Sniper Rifle (gameplay)

This article documents its subject as it pertains to the gameplay of the Halo games, rather than the lore.

This article is currently under construction and needs to be improved. Please refer to the talk page for more info. You can help by editing the page.

This article is about the weapon featured in most Halo games. For other uses of the term "sniper rifle", see its disambiguation page.

Sniper Rifle
Gameplay role
Faction:	Human (UNSC)
Weapon tier (?):	Tier-3 Power weapon
Weapon class (?):	Sniper rifle
Weapon type (?):	Kinetic Precision weapon
Firing mode:	Semi-automatic
Effective range:	Long to medium
Counterparts:	Covenant Beam Rifle Focus Rifle Banished Shock Rifle Skewer Stalker Rifle Forerunner Binary Rifle
Weapon stats
Damage:	High
Projectile speed:	Very high, near instantaneous
Rate of fire:	Low
Accuracy:	Very high
Magazine size:	4 rounds
Zoom:	Varies

The Sniper Rifle, sometimes shortened to just Sniper or Snipes, and known in Halo Infinite as the S7 Sniper, is a human precision power weapon featured in all major Halo games, starting with Halo: Combat Evolved. It is a long-range weapon which typically has two levels of scope, and is best used to pick off enemies at a great distance. The Sniper deals a large amount of damage per shot, but has a slow rate of fire and usually only carries four shots per magazine.

Universe and lore

Main article: Sniper rifle (fiction)

Most of the sniper rifles seen in the Halo games belong to the SRS99 family, a series of rifles produced by Misriah Armory for the United Nations Space Command armed forces. The original SRS99 AM rifle entered service in 2460 with the UNSC Army, and the SRS99 series was eventually adopted by all remaining branches in 2521, thanks to its impressive modularity and continuing support on behalf of Misriah. Having gone through at least four further revisions since its initial adoption, the series remains in service as of 2558, with the Series-5 model being in mass production at that time.

Another prominent sniper rifle is the M99 Stanchion, a now-defunct weapon that has been out of production since 2521. The Stanchion bears more resemblance to a coilgun or railgun than a traditional chemical propellant-based firearm, using electromagnetism to launch its projectiles. It was used by the crew of the UNSC Spirit of Fire during the Second Ark Conflict, along with another sniper rifle known as the signature-suppressed anti-materiel rifle. Additionally, an Insurrectionist group active on Harvest and Arcadia was known to equip its soldiers with an as-of-yet unidentified sniper rifle.

The following is a list of all sniper rifles in Halo lore that have appeared in the games:

• 

  SRS99C-S2 AM sniper rifle
  Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2

• 

  SRS99D-S2 AM sniper rifle
  Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST

• 

  SRS99-AM sniper rifle
  Halo: Reach, Halo: CE Anniversary and Halo 2: Anniversary

• 

  SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle
  Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Online

• 

  SRS99-S7 AM sniper rifle
  Halo Infinite

• 

  Unidentified sniper rifle
  Halo Wars

• 

  Unidentified sniper rifle
  Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike

• 

  Signature-suppressed anti-materiel rifle
  Halo Wars 2

• 

  M99 Stanchion
  Halo Wars 2

Overview

The Sniper Rifle is a powerful precision weapon, featured in every notable Halo game since the series' inception in Halo: Combat Evolved. Typically dark grey or black in color, the weapon features one of the longest barrels of any weapon, as well as a large boxy scope and a prominent stock, making it very easy to identify. It is capable of killing enemy players in as little as one or two shots depending upon accuracy, and deals a large amount of damage. To compensate for this, it has a slow rate of fire compared to most weapons, usually only carries four shots per magazine, and is very rare.

Counterparts

The most prominent counterpart to the Sniper Rifle is the Covenant's Beam Rifle, a long-range weapon with two levels of zoom, which is similar in operation to the Sniper Rifle. The Beam Rifle was first introduced in Halo 2, but has reappeared in several games since. It fires a beam of light with a practically instant travel time, which behaves similarly to a Sniper Rifle bullet; a hit to the body will remove an opponent's shields, whereas a headshot will instantly kill them. Unlike the Sniper, however, the Beam Rifle uses a battery system for its ammo, typically with ten shots in total, and the weapon cannot be reloaded. In most games, the weapon will overheat after two or three shots in rapid succession.

