for Thanksgiving and I was one of the only guys stuck in the dorm, and I think I played Call of Duty 8 hours straight every day – it was ridiculous. I’m a pretty good fan of Assassin’s Creed. I enjoy that game too. So you’re playing Master Chief in the Forward unto Dawn series, were you nervous about playing a character that has such a strong legacy in the world of video games? Yeah it’s always daunting, especially that kind of character who is the staple of the series throughout most of the games. It’s funny, I was talking to people about how you become him. Each player becomes him. Everybody has their own interpretation of who the character is, but I just did a lot of research and bounced as many questions as I could off of all the guys at Microsoft and 343. I just read a lot of fiction and I just thought, "I’m going to go with what I think it is and I’m not going to stray too far from what they created and just add a little bit of myself to it and hopefully everyone likes it." In the games Master Chief is a little bit of a blank slate for the sake of the player. He is a badass but he doesn’t exude a lot of personality. In the show were there opportunities to add more humanity to Master Chief? How much were you able to accomplish working behind a mask? Well that’s also a tough part of it, you’re really going to see more humanity though someone’s facial features in their eyes and various other places, so when you can’t see his face it makes it hard. There are definitely moments where there is a little bit more humanity in certain aspects, but at the same time he’s really trying to just helps these kids get out of here alive and there is not a ton of opportunity to really kind of interact as much as you would like to as an actor or a character, but it’s really not who Master Chief is. Can you tell us a little bit about the casting process? How did you win the role of Master Chief? It really was through various people that I worked with in the past. I worked with some of the producers and the stunt coordinator; I have more of a stunt actor background. I started with acting and I fell more into stunts and was given the opportunity to do that, so it kind of spun that way and I just met with the director and we hit it off, and then I met with all the guys at Legacy who designed the costume and it just kind of went from there. There was never necessarily an audition process, because you’re not seeing my face and things like that. There is the acting aspect that I had to do as the character for the other actors, but a lot of is body acting it’s a lot of movement and things of this nature. Where you doing his voice too? Or was that sort of a Darth Vader situation? I had to act out all of the scenes with all of the actors, but I believe they hired someone else to do the voice. You did all of your own stunts? Yeah, everything action-wise, and it’s funny because I did everything that was asked of the character too. Yeah, it was a lot of fun. With a production like this, a live-action web series, is it different than working on a film or television show? It’s funny, because going into it you have these sorts of visions in your head of what a lot of live-action web series have been. The problem is that it’s not a medium that a lot of the traditional movie makers and TV show makers work on. They really don’t understand it as well, so I feel like they never really invest that large amount of money into it when the audience is just absolutely massive on the internet. It’s funny, you look at some of the stuff that’s out there, and even though its production value is not quite there, just because they don’t have the money obviously the imagination and hard work is there. You kind of think, “Well how is it going to be when I have to work on big-budget things? Is it kind of going to be like that?” Honestly just showing up it felt like a feature film movie set the whole time, and everything just felt the same so I didn’t really notice a difference at all. Can you tell us all of the secrets about Master Chief that they told you in confidence? So you could understand the character? You can tell us all those, right? I can’t tell you anything. I just read some of the fiction that explained really where all of the Spartans came from, and what sort of training they had, and how they become who they are now, and how Master Chief has sort of become who he is. So that helps a huge amount with his sort of psyche and what he’s been through and how strongly rooted he is in his duties. Almost in a way, brainwashed the way he is, but that’s the only life he has ever known so he believes it whole-heatedly that he has to protect and do his job no matter what. Was there a lot of input from the game designers at 343? Did they have specific actions that Master Chief did or doesn’t do? Like Master Chief wouldn’t do this, did they give you directions like that? There was a lot of discussion on the certain way he carries himself, the way he shoots guns, the way he just sort of moves a lot. I took a lot of it from the featurettes they have done for advertising for some of the Halo games were they have done these CGI scenes, and just following the way the character really moves. Obviously 343 and Microsoft had a plethora of guys on set all the time who were just absolute encyclopedias of Halo and any question I ever had I could fire off of them and anything they kind of thought didn’t look quite right they would fix. It was really cool working environment. Where there any strange things? Like did they ever say Master Chief doesn’t give thumbs up? Did they have any weird Master Chiefisms? I think there was the tea-bagging – you don’t want that. There are things like thumbs up and certain things like that, that you think would be fine but there like, “nah he doesn’t do that kind of thing.” He is very kind of simple in his approach to what his goals are and he is not really showy or that kind of G.I. Joe type “Thumbs up kids.” I’m trying to think over the days if there was anything specific or weird but I can’t think of anything. So are you excited about Halo 4? As being part of this production were you able to demand an early copy for research purposes? I wish! I don’t think anyone has gotten an early copy, though I want a copy of the game. I got to play it down at Comic Con and it’s funny, I haven’t played games in a while and away from how quickly and how good the quality and how fast the gameplay is nowadays. I got to play the little small pieces that they had that they were advertising down there, and I was getting beat down so badly by the other players. I felt like a grandfather who tried to sit down with a 13-year-old kid and try to play video games. It was ridiculous. The quality of the game was unbelievable. The amount that they put into the game and the amount of things you’re going to get out of the game – it blew me away. Be sure to check out our interview with the director of the series, Stewart Hendler.

