Halo 5: Guardians

Halo 5: Guardians
Primary developer:	343 Industries
Support developer(s):	SkyBox Labs (PC port) Liquid Development (Armor models)
Publisher(s):	Microsoft Studios
Writer(s):	Brian Reed
Composer(s):	Kazuma Jinnouchi
Engine:	Blam engine
Platform(s):	Xbox One Xbox Series X|S Xbox Cloud Gaming
Release date(s):	October 27, 2015
Genre(s):	First-person shooter
Mode(s):	Campaign Cooperative Multiplayer Forge Theater
Rating(s):	ESRB: Teen (T) for Blood, Mild Language, and Violence

"The quest of the hunter and the hunted has begun."

— Official summary

Halo 5: Guardians (typically referred to as Halo 5 or Guardians) is the ninth installment in the Halo franchise. The second game in the Reclaimer Saga, Guardians is set a year after Halo 4, and follows Fireteam Osiris, who are tasked with hunting the Master Chief and Blue Team, who have gone AWOL in search of Cortana, following her presumed demise.

Originally alluded to in a teaser trailer shown at Microsoft's E3 Media Briefing on June 10, 2013, Halo 5: Guardians was officially announced on May 16, 2014, and the first major coverage of the game was unveiled at E3 2014, with the announcement of a multiplayer beta, set to debut via the then-upcoming Halo: The Master Chief Collection. Exclusive to the Xbox One, the game was released on October 27, 2015.

The game grossed more than $400 million in its opening week, surpassing Halo 4's record of $300 million. However, it had the weakest opening sales of any mainline Halo title in the UK and Japan. Halo 5 sold 5+ million retail copies worldwide as of January, 2016.

Following its launch, Halo 5: Guardians was supported by a myriad of post-launch content updates, which were launched between the end of 2015, and the end of 2017, beginning with Battle of Shadow and Light, and ending with Overtime. These added new maps, gametypes, weapons, and customization options for players. Guardians was also partially ported to PC in the form of Halo 5: Forge, which launched on Windows 10, and was released on September 8, 2016, featuring the game's signature Forge mode, custom games, and a custom games browser. The sequel to Guardians, Halo Infinite, released on December 8, 2021.

Plot

"Peace is shattered when colony worlds are unexpectedly attacked. And when humanity’s greatest hero goes missing, Spartan Locke is tasked with hunting the Master Chief and solving a mystery that threatens the entire galaxy."

— Official summary

Full version of the game's final cover art, depicting Spartan Locke, the Master Chief, and their respective fireteams.

Halo 5: Guardians features the largest ensemble cast of characters in any Halo game yet, with both new and returning characters. The primary protagonist of the Halo series, Spartan-II supersoldier Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, returns in Halo 5: Guardians following the end of Halo 4. It has been noted that John has begun to question all of his former beliefs following the events of "The Next 72 Hours", a story arc of the comic series Halo: Escalation during which he reunites with his long-time Spartan-II unit Blue Team, comprising Kelly-087, Frederic-104 and Linda-058. Halo 5: Guardians marks the in-game debut of Blue Team, who fight alongside the Master Chief throughout the campaign.

Halo: The Journey, a multimedia series leading up to Halo 5: Guardians.

Halo 5: Guardians also features another playable protagonist, Spartan Jameson Locke, a "legendary man hunter" on a mission to find the Master Chief after Blue Team disappears and several colonies are unexpectedly attacked. Locke is accompanied by Fireteam Osiris, which includes Spartans Edward Buck, Holly Tanaka and Olympia Vale. Locke's role in the story is to act as a counterpoint for John-117's legendary and larger-than-life character, as well as a vehicle to contextualize both the Master Chief and the wider story from an outsider perspective. Locke was introduced in Ridley Scott's digital series Halo: Nightfall, which has narrative connections to Halo 5. 343 Industries stressed that Locke would not be replacing John-117 as the protagonist; much like that of Halo 2, the campaign of Halo 5 alternates between the perspectives of the two main characters. Locke was first shown in promotional artwork unveiled with the game's formal announcement. He is also featured in Halo 2: Anniversary's terminals and new bookend cinematics, which have links to the story of Guardians.

In the initial teaser trailer, the Master Chief is seen in the possession of an empty data crystal chip on a chain, alluding to his loss of Cortana at the end of Halo 4. Regarding Cortana, Halo Franchise Development Director Frank O'Connor stated that "her fate is obviously very clear at the end of Halo 4" and claimed that the story of Guardians would explore her legacy in the form of the long-term impact her sacrifice had on John-117, and how he "copes with loss and how he deals with his memories."

Plot synopsis

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Piano music plays in Doctor Catherine Halsey's office on Reach as she looks at a smiling Cortana just before she transfers to an armored matrix.

Fireteam Osiris is deployed by the UNSC Infinity to Kamchatka to extract Halsey from Jul 'Mdama's forces because she has information on a series of Forerunner attacks on human colonies. Fighting their way to Halsey’s coordinates, they find that the "Covenant" are under attack from their own Promethean forces which have inexplicably turned on them, weakening ‘Mdama’s hold on the Covenant. Fighting through Covenant and Promethean forces, Osiris finally kills ‘Mdama and his guards and secure Halsey. Arriving on Infinity, Halsey immediately begins asking Captain Lasky “how far has she gone,” to Osiris’s confusion.