Another Covenant counterpart to the Sniper Rifle is the Focus Rifle, first introduced in Halo: Reach. Unlike the Sniper Rifle and Beam Rifle, the Focus Rifle fires a continuous beam not unlike that of the Sentinel Beam, which deals heavy damage to enemy units, but will overheat if fired continuously for too long. However, the Focus Rifle takes longer to kill enemies than the Sniper Rifle does, and the brightly colored beam will expose the location of the player. Like the Beam Rifle, the Focus Rifle uses a battery ammo system, and cannot be reloaded. It also has two zoom levels, similar to the Sniper and Beam Rifle.

The Forerunner counterpart to the Sniper Rifle is known as the Binary Rifle. This rifle operates using a similar ammunition system as the Sniper Rifle, albeit with two shots per magazine rather than four. It features two levels of zoom, just as the Sniper does, however with one major difference: whilst zoomed, a distinct red targeting laser will shine out from the barrel - even before the weapon is fired - which will alert enemies to the fact they're being targeted, and will also highlight the user's location. The projectile fired by the Binary Rifle varies by game. In Halo 4, it fires a bolt of light that travels instantaneously and will always immediately kill an enemy player regardless of where it hits them. In Halo 5: Guardians, it fires a continuous beam for a brief period of time, which deals very heavy damage and can easily kill an enemy player if held on them for long enough - though the strong recoil can make this difficult.

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• 

  Beam Rifle
  Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo 4, Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer, Halo Online and Halo 5: Guardians

• 

  Focus Rifle
  Halo: Reach, Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike

• 

  Shock Rifle
  Halo Infinite

• 

  Skewer
  Halo Infinite

• 

  Stalker Rifle
  Halo Infinite

• 

  Binary Rifle
  Halo 4, Halo: Spartan Strike and Halo 5: Guardians

Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

Sniper Rifle
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	None
Weapon stats
Damage:	101 (can headshot)
Damage type (?):	sniper bullet
Projectile speed:	1000 wu/s
Max range:	1000 wu
Rate of fire:	2 rounds per second
Spread (?):	0.5 degrees 0 degrees zoomed
Reserve ammo capacity:	24 rounds (6 magazines)
Zoom:	2x to 8x magnification
Tag name (?):	sniper rifle

Main article: First-person shooter

Campaign

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Multiplayer

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Changes from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo PC, Halo: Custom Edition, and Halo: CEA

• Maximum telescopic zoom reduced from 10× to 8× (This change was carried over from international releases of Halo: Combat Evolved and is a visual only change. It does not affect the sniper's performance in any way).

Changes from Halo: CEA to Halo: The Master Chief Collection

• Reduced the size of the Anniversary graphics reticle.
• Maximum telescopic zoom reverted back from 8× to 10×.

Halo 2 and Halo 2: Anniversary

Sniper Rifle
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	Covenant Beam Rifle
Weapon stats
Damage:	45 (can headshot) 2x vs shields
Damage type (?):	Generic: bullet_fast Specific: sniper
Projectile speed:	1200 wu/s
Max range:	120 wu
Rate of fire:	0.5s fire recovery time (2 rounds per second)
Spread (?):	0.5 degrees 0 degrees zoomed
Reserve ammo capacity:	20 rounds (5 magazines)
Zoom:	3.5x to 9.5x magnification
Melee damage (?):	strike_melee
Tag name (?):	sniper_rifle

Campaign

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Multiplayer

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Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST

Sniper Rifle
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	Covenant Beam Rifle
Weapon stats
Damage:	H3 80 (can headshot) ODST 120 (can headshot) 0.5x vs shields
Damage type (?):	Generic: bullet_fast Specific: sniper
Projectile speed:	1200 wu/s
Max range:	500 wu
Rate of fire:	0.7s fire recovery time (~1.4 rounds per second)
Spread (?):	0.5 degrees 0 degrees zoomed
Recoil:	0.5 degrees per shot
Reserve ammo capacity:	20 rounds (5 magazines)
Zoom:	4x to 9x magnification
Melee damage (?):	strike_melee
Tag name (?):	sniper_rifle

Campaign and Firefight

• In the mission Sierra 117 there is a downed Pelican at Rally Point Alpha and a UNSC supply box with two sniper rifles. After the Hunter encounter on The Storm where a hammer wielding Brute Chieftain is encountered, the room to the far left contains a sniper rifle.

