Editing Digsite

{{Status|RealWorld}}
[[File:RW Digsite Logo.png|thumb|300px|The logo used by the Digsite team.]]

'''Digsite''' is the name of a team comprised of [[343 Industries]] employees and community [[Wikipedia:Video_game_modding|modders]], whose goal is to recover [[cut content]] from previous ''[[Halo (disambiguation)|Halo]]'' games, polish it, and make it available to modders of those games, usually through the [[Halo Editing Kit]] released for the game, if available. This process requires scouring 343 Industries' internal archives to find surviving files related to the cut content, in some cases reverse-engineering compiled assets, updating them to work with the version of the [[Wikipedia:Game engine|game engine]] used at launch - which may have been changed significantly during development after the cut content was abandoned - and occasionally creating new textures or animations to fill gaps in cases where the cut content was partially lost or unfinished. For some of these purposes, the team devised custom tools to allow them to work more effectively.{{Ref/Site|Id=Floor|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/cutting-room-floor|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Cutting Room Floor|D=21|M=01|Y=22}}{{Ref/Site|Id=Corps|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/cutting-room-corps|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Cutting Room Corps|D=21|M=01|Y=22}}

==History==
{{Expand-section}}

==Known team members==
*[[Kenneth Peters|Kenneth "Ken" Peters]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}} {{C|Senior Franchise Writer at 343 Industries}}
*[[Sean Cooper|Sean "kornman" Cooper]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}} {{C|Publishing Team member at 343 Industries}}
*Conscars{{Ref/Reuse|Corps}} {{C|Community modder}}
*General_101{{Ref/Reuse|Corps}} {{C|Community modder}}
*Num0005{{Ref/Reuse|Corps}} {{C|Community modder}}
*[[User:XScruffyDaSasquatchx|xScruffyDaSasquatchx]]{{Ref/Reuse|Corps}} {{C|Community modder}}
*Sean T{{Ref/Reuse|Corps}} {{C|Community modder}}
*Ludus{{Ref/Reuse|Corps}} {{C|Community modder}}
*Zeddikins{{Ref/Reuse|Corps}} {{C|Community modder}}

Additional team members joined the project in 2023:{{Ref/Site|Id=Corps2|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-deliveries|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Digsite deliveries|D=28|M=01|Y=2024}}
*Crisp{{Ref/Reuse|Corps2}} {{C|Community modder}}
*Killzone64{{Ref/Reuse|Corps2}} {{C|Community modder}}
*Krevil{{Ref/Reuse|Corps2}} {{C|Community modder}}
*[[User:Neo Te Aika|Neo Te Aika]]{{Ref/Reuse|Corps2}} {{C|Community composer and modder}}


==Departure and content leak==
In December of 2024, following the releases of Earth City and Alpha Moon, the team shipping all content for the first two games departed{{Ref/Site|Id=Disagreement|URL=https://x.com/neoteaika/status/1868922886465138951|Site=X|Page=Leaving|D=21|M=12|Y=2024}} the Digsite project, citing burnout and no longer being able to contribute. The remaining team intended to continue efforts towards later games.

Later that month, around December 27th, a leak of ~90 gigabytes of source data and material pertaining to Halo development and debugging appeared on 4chan, and quickly circulated online. This included playable builds of the Macworld 1999 and E3 2000 era, game design documents, cut content, development and debugging tools for games across MCC, an early version of the development tools for Halo 2 Vista, and material that was part of, or going to be released via Digsite, across all games in MCC except for Halo 4 and Halo 2: Anniversary.

Digsite members were able to corroborate that the leaked Digsite content appeared to be sourced from before their work on Earth City and Alpha Moon for HCS 2024 and also contained several files and data that the Digsite team themselves had not personally known existed, but publicly stated they did not know who leaked the content, and were not responsible. Shortly after, Ken and other studio staff departed multiple community Halo servers, where it is presumed that the project is now on hold until further notice.

On December 31st, Microsoft begun to issue DMCA notices to several YouTube content creators and Discord servers, not only for covering the leaks, but including content posted about wider Digsite, including direct links to Halo Waypoint articles. Their reasoning for this has not yet been publicly stated.

==Restored content==
===Digsite Alpha (Pre-Xbox ''Halo'' and ''Halo: Combat Evolved'')===
{{Main|Halo: Combat Evolved cut content}}
{{Expand-section}}
The following is a list of known ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved|Halo: CE]]'' content restored as part of the Digsite Alpha project, named in reference to [[Installation 04|Alpha Halo]].

