Halo fans hoping to hop right into Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary multiplayer when The Master Chief Collection launches tonight at midnight are out of luck. Developer 343 Industries has announced that the game will not launch with any dedicated Halo: Combat Evolved multiplayer playlists as planned.
“Up until this very day, we’ve been making (and are continuing to make) investments to ensure that Halo: CE’s online/network performance is the best it can be within Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and we’re committed to making additional investments to make this happen,” 343 Industries wrote on its website.
Though there won’t be any dedicated Halo: CE playlists out of the gate, gamers will still have access to the game’s multiplayer mode in custom matches. In addition, Halo: CE will pop up in the general Team Slayer and Big Team Battle playlists. However, 343 Industries said, “We are holding on the dedicated playlist until we are able to provide the best experience possible.”
On top of that, as a result of fan feedback, the Halo: CE playlist–when it does finally arrive–will be shifted to 2v2 matches, down from the original 4v4 plan.
The full launch-day playlists for The Master Chief Collection, as detailed by 343 Industries, are below. 343 Industries reminds players that it’s always looking for feedback, and it plans to update The Master Chief Collection’s matchmaking based on player trends and feedback.
Team Slayer:
Eliminate the enemy team across four Halo games: Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, and Halo 2: Anniversary. Nothing but Team Slayer, 24/7. 4v4.
Game Types: Halo: CE Team Slayer, H2 Team Slayer, H2 Team BR, H2A Team Slayer, H2A Team Slayer BR, H3 Team Slayer, H3 Team Slayer BR
Maps: Battle Creek, Damnation, Rat Race, Prisoner, Hang ‘em High, Chill Out, Derelict, Wizard, Lockout, Ascension, Midship, Ivory Tower, Beaver Creek, Colossus, Zanzibar, Foundation, Warlock, Sanctuary, Turf, Elongation, Gemini, Warlord, Lockdown, Zenith, Shrine, Stonetown, Bloodline, Assembly, Citadel, Construct, Ghost Town, Snowbound, Heretic, High Ground, Isolation, Last Resort, Narrows, Orbital, The Pit, Standoff, Guardian.
Halo Championship Series:
The official Halo eSports playlist, featuring the Halo 2: Anniversary Halo Championship Series rule set. 4v4.
Game Types: HCS Team Slayer, HCS Neutral Bomb Assault, HCS 3 Flag CTF, HCS 5 Flag CTF, HCS Team Crazy King.
Maps: Shrine, Lockdown, Warlord.
Team Halo 2: Anniversary:
Play a mix of Team Slayer and objective game types on re-mastered maps. 4v4.
Game Types: Team Slayer, Team Slayer BR, CTF BR, Oddball BR, Territories BR, 1 Flag CTF BR, Multi-Bomb Assault BR, Neutral Bomb Assault BR, Ricochet BR, 1 Bomb Assault BR.
Maps: Warlord, Lockdown, Zenith, Shrine, Stonetown, Bloodline.
Big Team Battle:
Battle it out in 16-player warfare with vehicles across Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, and Halo 2: Anniversary. 8v8.
Game Types: Halo: CE Team Slayer, Halo: CE CTF, Halo: CE Team King, H2 BTB Team Slayer, H2 1 Flag CTF, H2 1 Bomb Assault, H2 Multi-Flag CTF, H2 Crazy King, H2 Muti-Bomb, H2A BTB Team Slayer, H2A Team BR, H2A 1 Flag CTF BR, H2A 1 Bomb Assault BR, H2A Crazy King BR, H2A 3 Plots BR, H2A Gungoose CTF, H3 BTB Team Slayer, H3 Multi-Flag CTF, H3 Multi-Bomb, H3 1 Flag CTF, H3 1 Bomb Assault, H3 Territories, H3 Team Crazy King, H4 BTB Slayer Pro, H4 CTF.
Maps: Sidewinder, Hang ‘em High, Blood Gulch, Ice Fields, Death Island, Danger Canyon, Infinity, Timberland, Gephyrophobia, Burial Mounds, Zanzibar, Coagulation, Headlong, Waterworks, Containment, Relic, Terminal, District, Uplift, Stonetown, Bloodline, Avalanche, Last Resort, Longshore, Rat’s Nest, Sandtrap, Standoff, Valhalla, Wreckage, Harvest, Shatter, Vertigo.
(H2A) Rumble Pit:
Challenge seven other opponents on re-mastered maps. This is your fight and yours alone. 8-player Free-For-All.
Game Types: H2A Slayer, H2A Slayer BR, H2A Crazy King, H2A Juggernaut, H2A Oddball
Maps: Warlord, Lockdown, Zenith, Shrine
*Note: As previously announced, the Rumble Pit Playlist will focus on Halo 2: Anniversary at launch, and integrate / move to additional games post-launch.
Halo 2 Classic:
It’s back. A mix of the most popular Team Slayer and objective game types from the original Halo 2. 4v4.
Game Types: Team Slayer, Team Slayer BR, 1 Flag CTF BR, Crazy King, Team Ball BR, Neutral Bomb, Multi-Fag CTF, Multi-Flag CTF BR, Team Snipers, 1 Bomb Assault, 1 Bomb Assault BR, Multi-Bomb BR, 3 Plots BR.
Maps: Lockout, Ascension, Midship, Ivory Tower, Beaver Creek, Elongation, Colossus, Gemini, Zanzibar, Foundation, Warlock, Sanctuary, Turf.
Halo 3:
A selection of fan-favorite Team Slayer and objective game types from Halo 3. 4v4.
Game Types: Team Slayer, Team Slayer BR, Multi-Flag CTF, Multi-Bomb, Team Crazy King, Team Ball, Multi-Flag CTF, 1 Flag CTF, 1 Bomb Assault, Territories, Neutral Bomb.
Maps: The Pit, Construct, Heretic, Assembly, Blackout, Citadel, Cold Storage, Ghost Town, Guardian, High Ground, Isolation, Last Resort, Narrows, Orbital, Standoff.
Halo 4:
A mix of Team Slayer and objective game types from Halo 4, on a selection of small to medium-sized maps. 5v5.
Game Types: Team Slayer, Legendary Slayer BR, Team Crazy King, Team Ball, Extraction, CTF.
Maps: Haven, Adrift, Abandon, Solace, Monolith, Landfall, Skyline, Pitfall, Vertigo.
Team Hardcore:
A collection of tournament-approved game types from Halo 2 and Halo 3. The Battle Rifle is your primary weapon. 4v4.
Game Types: H2 Hardcore Team Slayer, H2 Hardcore Team Ball, H2 Hardcore CTF MidWar, H2 Hardcore Assault, H2 Hardcore CTF Sanctuary.
Maps: Lockout, Midship, Sanctuary, Warlock, Beaver Creek.
SWAT (Rotational)
Aim for the head! A collection of SWAT game types on our favorite maps from Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, and Halo 2: Anniversary. Players have no shields and are equipped with rifles. 4v4.
Game Types: H2 Team SWAT, H2A Team SWAT, H3 Team SWAT, H4 Team SWAT, plus a sampling of SWAT Objective game types from each game, including CTF and Crazy King
Maps: Lockout, Ascension, Midship, Ivory Tower, Beaver Creek, Colossus, Warlock, Sanctuary, Turf, Elongation, Gemini, Zenith, Lockdown, Warlord, Shrine, Adrift, Haven, Landfall, Monolith, Skyline, Pitfall, Vertigo
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