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Multiplayer

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Changes from Halo 3 to ODST

• Bullet damage vs shields decreased to 50%
• Damage increased from 80 to 120.

Halo: Reach

Sniper Rifle
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	Covenant Focus Rifle
Weapon stats
Damage:	80 (can headshot)
Damage type (?):	sniper
Projectile speed:	6000 wu/s
Max range:	500 wu
Rate of fire:	0.75s fire recovery time (~1.333 rounds per second)
Spread (?):	Default 0.08 to 4 degrees Title Update 1 0.08 to 3.4 degrees
Reserve ammo capacity:	20 rounds (5 magazines)
Zoom:	4x to 10x magnification
Melee damage (?):	strike_melee
Tag name (?):	sniper_rifle

Campaign and Firefight

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Multiplayer

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Changes from Halo: Reach to Title Update 1

• Bloom reduced to 85%.

Halo 4

Sniper Rifle
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	Covenant Beam Rifle Forerunner Binary Rifle
Weapon stats
Damage:	80 (can headshot)
Damage type (?):	sniper
Projectile speed:	2799 wu/s
Max range:	500 wu
Rate of fire:	0.7666667s fire recovery time (~1.3 rounds per second)
Spread (?):	0.05 degrees
Reserve ammo capacity:	16 rounds (4 magazines) 20 rounds with Ammo Mod
Zoom:	4x to 9x magnification
Melee damage (?):	strike_melee
Tag name (?):	storm_sniper_rifle

Campaign and Spartan Ops

• In the Campaign, the Sniper Rifle is first obtained in Requiem. It appears again in Reclaimer.

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Multiplayer

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Halo 2: Anniversary Multiplayer

Sniper Rifle
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	Covenant Beam Rifle
Weapon stats
Damage:	45 (can headshot) 2x vs shields
Damage type (?):	sniper
Projectile speed:	10000 wu/s
Max range:	120 wu
Rate of fire:	0.5s fire recovery time (2 rounds per second)
Spread (?):	0.5 degrees 0.05 degrees zoomed
Reserve ammo capacity:	16 rounds (4 magazines)
Zoom:	4x to 9x magnification
Melee damage (?):	strike_melee
Tag name (?):	h2a_sniper_rifle

Multiplayer

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Halo 5: Guardians

Disclaimer: all below statistics are derived from unofficial tools and may be inaccurate

Sniper Rifle
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	Covenant Beam Rifle Forerunner Binary Rifle
Weapon stats
Damage:	80 (can headshot)
Damage type (?):	sniper
Projectile speed:	2799 wu/s
Max range:	500 wu
Rate of fire:	0.75s fire recovery time (~1.333 rounds per second)
Spread (?):	0.05 degrees
Reserve ammo capacity:	16 rounds (4 magazines) 20 rounds with Ammo Mod
Zoom:	4x to 9x magnification
Melee damage (?):	strike_melee
Tag name (?):	sniper_rifle
Variants and attachments
Halo 5 REQ variant(s):	End of the Line Arrow of Time Nornfang

Campaign

• The Sniper Rifle is only featured in the following missions: Osiris (via the Flaming knives on Osiris easter egg only), Glassed, Unconfirmed, Evacuation, Genesis, and Guardians.
• The Nornfang variant of the Sniper Rifle is the preferred starting weapon of Linda-058. Co-op is the only way that the Spartans of Blue Team can access the any form of Sniper Rifle in gameplay; in this case, if the player playing as Linda drops her Nornfang.

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Multiplayer and Warzone

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Unlock and acquisition requirements

In Halo 5: Guardians' campaign and Arena multiplayer modes, the Sniper Rifle can be found on the level or map as usual, and does not need to be unlocked.

However, in Warzone, the weapon can only be acquired via the REQ system. To unlock the Sniper Rifle, the player must acquire a Sniper Rifle certification, an Uncommon REQ card that can be found randomly in any REQ pack that can contain Uncommon cards. Upon receiving the certification, the player will also be given a number of Sniper Rifle REQ cards, and will begin to randomly receive more when opening future packs. Each of these cards can be redeemed in a Warzone match to spawn a Sniper Rifle, at the cost of energy. Doing so will consume the card. Alternatively, the cards can be sold for 75 each.