The Halo Bulletin 10.17.12 Read below for more details Source: HaloWaypoint.com Click the Source link for videos on this bulletin Every time someone spreads a leak, an angel loses its wings Every time someone spreads a leak, an angel loses its wings. At least that’s what I’m assuming is happening, considering my backside is suddenly bare. Oh yes, there’s no longer any junk above my trunk, I’ve lost the adonk from my badonk, and Sir Mix-A-Lot no longer likes me. Despite the absence of flying apparatuses, my spirits are still soaring. Why, you ask? Because in less than three weeks, you will finally have Halo 4 in your hands. Whether you start with Campaign, Spartan Ops, or the multiplayer mayhem that is War Games, you will soon be embarking upon an adventure – one that we’ve spent years crafting for you, and one that we hope you’ll enjoy immensely. Regardless of whether your road to launch includes getting touched by a spoiler, nothing will compare to the moment you feel the familiar weight of the Battle Rifle in your hands as you’re welcoming back your old friends, the Master Chief and Cortana. Speaking of the Chief, I can neither confirm nor deny that in Halo 4, he decides to mix things up a little. I can tell you, however, that he just may attempt to shoot his way out. Enough small chat, though. We have a lot we have to cover, in not a lot of time. This week’s topics include Meltdown (one of the multiplayer maps shipping with Halo 4), the Mantis (dat mech), a complete list of Halo 4 skulls (now with pictures!), Halo-themed pumpkin patterns (in case you’re planning on carving a jack-o'-lantern this year), and a few other interesting tidbits. Shall we begin? I think we shall! PLNB PRIORITY TRANSMISSION [CLASSIFIED] ENCRYPTION CODE: [CLASSIFIED] PUBLIC KEY: N/A Evolution of the Master Chief As the video game industry advances, so does its tools and techniques, and that is readily apparent when looking at the Master Chief’s evolution over the past ten years. Each iteration of our favorite Spartan super-soldier has been distinctive yet similar, but don’t confuse design with canon – the Chief is the Chief, just with the details and idiosyncrasies based on what each time period and toolset has to offer. So embiggen the picture above by clicking on it, and enjoy the walk down Master Chief Memory Lane. Just don’t wander off too long, because some brand new Meltdown screenshots are anxiously awaiting your attention. FROM: CODENAME SURGEON TO: CODENAME COALMINER Meltdown Brand spankin’ new Meltdown screenshots 1 and 2! MELTDOWN DESCRIPTION: While most Forerunner technology appears to support safe usage over immense passages of time, the failure of specific systems can cause a cascading effect which dramatically impacts a site’s foundational composition. This frigid moon’s icy conditions once served to control a Forerunner reactor’s intense heat, but those days are now long gone. The main objective when creating Meltdown was to design a medium size level that catered to both infantry and light vehicle combat. Early on, several paper maps were drawn in the attempt to find the best possible solution to these goals, and ultimately a figure eight-style took the crown. Though it had several iterations through its design, the figure eight vehicle path and base locations always stayed the same. The largest changes were adding more infantry paths (like the caves) and making simpler base interiors. Initially it was difficult to tell what side of the map the player was spawning on because of the rotational symmetry. We solved this with the level’s theme: Using the core meltdown of one of the base generators, one side of the level was essentially melting from the heat and the other remained covered in snow and ice. While the original concept took place in a canyon-like environment similar to Beaver Creek, this new theme solved many issues with environment identification. Meltdown is built around a looping layout with upper and lower pathways. The lower path is focused on vehicles (which tend to run loops around the map and perform hit-and-run actions on enemies), and the upper path is focused on infantry (which tend to move across the light bridges into the center combat space and use cover to ambush enemy players or move around the cliff walls and fight at range from the high ground). Throughout the design process, our goal was to make infantry feel on equal footing to vehicles. This is where the tighter vehicle paths, plenty