Halo players need to run, not walk, to their PCs this week to play an incredible expansion to Halo 2, all thanks to a dedicated team of modders.
Halo The Master Chief Collection may have concluded its post-launch support after years of hard work to both fix and improve the game, but its story is far from over.
Check out Halo The Master Chief Collection below.
The game now has Steam Workshop support meaning mods are officially supported, so PC players can try expansions like Cursed Halo and an array of other mods quickly and simply.
One such mod though has made an incredible change to Halo 2, just in time for the game’s 20th anniversary.
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That’s right. The E3 2003 tech demo that was shown off for the game is now playable, no smoke and mirrors involved this time.
The tech demo has become a bit of a meme over the years, as it showed off quite a few things that didn’t make it into the final game, despite a voiceover from Sgt Johnson saying there are “no smoke and mirrors” being used for the gameplay.
Now though, you can play the full thing for free, as well as an unused mission for The Arbiter if you’re so inclined.
The mod’s description reads, “Revisit the debut prototype of Halo 2 in this restoration of the notorious ‘Earth City’ demonstration, initially unveiled at the Xbox press conference during E3 2003."
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It continues, “For the first time ever, take it to the streets, your way, with support for cooperative action, optional navigation points to rehearse the exact demo path and an included ‘Playground’ version of the level, allowing free roam of the city.”
Digsite are the team behind the mod, and they’ve worked in direct collaboration with Halo Studios to make it happen, so definitely check it out if you play on PC or Steam Deck.