REQ information
Category	Power weapon
Rarity	Uncommon
Energy cost	energy
Sale price	75

• 

  Sniper Rifle certification REQ card.

• 

  Sniper Rifle REQ card.

Variants

End of the Line

End of the Line in Halo 5: Guardians.

Main article: End of the Line

"All good things must come to and end. Improved Sniper Rifle with reduced recoil, but emphasis on faster rate-of-fire has slightly reduced damage."

— REQ description

End of the Line is a Rare REQ variant of the Sniper Rifle, featured in Halo 5: Guardians. It boasts a faster rate of fire and significantly reduced recoil, but deals slightly less damage per shot - though it is still capable of killing an enemy player in two body shots or one headshot. Should the player have an End of the Line REQ card, the weapon can be acquired in Warzone via the REQ system for a cost of energy, or alternatively the card can be sold for 100.

REQ information
Category	Power weapon
Rarity	Rare
Energy cost	energy
Sale price	100

Arrow of Time

Arrow of Time in Halo 5: Guardians.

Main article: Arrow of Time

"There's no going back. Advanced Sniper Rifle with extended magazine and heavy-duty cyberlink that prevents descope. Unfortunately, the weapon does have extra recoil to compensate for."

— REQ description

Arrow of Time is an Ultra-Rare REQ variant of the Sniper Rifle in Halo 5: Guardians. It features a larger magazine than the standard Sniper, with 6 shots instead of 4, and the player will not be descoped when shot whilst zoomed in with the weapon. However, it also has increased recoil compared to the normal Sniper Rifle. Its REQ card costs energy to use in-game, or can be sold for 150.

REQ information
Category	Power weapon
Rarity	Ultra-Rare
Energy cost	energy
Sale price	150

Nornfang

Nornfang in Halo 5: Guardians.

Main article: Nornfang

"A master-crafter instrument of death and destruction. Mythic Sniper Rifle firing high explosive armor piercing (APHE) rounds that increases overall damage. In addition, Linda's modifications ensure the Motion Tracker is visible even when using Zoom."

— REQ description

Nornfang is a Mythic, Legendary REQ variant of the Sniper Rifle in Halo 5: Guardians, and is the personal sniper rifle of the SPARTAN-II Linda-058. The weapon fires rounds that explode on impact, dealing damage to any nearby enemies, and instantly killing them if hit directly. Additionally, when scoped in, the motion sensor will not be hidden while using Nornfang. To balance this out, the player gains the Damage Boost visual effect when they equip the weapon, making them very easy to spot. Nornfang can be requisitioned in Warzone for energy, provided the player has a spare Nornfang REQ card, or alternatively the card can be sold for 200.

Nornfang also appears in Halo 5: Guardians' campaign. It can be found abandoned in the troop bay of the ONI Acrisius on the level Unconfirmed, and on the Blue Team missions in co-op, the player playing as Linda-058 will spawn with the weapon at the start of the level (but not upon respawning). However, in campaign, the weapon is significantly less powerful, retaining none of its bonus abilities from the multiplayer.

REQ information
Category	Power weapon
Rarity	Legendary, Mythic
Energy cost	energy
Sale price	200

Halo Infinite

Disclaimer: all below statistics are derived from unofficial tools and may be inaccurate

S7 Sniper
Gameplay role
Counterparts:	Banished Shock Rifle Skewer Stalker Rifle
Weapon stats
Damage:	SP: 161 (can headshot) MP: 143 (can headshot)
Damage type (?):	Kinetic
Projectile speed:	600 wu/s
Max range:	500 wu
Rate of fire:	0.5s fire recovery time (~1.11 rounds per second)
Spread (?):	SP: ~0.573 to ~1.146 degrees MP: 0 to ~0.573 degrees
Reserve ammo capacity:	16 rounds (4 magazines)
Zoom:	5x to 10x magnification
Melee damage (?):	SP: strike_melee MP: strike_melee_mp
Tag name (?):	sniper_rifle
Variants and attachments
Halo Infinite variant(s):	S7 Flexfire Sniper

Campaign

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Multiplayer

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Unlock and acquisition requirements

In Halo Infinite's multiplayer modes, the Sniper Rifle can be found spawning on the map, as usual. In campaign, it can also spawn in certain locations on the open-world map and in missions, but to unlock it for on-demand spawning at FOBs, the player must earn 1,500 total Valor. After this, it can be summoned at any point from the weapon crates at any FOB, at no cost.