of cover and numerous foot paths come into play. With this in mind, we wanted a level that felt like a large vehicle map while staying the size of a medium infantry map. Unlike the normal large vehicle maps that are usually seen in Halo, the tighter vehicle paths and prevalent infantry areas make it much easier for the player to traverse on foot without feeling vulnerable to snipers and vehicles. It's also possible to run from one side of the map to the other within a short amount of time, similar to other medium-sized maps. CLASSIFICATION: ELEVENTH HOUR [2/5] SUBJECT: OVER THE FENCE Brand spankin’ new Meltdown screenshots 3 and 4! As a large, vehicle-heavy map, Meltdown spawns a wide range of power weapons. Games on this map typically kick off with big explosions as each team spawns near both a Railgun and an Incineration Cannon. During the matches, Infinity keeps teams well equipped with the Incineration Cannon, Scattershot, Sniper Rifle, SAW, Rocket Launcher, and Fuel Rod Cannon. Despite its size, Meltdown does not spawn the Banshee by default. This helped us create unique vehicle combat, focusing on the clash between the high ground on the cliffs and bridges and the low ground below. Without the Banshee, it means getting to the high ground advantage is even more important in combat encounters. If you can’t live without the flying purple dealer of doom, you’re free to forge a Banshee for yourself for even more varied gameplay. Unlike the other maps, this particular playspace has the bases built into the outer walls. With these large, integrated bases, Meltdown is built to support Dominion (but Big Team Battle is also a studio favorite). Teams spawn inside the Alpha and Charlie bases and then contest the center, which is a large contrast from Longbow, which has players attacking and approaching all three bases from the start of the match. In the end, Meltdown became a fun level for both infantry and vehicle fans, and stands out in objective game modes. But look out for the Mantis, which has the ability to rip you a new one when you're not looking… /FILE EXTRACTION-RECONSTITUTION COMPLETE/ /START FILE/ The Halo 4 Mantis We first introduced you to the Mantis through the above dubsteppy, Spartan-stompy, teabaggy video. While it made the majority of people excited about piloting this particular bad boy, a few were concerned it was overpowered when compared to the rest of the Halo 4 sandbox. To quell that fear and talk a little more in-depth about this brand new vehicle, Ali Zandi, a Systems Designer here at 343, stopped by with more information you could ever want to know. And then some. The Mantis is a new UNSC bipedal weapons platform, fully equipped with a high caliber chain gun mounted on its right arm, multi-rocket system on its left arm, and UNSC’s energy shielding technology. The chain gun is effective up close, but has significant projectile spread and heat when laying on the trigger for long periods of time (once the chain gun overheats, it goes into a cool down sequence for a few seconds, disallowing the weapon to fire during that period). The rocket pod delivers massive direct impact damage, as well as moderate amounts of splash damage to infantry and armor. It has two firing modes, one being semi-automatic, and the second being a full volley of however many rockets are loaded in the pod. A total number of five rockets can be queued up by holding the weapon’s trigger down, or fired individually by latching the trigger. Once all five rockets are depleted, the Mantis initiates a reload sequence, replenishing the rockets after a few seconds. The Mantis has two variants – Campaign and Multiplayer – which differ greatly in terms of damage, spread, and projectile speed. The Campaign version of the chain gun deals much more damage as it uses higher caliber rounds, and the rocket system is anti-aircraft. Inspired by Halo Legends, the Mantis started out as an armored exoskeleton that Spartans would equip, augmenting their abilities. It had numerous weapons, roles, mechanics and shapes, and featured a dedicated shield. It also had the ability to jetpack, use thrusters, and fire a Railgun. We even had an early prototype that consisted of the Chief riding in a giant scaled-up Chief (Yo dawg, we herd you liek the Chief, so we put the Chief in your Chief so you can play as the Chief while you play as the Chief). The idea then evolved into an actual mechanized vehicle, which was more epic in scale and fit