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
====Characters and NPCs====
'''Human'''
*5 early cyborg ([[John-117|Master Chief]]) models{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
'''Covenant'''
*Early "toad" Elite model{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved enemies#Slugman|Slugman]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
'''Ambient life'''
*[[Morolaath|Blind Wolf]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Thorn beast|Thornbeast]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved enemies#Keelbug|Keelbug]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}

====Maps====
*{{Code|b20}}{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Cut_Halo:_Combat_Evolved_levels#Dusk|Dusk]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Cut_Halo:_Combat_Evolved_levels#Indoor|Indoor]]{{Ref/Reuse|Corps2}}
*[[Spasm]]{{Ref/Reuse|Corps2}}
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved levels#Ruined pain|Ruined pain]]{{Ref/Reuse|Corps}}
{{Col-2}}

====Weapons====
*Various early iterations of [[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons|Halo: Combat Evolved weapons]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
'''Human'''
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Machete|Machete]]
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Missile Launcher|Missile Launcher]]
*"[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Chaingun|Needler]]" minigun{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*Several [[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Submachine gun|SMG]] variants{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Spear gun|Spear Gun]]
'''Covenant'''
*Early [[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Particle beam rifle|Beam Rifle]] iterations
'''Forerunner'''
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Concussion gun|Concussion Gun]]{{Ref/Reuse|Corps}}
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Excavator|Excavator]]
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Flak Cannon|Flak Cannon]]
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Gravity wrench|Gravity Wrench]]
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Microwave gun|Microwave Gun]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}

====Vehicles====
*Various RTS vehicles
'''Human'''
*Early [[Warthog]] iterations
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved vehicles#Boats|Doozy]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[JOV-99 Kestrel|Kestrel]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Viper]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
'''Covenant'''
*[[Seraph]] tank
*[[Shadow]] (originally known as the <code>c_transport</code>)
*[[Spectre]] (originally known as the "Shadow"){{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
'''Forerunner'''
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved vehicles#Forerunner tank|Forerunner Tank]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
{{Col-end}}

===Digsite Delta (''Halo 2'')===
{{Main|Halo 2 cut content}}
{{Expand-section}}
The following is a list of known ''[[Halo 2]]'' content restored as part of the Digsite Delta project, named in reference to [[Installation 05|Delta Halo]].

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-2}}
====Maps====
Singleplayer
*[[Alphamoon|Alpha Moon]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Arcology]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Destructo]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Earth City]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[M20]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Moonbase]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}} (not to be confused with Alpha Moon)

Multiplayer

''(Early revisions of maps that shipped in the final game)''
*[[Ascension]]
*[[Burial Mounds]]
*[[Colossus]]
*[[Headlong]]
*[[Lockout]]
*[[Midship]]
*[[Waterworks]]

''(Previously unreleased maps)''
*[[Anchor Point]]
*[[Artery]]
*[[Backwoods]]
*[[Convergence]]
*[[Convict (Halo 2 Map)|Convict]]
*[[Grotto]]
*[[Rodentia]]
*[[Shaft]]
*[[Soccer]]

''(Rare map samples intended for distribution with the editing kit from [[Halo 2 (Windows Vista)|Halo 2's Vista port]])''
*[[Cut_Halo_2_levels#Earth_City_.28human_sample.29|Human Sample "Earth City"]]
*[[Cut_Halo_2_levels#Beach_Battle_.28forerunner_sample.29|Forerunner Sample "Beach Battle"]]
*[[Cut_Halo_2_levels#covenant_sample|Covenant Sample]]
{{Col-2}}

====Vehicles====
'''Human'''
*Early [[Warthog]] iterations
*[[Mongoose]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Piglet]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
*[[Überchassis]]{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
'''Covenant'''
*[[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved vehicles#Covenant command shuttle|Covenant Command Shuttle]]{{Ref/Site|Id=Lore|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-cutting-room-lore|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder, Cutting Room Lore|D=26|M=07|Y=22}}
{{Col-end}}

==Gallery==
===Trailers===
{{#widget:YouTube|id=57DoNDDp3r8|width=300|gallery|caption=A trailer for Digsite, as premiered at the 2022 Halo Modding Community Showcase.}}

===Branding===
<gallery>
File:RW Digsite OldLogo.png|An older, unofficial logo used by the Digsite team.{{Ref/Reuse|Floor}}
File:RW_Digsite_Logo.png|The current logo, created by Ludus in 2022.
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

[[Category:343 Industries staff]]
[[Category:Modding]]
[[Category:Deleted material]]
@@ Line 156: / Line 156: @@
 File:RW_Digsite_Logo.png|The current logo, created by Ludus in 2022.
 </gallery>
-==List of official Digsite articles==
-*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/cutting-room-floor Cutting Room Floor]
-*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/cutting-room-corps Cutting Room Corps]
-*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-cutting-room-lore Canon Fodder - Cutting Room Lore]
-*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-deliveries Digsite Deliveries (Cutting Room Galore)]
-*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-discoveries Digsite Discoveries (Cutting Room More)]
-*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-digsite-dissection Canon Fodder - Digsite Dissection (Cutting Room More)]
-*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-deep-dive Digsite Deep Dive]
-*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-digsite-n-discourse Canon Fodder - Digsite n'Discourse]
-*[https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-demos-halo-2 Disgite Demos - Halo 2]
 ==Sources==