Variants

S7 Flexfire Sniper

The S7 Flexfire Sniper is a variant of the S7 Sniper, seen in Halo Infinite. Its magazine capacity is increased to 10, and it can hold 4 magazines (40 rounds) in reserve. The Flexfire can fire much more rapidly, at the cost of reduced damage and much greater bullet spread. It also only has one zoom magnification level, unlike the standard S7 Sniper. The variant is decorated in a yellow and white colour scheme, to distinguish it from the standard model.

Halo: Spartan Assault and Halo: Spartan Strike

Sniper Rifle
Gameplay role
Weapon tier (?):	Upgraded weapon
Firing mode:	Automatic
Effective range:	Long
Weapon stats
Damage:	Very high
Rate of fire:	Low
Magazine size:	35

Main article: Twin-stick shooter

"Semi-automatic sniper rifle. Fires projectiles that can immediately kill multiple infantry units."

— Halo: Spartan Assault loadout description

Campaign

In Spartan Strike, the Sniper Rifle also spawns in the campaign itself, exclusively on the final mission: E-6: Hold the Line. In total, four Sniper Rifles spawn on this mission, along with four Spartan Lasers and four Rocket Launchers, the two other previously loadout-exclusive weapons.

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Unlock and acquisition requirements

In Halo: Spartan Assault, the Sniper Rifle can only be acquired via the loadout screen. It costs 500 to equip in both games and can also be purchased with 25 in Spartan: Assault. Once equipped, you will spawn with the Sniper Rifle at the start of the level and every time you die, so long as you do not quit back to the menu. It is single use - that is, it will not carry over to the next level, nor will it be available next time you play the level on which you purchased it.

Cost: 25 / 500

Skins and cosmetics

The Sniper Rifle has seen many equipable weapon skins and coatings across the various games it's been featured in.

Halo: Combat Evolved (MCC)

Main article: Skins (Halo: Combat Evolved)

Sniper Rifle v • d • e
Icon	Name	Description	Unlock requirements
	Default	Default skin.	Unlocked by default
	Desert	Looks very stylish with a poncho.	Series 2, Tier 10 ( 1)
	Great Journey	Don't worry... I know what the aliens like.	Series 2, Tier 42 ( 1)
	Woodland	Camping is a legitimate strategy.	Series 2, Tier 52 ( 1)
	Avalanche	Like Sidewinder, but with more polygons.	Series 2, Tier 80 ( 1)
	Golden	Bling on the ring.	Series 2 Challenge: Zero Five Eight Defeat 150 opponents with the Sniper Rifle in any game mode. The Exchange ( 2)

Halo 3 (MCC)

Main article: Skins (Halo 3)

Sniper Rifle v • d • e
Icon	Name	Description	Unlock requirements
	Default	Default skin.	Unlocked by default
	Woodland	Camping is a legitimate strategy.	Series 4, Tier 22 ( 1)
	Desert	Looks very stylish with a poncho.	Series 4, Tier 35 ( 1)
	Golden	Bling on the ring.	Series 4, Tier 50 ( 1)
	Red Alert	The source of cautionary tales.	Series 5, Tier 61 ( 1)
	Hazard Pay	Safety first!	Series 5, Tier 68 ( 1)
	Amethyst Raven	Searching for foes under alien skies.	Series 6, Tier 17 ( 1)
	Vexing Tomorrow	True are is rarely appreciated by its target audience.	Series 8, Tier 47 ( 1)
	Avalanche	Like Sidewinder, but with more polygons.	Series 4 Challenge: Recon Renegade (Reach Rank in the Recon Slayer competitive playlist) The Exchange ( -)
	Black Rhine	An artist appreciates their tools.	The Exchange ( 3)
	OGX	-	The Exchange ( 3)
	Scorned Fate	The hand of Atropos weighs heavily on executioners.	The Exchange ( 4)