the UNSC better. SPECIES CANDIDATE//LINE RECORD 94:73:02:75 Once the concept was finalized and the Mantis was modeled and rigged for animation, we hooked up the bare systems to allow the weapons to fire and players to occupy the seat. During that time, there was massive animation work done to get all the parts moving and animating. It was difficult because there was nothing in the game engine that contained any logic for a mech. It was not easy iterating on values, because if we cranked the knobs on movement speeds or stomp delays, for example, the animation team would need to iterate on the animation content for the walk cycles and the stomp animation to compensate. Communication was crucial. We ended up using a biped/vehicle hybrid, and there were significant amounts of content and code work done to bring this to life. After that phase came the heavy animation work and iteration process on the timings and numbers to get the legs feeling and behaving correctly in all the different possible situations across numerous maps. The team focused heavily on the Mantis’ legs and foot pinning to make sure the legs would behave when walking across various elevations and obstacles. Once we felt good with the timings and animations of the movement, we starting balancing health, weapons, and numerous amounts of other magical systems for Campaign and Multiplayer. During the balancing phase, we discovered players were having a hard time knowing if the Mantis was reloading or not from certain distances, because the silhouette remained the same. To address that issue, we decided that it needed some sort of visual feedback to show when the weapons were temporarily down. It was definitely interesting and challenging to decide how we could animate the arms without it sorting into itself at different torso rotations and pitches, or looking like a Jersey Shore fist pump. Once we got the animations down, we found that it was extremely useful to players on foot, because it visually conveys the windows of opportunity infantry has when the Mantis weapon systems are down. Overall, it’s slightly similar to the Scorpion tank in terms of health and armor, but it trades firepower for maneuverability, allowing the Mantis to be more agile than the Scorpion when needed. Also like the Scorpion, it is capable of being boarded by enemies and EMPed by a Plasma Pistol charge. One notable difference is that the Mantis is capable of using its weight to deliver a devastating stomp to crush enemies in front of it by pressing the melee button. Time your stomp carefully though, and remember that it’s a risk reward. If you miss and or use it carelessly, you leave yourself open to being boarded. UNGGOY// Sensors at Balaho indicate stability, no off-planet transport recorded since Solipsis. Runners are claiming that Buwan has been abandoned as well, but we’re keeping our eyes on it anyway. Moderate Unggoy populations have been observed in Sangheilian systems at various intervals. The biggest challenge when designing the Mantis was making it feel satisfying both for the players piloting it and players fighting against it. The goal was to have an awesome new vehicle in Campaign and Multiplayer, and not have it pulled off the Multiplayer boards because it’s impossible or too easy to counter. Through rigorous playtesting and prototyping, we pursued the “less is more” approach and simplified the Mantis into a much more focused experience. One of the more effective roles for the Mantis in Multiplayer is base defense. It does especially well in close to medium ranges against both infantry and vehicles, but it’s good to have some cover just in case. You don’t want to be caught out in the middle of the battlefield in your big giant robot when the other team has a Spartan Laser. If used in an offensive operation (for example, escorting teammates toward the enemy flag), it is extremely critical to have a team supporting their fellow Mantis, killing potential boarders and anyone targeting the Mantis with a power weapon. While piloting the Mantis is an enjoyable experience, so is blowing it up. Hooking up and polishing all the numerous little bits and doodads that splinter off the Mantis when each section starts taking damage and breaking apart was definitely the most fun (and time consuming) out of all the vehicles to setup. Each destruction asset piece is tuned to give proper visual response when popping off its parent region. There is a lot of attention to