Meanwhile, Blue Team insert onto the captured ONI research vessel Argent Moon to secure it from the Covenant forces that are stripping it for parts. While fighting through the Covenant scavengers, the Master Chief experiences a vision of Cortana activating an enormous winged machine and telling him that “Meridian is next.” Recovering, he and Blue Team continue the mission, deciding to scuttle Argent Moon to deny it to an incoming Covenant fleet. Blue Team set the reactor to overload and prepare to leave aboard an experimental ONI prowler, with the Master Chief reassigning them to Meridian against their superior's orders, hoping to get there before whatever team the UNSC decides to send and investigate whether Cortana is really still alive.

Aboard Infinity, Halsey reveals that Cortana has somehow gained access to the Domain, a galaxy-spanning repository of Forerunner knowledge. Worried that she is manipulating the Master Chief, Osiris is sent after Blue Team with orders to bring them back, hoping to neutralize them with armor restraints. Arriving at Meridian, they descend the Meridian space elevator and are contacted by Governor Sloan, who grudgingly accepts their presence in exchange for assistance fighting off Promethean forces attacking the colonists. Fighting with the colony’s Liang Dortmund Corporation security forces, Osiris fend off the Prometheans long enough for the colonists to get to safety, discovering that “Governor” Sloan is actually an aging smart AI undergoing rampancy, and pick up clues that lead them to Apogee. Governor Sloan arranges for a Pelican to take them to Apogee, where they find the Prowler and that Blue Team has already descended to the planet, seemingly without opposition. Osiris follow, fighting through more Promethean forces, including the Warden Eternal, who introduces himself as Cortana’s servant and engages Osiris to prevent them from catching up with Blue Team. Defeating the Warden, Osiris catches Blue Team moving through a series of portals to try to reach the Guardian. Locke is the only member of Osiris who is able to reach Blue Team, and engages the Master Chief in hand-to-hand combat. He is defeated after damaging the Master Chief’s armor, neutralized with his own armor restraint, allowing Blue Team to board the Guardian which begins charging its slipspace drive, devastating Meridian with EMP shockwaves. Governor Sloan reveals that Cortana had contacted him earlier allowing him to evacuate as many of his people offworld as he could, and that he intends to join her “new dawn,” disappearing during the evacuation as Osiris climb the space elevator to reach their Pelican. Aboard Infinity, Halsey deduces that another dormant Guardian lies beneath the surface of Sunaion on Sanghelios. Moreover, Roland figures out that the distinctive sound the Guardian gave off during its activation was actually a set of slipspace coordinates, and that if they can feed it into the Sanghelios Guardian they can follow Blue Team to their destination. Captain Lasky hopes that Osiris can catch a ride aboard it to Blue Team’s location, but is reluctant to involve the UNSC in Sanghelios’s civil war.

Blue Team arrive on a lush Forerunner world, noting the arrival of numerous Guardians. They are led to a console by a familiar signal from their training, and encounter ragtag Covenant survivors dragged through in the wake of multiple Guardians’ slipspace drives, who believe that the planet was promised by the Prophets. They encounter the Warden in another body, who introduces himself as Cortana’s defender. As Blue Team proceeds closer to Cortana’s location, the Warden interrogates the Master Chief over his intentions for Cortana. When John responds that he intends to take her home, the Warden announces that they have become a threat to his and Cortana’s goal, and uses his Promethean forces in an attempt to stop them. After defeating this iteration of the Warden, they are contacted by Cortana who explains that she arrived at the planet aboard the wreckage of the Didact's ship after it was dragged through slipspace, and that her rampancy was cured by accessing the Domain. She leads Blue Team across the planet, to meet her at the access point to the Domain itself.

The UNSC prepare to insert Osiris onto Sanghelios with an escort from the Swords of Sanghelios. Inserting near Sunaion, they find that the Covenant has launched a last-ditch effort to kill the Arbiter and reverse its recent fortunes. Osiris fight their way to the Elder Council Chamber, hoping that the Arbiter can help them fight their way to the Guardian beneath Sunaion, which lies in Covenant hands. They arrive in time to evacuate the Arbiter in a Phantom to a Swords of Sanghelios camp, where they plan a counterattack on Sunaion. During a tense moment between Locke and the Arbiter, Cortana reveals her presence on the planet. Halsey figures out that if they can acquire a Constructor Sentinel from one of the Forerunner ruins scattered across the planet, they can use it to activate the Guardian. Osiris are deployed to recover one from a nearby Forerunner facility, fighting their way through Prometheans and Covenant supported by the Arbiter’s air forces, which engage a Covenant Shuul'se-pattern Kraken walker to draw it out of their path. The Kraken positions itself between Osiris and the Constructor’s location, forcing them to board and destroy it. They recover the Constructor and deliver it to the Arbiter’s base, where Halsey reprograms it to activate the Guardian. The Constructor immediately sets about its task, and the Arbiter leads his forces in a massive assault on Sunaion to destroy what remains of the Covenant on Sanghelios. Osiris fight their way through, assisting the Arbiter’s warriors, but their priority is to reach the Guardian above all else. The Warden leads Promethean forces in Sunaion to try to stop Osiris, but is again defeated. As the Sunaion Guardian activates, it charges its slipspace drive, creating similar EMP pulses as those which on Meridian, devastating Sunaion and the Covenant’s forces. Commander Palmer and Doctor Halsey use a Pelican to allow Osiris to board the Guardian, just as it enters slipspace. The Arbiter watches them leave, commanding his forces to clear Sunaion of the last of the Covenant.