Halo 2: Anniversary

Main article: Skins (Halo 2: Anniversary)

Sniper Rifle v • d • e
Icon	Name	Description	Unlock requirements
	Default	Default skin.	Unlocked by default
	Black Tiger	One shot, one kill. Or one shot, beat feet.	Series 9, The Exchange 3
	Bloodscorched	Seeing red. From very far away.	Series 9, The Exchange 3
	Chroma Blue	Looks can kill.	Series 9, The Exchange 3
	Sandstorm	A most vicious desert predator.	Series 9, The Exchange 3

Halo Infinite

Main article: Weapon coatings (Halo Infinite)

Medals

The following medals are exclusive to the Sniper Rifle and its alien counterparts. The Sniper Rifle does also inherit some other precision weapon and power weapon medals such as Headcase and Power Player, but these are not listed here.

Icon	Name	Games	Unlock requirements
	Sniper Kill	Halo 2 Halo 3 Halo: Reach Halo 4 Halo 5: Guardians	Halo 2: Kill an enemy with a Sniper Rifle or Beam Rifle. Halo 3, Halo: Reach: Kill an enemy with a Sniper Rifle (or Beam Rifle) headshot. Halo 4: Kill an enemy with a Sniper Rifle. Halo 5: Guardians: Kill an enemy with a Sniper Rifle, but not by a headshot.
	Sniper Headshot	Halo 5: Guardians	Kill an enemy with a Sniper Rifle headshot.
	Sniper Spree	Halo 3 Halo 3: ODST Halo: Reach	Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST: Kill 5 enemies consecutively with the Sniper or Beam Rifle, without dying. Halo: Reach: Kill 5 enemies with the Sniper Rifle without dying.
	Sharpshooter	Halo 3 Halo 3: ODST Halo: Reach	Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST: Kill 10 enemies consecutively with the Sniper or Beam Rifle, without dying. Halo: Reach: Kill 10 enemies with the Sniper Rifle without dying.
	Be the Bullet	Halo: Reach	Kill 15 enemies with the Sniper Rifle without dying.
	Snapshot	Halo 4 Halo 5: Guardians	Kill an enemy with the Sniper Rifle, Binary Rifle or Beam Rifle while not zoomed in. This is commonly known as no-scoping.
	Airborne Snapshot	Halo 5: Guardians	While airborne, kill an enemy with the Sniper Rifle, Binary Rifle or Beam Rifle while not zoomed in.
	Hat Trick	Halo 5: Guardians	Kill three enemies with Sniper Rifle or Beam Rifle headshots in a row.
	Snipeltaneous	Halo 5: Guardians	Kill two or more enemies with a single Sniper Rifle shot.
	Snipunch	Halo 5: Guardians	Shoot an enemy with the Sniper Rifle, then finish them off with a melee.
	Buckle Up	Halo 5: Guardians	Kill the driver of an enemy vehicle while it is moving, using the Sniper Rifle.

Achievements

The following achievements involve the use of the Sniper Rifle:

Name	Game	Description	Gamerscore	Image
Sniper Kill	Halo 2 for Windows Vista	Kill an opponent with the sniper rifle or the beam rifle.	10
Headshot Honcho	Halo 3	Killed 10 enemies with headshots in a ranked free for all playlist or in campaign.	5
Close Quarters Combat	Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary Halo: The Master Chief Collection	Complete the level "Truth and Reconciliation" with at least four rounds left in your Sniper Rifle.	25 (CEA) 10 (MCC)

Production notes

"Robert McLees is definitely the go-to guy for the gun stuff. I wanted to come up with an animation for the sniper scope, an 'idle cycle'. If you activate the scope, and then sit too long without doing anything, the animation would kick in periodically, just to keep things interesting... Simple, right...? He replied, 'No way. If you adjust your scope in the field, you're dead. Snipers don't do that.' That's how detailed his weapon designs are -- not just guns, but how they work, and how a sniper would fire them. Amazing."

— Animator William O'Brien, regarding the Robert McLees and his weapon designs for Halo 2.

The earlier games' depictions of the Sniper Rifle, notably those from Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST, bear significant resemblance to and were likely inspired by the real-world Denel NTW-20, an anti-material rifle developed in the 1990s by Denel Mechem.