detail, and we made sure that the destruction is granular and satisfying. Oh, one more thing to all you budding mech pilots: Watch your back, because she can be boarded from behind. And yes, that’s what I said. KIG-YAR// Eayn’s native population continues to grow and expand within reasonable governing parameters; its economic and social lines have stabilized in the wake of the war. Muloqt, Kaelarot, and Valyanop, the primary interplanetary colonial sites, all remain static, with little notable movement. There are rumors of mercenaries operating alongside a handful of more conservative Sangheili states, although that has yet to be substantiated. Section 3 Please remember to take out the garbage. SANGHEILI// Most intel here originates from ground contacts, but sensors have assisted with validation. The primary issue with the Sangheili is that of discordant cultural symmetry. It is difficult to assess military growth across several dozen active colonial vectors all with disparate political structures. Nevertheless, any and all visible military activity appears to be internecine in nature. Halo 4 Skulls Skulls are a longstanding tradition in the Halo series and one we’re excited to continue. Modifying gameplay and multiplying difficulty, the Skulls in Halo 4 will behave like the ones you already know and love from Halo: Reach. In Halo 4, they will be available in Campaign and are automatically unlocked from the start. For the uninitiated, you can find the names and descriptions below. By the way, if you’re the type that leaves no stone unturned in your quest for hidden secrets, fret not, because the Domain Terminals will scratch that itch… and more. Famine - Weapons drop much less ammo. Tilt - Enemy resistances and weaknesses are increased. Mythic - Enemies have increased health. Catch - Enemies are grenade happy! Black Eye - Shields don't recharge unless you melee enemies. Tough Luck - Enemies always go berserk, always dive out of the way, and never flee. Iron - Co-op: Back to previous checkpoint on death. Solo: Restart mission on death. Thunderstorm - Major upgrade to the capabilities of enemies. Cloud - Motion sensor is disabled. Cowbell - Acceleration from explosions is increased. IWHBYD - Rare combat dialogue becomes more common. Grunt Birthday Party - Headshot a Grunt, HAPPY BOOM TIME! Blind - The HUD and the first person arms and weapon are hidden. NOTE: A cluster of Sangheili frontier worlds saw a sudden and anomalous convergence of unregistered ships, largely cruisers of varying classes according to a handful of remote relays stationed nearby. By the time sensors were deployed, the ships were gone. The relays can’t assess numbers or strength, but the readings we have indicate that this wasn’t an expeditionary voyage or something tied to a single state. It appears to have been much larger. Carve this way Last year we provided a variety of pumpkin carving patterns perfect for your Haloween-related festivities, and this year we’re doing the same. Below you will find seven different patterns, some relevant to Halo 4, some specific to Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, but all somehow related to this crazy thing called Halo. So choose your difficulty, pick your favorite pattern, print it out on a paper-like product and carve it into a large orange fruit (the white portions signify areas to carve while the gray patches should simply be scraped). Then, once you’ve completed the aforementioned activities, share it with us via the “Submit News” button on the front page. Yes, we want to see it, because we kind of sort of like you. And your gourd-like creations. /END FILE/ And that wraps up yet another Bulletin. Until next week... <3, bs angel

Little English Halo Blog reader Dimic just went from reader to contributor when he forwarded over his video from EB Expo in Australia. It includes gameplay footage from an Infinity Slayer game on Complex, as well as Dimic giving his thoughts. Well worth a watch! Read below for more details Source: http://www.littleenglishhaloblog.com/2012/10/halo-4-feedback-and-gameplay-from-eb.html Video contains language. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik0ay5hQM-Y&feature=player_embedded "Hey guys, this video is showing off some of the Halo 4 gameplay from the "EB Games Expo Sydney 2012" Filmed my friends playing some infinty slayer on the multiplayer map complex & talking with one of the guys working at the booth." "Actual gameplay starts around ."

