Mercy

This article is about the multiplayer map. For the High Prophet, see Prophet of Mercy.

Mercy
Map overview
Game:	Halo 5: Guardians
Lore information
Location:	Ancient temple, Sanghelios
Gameplay overview
Terrain:	Sangheili stone and metal architecture
Map layout:	Symmetrical
Recommended number of players:	8
Recommended gametype(s):	Slayer Free-For-All Capture the Flag Assault Strongholds

“

Death and Prayers for the Gods.

”

Mercy is a Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer map set on Sanghelios. The map is a remake of Haven from Halo 4.

Universe and lore

Mercy is set on Sanghelios within an ancient Sangheili temple dedicated to the Forerunners. The temple is centered around a Forerunner artifact that produces healing waters enriched with nootropic compounds and microscopic sprites that soothe the mind and can even heal the most grievous wounds. Ancient Sangheili architects built the temple out of stone and metal, housing vesper bells, scriptoriums, and oracular pools.

The temple was sealed away by the San'Shyuum for two millennia, only being accessed one more after the fall of the Covenant. This lead to the temple halls to once again ring with songs of victory while kaidons clad in traditional clothing drink herb-laced droughts and consult the records archives before planning their next campaign, as they did in the days long before the Covenant. In the modern era, the temple has been retrofit with modern Sangheili technology and is decorated with Swords of Sanghelios banners.

Overview

Layout

Virtually identical in layout to Halo 4's Haven, Mercy is a medium-sized symmetrical map with a two-level semi-circular layout featuring long sightlines and funneled pathways. It was designed to excel in Slayer and Strongholds game modes. For its first appearance within arena matchmaking in Halo 5: Guardians, the Halo 2 Beam Rifle can be found at the "Open Deck" callout.

Callouts

The following are locations on the map that are so named on the player's heads-up display during gameplay:

Top Mid Mohawk Closed Ramp Open Ramp Open Deck Cove Bottom Mid Fountain Red Platform Red Landing Red Underpass Red Lookout Red Stairs Red Bridge Red Street Red Window

Red Closet Red Tunnel Red Lift Blue Platform Blue Landing Blue Underpass Blue Lookout Blue Stairs Blue Bridge Blue Street Blue Window Blue Closet Blue Tunnel Blue Lift

Production notes

• As a remake of Haven, a map which had only first appeared in Halo 4, the development team wished for Mercy to have a main visual landmark reminiscent of the Forerunner themes from the original map while also maintaining its otherworldliness in a way that would take the general aesthetic as far away from the previous version as possible. To accomplish this, they switched the palette from futuristic Forerunner to ancient Sangheili. The development team behind the map's skybox came up with the idea to relocate the map from the clouds to below ground within a large cavern, allowing for a major change in lighting.
• During development, the main visual pitch of the map was expressed as "Ancient Sangheili Water Temple," as a nod to a classic game "water temple" level design trope. From there, the team had the idea of replacing the long hallway floor panels from Haven with water channels while also including recessed fire chambers to provide light to the outer halls as a form of contrast.
• The main goal for the mood of the level was for it to be a "living" temple that was still used by the Sangheili in modern times, reminiscent of real-world locations like the Notre Dame Cathedral. This aspect push the team to bring a lot of movement to the map: running water, roaring fires, flickering shadows, dancing caustics, moving chains, and counter-weight machinery. It also allowed the team to establish a unique mid-point between the two periods of Sangheili architecture from the Halo 5: Guardians' campaign, which was composed of either ancient ruins or modern urban environments. An ancient temple, still maintained and in use, let the team create a version of the ruins from the campaign that would have previously existed, before time took its toll on the abandoned place, and much of the valuable metals and stones were stripped from the structure. Additionally, the team "retrofit" the nooks and crannies of the temple with more modern Sangheili technology.

Gallery

Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

Development images

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  Concept exploration of the map.

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  Concept art of architectural details on the map.

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  Concept art of architectural details on the map.

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  Work-in-progress renders of the map.

Screenshots

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  A statue of Sangheili hands receiving healing water from the Forerunner artifact.

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  Another view of the artifact producing healing waters.

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  A view looking into the interior of the structure.

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  Machinery found near the center of the map.

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  A hallway along the edge of the main structure.

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  Another hallway.

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  Water flows through the structure's hallways.

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  A fountain in the form of a Sangheili holding a bowl filled with healing water.

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  Spartan-IVs fight near the fountain.

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  Spartan-IVs fight atop waterfalls in the center of the structure.

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  An Indomitable-clad Spartan-IV runs through the water in a hallway.