Robert McLees was known within Bungie for being the expert to consult when doing work related to the games' weapons during Halo 2's development. At one point, animator William O'Brien sought to create an idle animation for the Sniper Rifle, in which the player character would adjust the scope if the player zooms in and then remains idle for a while. McLees shot down this idea, claiming that in reality, no sniper would ever adjust their scope on the field.

Trivia

• In the original Xbox 360 version of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary the Sniper Rifle's reticle is far larger than it is in the original Halo: Combat Evolved on Xbox and PC. In the Halo: The Master Chief Collection version of Halo: CEA, the reticle returns to its original size.
• In the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta, the scope shows the identity of the weapon's user as "ID-NOBLE6", regardless of who wields it. This is not present in the final build.

Gallery

Concept art

• 

  Concept art of the rebel sniper unit and their sniper rifle, from Halo Wars.

• 

  Concept art of the Sniper Rifle as it appears in Halo: Reach.

• 

  Concept art of the Sniper Rifle's scope in Halo 4.

Renders

• 

  The Sniper Rifle, as it appears in Halo: Combat Evolved.

• 

  Halo 2's version of the Sniper Rifle.

• 

  The Sniper Rifle's appearance in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST.

• 

  A render of the Sniper Rifle from Halo Wars.

• 

  The Sniper Rifle as it appears in Halo: Reach.

• 

  A render of the Sniper Rifle in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

• 

  An image of the Halo 4 Sniper Rifle.

• 

  Halo 2: Anniversary's Sniper Rifle.

• 

  The Sniper Rifle in Halo 5: Guardians.

• 

  Halo Infinite's Sniper Rifle.

HUD icons

• 

  The Sniper Rifle HUD icon in Halo: Reach.

• 

  The Sniper Rifle HUD icon in Halo 4.

• 

  The Sniper's HUD icon in Halo: Spartan Strike.

Screenshots

• 

  A player holding the Sniper Rifle on Blood Gulch.

• 

  The Sniper Rifle's night vision mode in Halo: CE.

• 

  Master Chief holding a Sniper Rifle in a Halo 2 promotional image.

• 

  Zooming in with the Sniper Rifle in Halo 2.

• 

  A first-person view of the Sniper Rifle, on Guardian in Halo 3.

• 

  Zooming in with the Sniper in Halo 3.

• 

  Halo Wars' rebel sniper unit, equipped with a pair of Sniper Rifles.

• 

  A player with a Sniper Rifle, on Lost Platoon in Halo 3: ODST's Firefight.

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  Zooming in with the Sniper Rifle in Halo 3: ODST.

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  A player holding a Sniper Rifle in the Halo: Reach campaign mission Nightfall.

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  The Sniper Rifle in first person in the Halo: Reach multiplayer beta.

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  Holding the Sniper Rifle in first person, in Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary.

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  Zooming in with the Halo: CEA Sniper Rifle.

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  Two players with Sniper Rifles on Ragnarok, in Halo 4.

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  A player with a Sniper Rifle in a Halo 4 match of Capture the Flag on Exile.

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  The Sniper Rifle in first person in Halo 4's campaign.

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  A first person view of the Sniper Rifle in Halo 2: Anniversary campaign.

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  A first person view of the Sniper Rifle in its multiplayer.

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  A player with the Sniper on Lockdown.

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  A player crouching with the Sniper Rifle on Shrine.

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  Holding the Sniper Rifle in Halo 5: Guardians.

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  The Sniper's scope in Halo 5.

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  A first-person view of the Sniper Rifle in Halo Online.

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  A sniper unit in Halo Wars 2, equipped with a Sniper Rifle.

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  A close-up of the Halo Wars 2 Sniper.

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  A player holding the Sniper Rifle on Fragmentation in Halo Infinite.

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  Reloading the Sniper Rifle in Halo Infinite.

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  The glare visible when a player zooms in with the Sniper in Infinite.

List of appearances

• Halo: Combat Evolved (First appearance)
  • Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
• Halo 2
  • Halo 2: Anniversary
• Halo 3
• Halo Wars
• Halo 3: ODST
• Halo: Reach
• Halo 4
• Halo: Spartan Assault
• Halo: Spartan Strike
• Halo Online
• Halo 5: Guardians
• Halo Wars 2
• Halo Infinite