Little English Blog has gotten a chance to talk to Frank O'Connor of 343 about Halo 4. Read below for more details From: http://www.littleenglishhaloblog.com/ By: FlawlessCowboy On Wednesday night in a basement bar in London's Covent Garden, I got the chance to have a sit down with 343industries Franchise Development Director Frank O'Connor. I tried to cover a lot of the unanswered questions that I know many of you have been wanting answers to. Me: So what can you tell me about the Halo 4 ranking system? FO: What ranking system? Not the Exp based Spartan Ranks, a skill based system? That's not something we're talking about at the moment, we'll have more on that closer to launch. Ok, so what's on disc 2? [laughs] It's not really a big secret, the only reason we've not talked about this is because until everything is locked in we can't be 100% sure what's on each disc. But as you probably guessed it will be a split between campaign and multi-player content. Ok cool, so now that you've made competitive multiplayer fit within the Halo canon, does this mean that the multiplayer announcer, Jeff Steitzer, is a character within the universe? Although you won't meet him in the game, yes the implication is that he's an officer or trainer aboard the Infinity working with the Spartan IVs. I played Spartan Ops just now, and if I'm honest I didn't really get a feel for the "watercooler" moments you've discussed. I know you've likened it to Game of Thrones. At times it felt like the objectives were fairly standard 'defend this', 'destroy this' and so on.. Ah, this is absolutely to do with the nature of the demo we're showing today, the three missions we've selected were to demonstrate the different types of gameplay we have on show, so there's a big mission which focuses on vehicle combat, the mission that focuses on the Prometheans and another the Covenant. You don't see any of the cut scenes or story progression in this demo, you can rest assured there are some great moments and a really strong narrative throughout. The Game of Thrones analogy is a good one. I know this is something you'll have been asked before, but can you tell us anything about why we're fighting the Covenant again? Is it Telcam's boys? This is something that will be explored in the game, I don't want to go into any major plot details, but this will be a focus of the Spartan Ops story. You've said before that going forward "everything matters" within the Halo universe, does this mean we'll start to see more crossover between the expanded universe and the games? Yes, this is something that was one of our goals when 343 took charge of Halo and you can see that in the more recent books and how they're closely related to the events in the games. While not every story arc and character you could point to in the expanded universe will appear in the games there will certainly be some. Since last year's E3 we've seen a change in terminology from the "Reclaimer Trilogy" to "Reclaimer Saga" what's the thinking behind that? Is it because you see Spartan Ops having such an impact on the story between the games? Spartan Ops is certainly a part of that thinking, but it's bigger than that. When we took a holistic look at our plans for the story; be that the main games, books, Spartan Ops and Forward unto Dawn the phrase "trilogy" didn't really fit any more and so it became "saga". We've seen the work you've done to flesh out Grifball and Infection and make them feel more like full featured modes. Are there any other modes that have seen a similar lick of paint? SWAT, maybe? No, we've shown all the major changes now, we put a lot of work into Flood and Grifball as those have always been really popular modes. There will be some minor tweaks here and there, but we've shown all the big surprises. Obviously CTF has seen some significant changes too, but there's nothing else on that scale. Obviously you're one of the few who's made a Halo game with both Bungie and 343industries, how do they compare? In many ways they're very similar, in terms of the pool of talent and the quality of the teams. And both 343 and Bungie are absolutely committed to making the best game they possibly can. The main difference between the two is the way the teams were formed, with Bungie it was a slow organic growth over time, whereas at 343 we had to build a team much smaller time frame. Huge thanks to Frankie for taking the time out to talk to me. There are some more questions, but they relate to content under embargo, I may release them as a part 2 at a later date.

The patch for the rank reset glitch. Read below for more details Source: Halo Waypoint Halo 4 is officially here! Thank you to everybody who celebrated the occasion at one of our launch events, and we hope you’re enjoying the game. We have been overwhelmed at the response, and we’re grateful for your continued support. As you can imagine, there are a tremendous number of new players connecting to Halo 4 right now. We’re aware that some users are experiencing occasional issues connecting to the Halo 4 services, and we are currently narrowing down possible solutions. We will be providing regular updates across all our channels, so stay tuned to the following places for the latest information: • Halo Waypoint Twitter • Halo 4 Facebook • Halo Waypoint Forums Please report issues in this thread. Thank you for your patience, and we’ll continue working around the clock until the situation has been resolved. 3PM Update We are narrowing down possible solutions. While we continue to investigate, we are aware of issues impacting the following server-side functions: • Spartan Rank (typically drops to 1) • Spartan Ops • File Share • Service Record • Commendations • Challenges • Custom Loadouts • Armor Unlocks Once you are able to connect to the server again, you will need to recreate your custom loadouts but your armor and SR should return to their normal state. We apologize for the inconvenience, and many thanks for your continued patience. 6PM Update We’ve seen improvement and are still closely monitoring the situation. We'll provide another update this evening. Thank you for your patience.