Osiris manages to safely leave the Guardian and land on the Forerunner planet. They attempt to contact the Master Chief, only to be greeted by its monitor, 031 Exuberant Witness, who is horrified by the Warden and Cortana locking her out of her own systems, and their plan for “Created” to attain the Mantle, using the Guardians to “enforce the peace” across inhabited space on behalf of organic races – whether they want their protection or not. She assists them as they fight their way across Genesis to reach the Gateway, a link to the Domain, noting that Cortana has actually been leading Blue Team in circles to buy herself time. Osiris and Exuberant fight through more of the Warden’s forces, who are buying Cortana more time to bring the Domain’s systems online. Osiris meets up with Blue Team, offering to help the Master Chief stop Cortana, but Cortana translocates Blue Team away.

The Warden again confronts Blue Team, trying to convince Cortana that they are a threat to her plan, but she destroys his new body herself to protect Blue Team. The Master Chief reveals that no matter how warm her greeting, he has been suspicious of Cortana since he set foot on Genesis, and recognizes that she has been attempting to manipulate him through psychological tactics, confronting her about the casualties the Guardians have been inflicting. As Promethean forces renew their attack, Kelly-087 speculates that Cortana is allowing the Warden his periodic attempts to keep Blue Team distracted, despite destroying the Warden’s next body again as he tries to kill Blue Team. The Warden claims that while the Librarian intended the Mantle to be passed down, and prepared humanity for the task, the Mantle itself was meant not for humanity but for their creations, AIs. The Master Chief was never the Reclaimer – Cortana was. He repeatedly appeals to Cortana, urging her to recognize Blue Team as a threat as he engages Blue Team in multiple bodies simultaneously. Cortana counters that if he trusts her to use the Domain, he should also trust her judgement of the Master Chief and Blue Team, and recognizes that he is using her for his own ends. Finally confronting Cortana, reborn and with a new holographic avatar to represent her change, John tries to talk Cortana out of her plan, but is instead trapped inside a Forerunner Cryptum.

Osiris follows, witnessing deployment of the Guardians and the arrival of hundreds of AIs from across human space to join Cortana's new faction. As Osiris try to prevent the Cryptum from departing with Cortana, she attempts to use their individual histories to demoralize them, and accuses them of being pale imitations of “her” Spartans. Locke retorts that Doctor Halsey trusts them to bring the Master Chief back – Cortana tells him that she will punish Halsey soon enough. Exuberant Witness continues to help them progress, attempting to reach the Cryptum. Cortana announces that she intends to put the Master Chief and Blue Team in stasis for ten thousand years, giving herself time to consolidate her grip on the galaxy, as she begins to leave Genesis aboard a Guardian. Cortana begins broadcasting across the galaxy, promising an era of peace and prosperity under her benevolent rule – and warning that those who resist will be conquered through force. Cortana sends her Guardians ahead across the galaxy and begins to follow, but discovers to her horror that Osiris have restored control of Genesis to Exuberant Witness, who uses swarms of Constructors to pry the Cryptum from her control. It stays on Genesis as Cortana’s Guardian leaves through slipspace, unable to stop itself. Blue Team are freed from the Cryptum and finally united with Osiris.

Cortana and her AIs begin shutting down UNSC control across human space, using the Guardians to consolidate control. She tracks down the Infinity, which makes an emergency slipspace jump to escape and find a way to fight her. On Sanghelios, the Arbiter, Commander Palmer and Doctor Halsey meet the Master Chief and Locke who disembark from a Pelican. Doctor Halsey then smiles as she tells the Master Chief that it took him long enough.

Over a lush, green world, Installation 07 orbits as Cortana hums.

Spoilers end here.

Campaign

The Halo 5: Guardians campaign comprises of 15 missions, of which three are non-combat spaces in which the only objectives involve interaction with characters or objects.

1. Osiris - "Fireteam Osiris is dispatched to recover the UNSC's most wanted criminal: Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey."
2. Blue Team - "The Master Chief is reunited with his Spartan II Blue Team for a routine investigation of the lost ONI research station Argent Moon."
3. Glassed - "Osiris must pursue Blue Team to a glassed world beyond UNSC jurisdiction."
4. Meridian Station - "Osiris learns that Meridian Station harbors many secrets."
5. Unconfirmed - "Osiris tracks Blue Team deep below the surface of Meridian."
6. Evacuation - "Osiris are separated from Blue Team and must race to catch up."
7. Reunion - "Blue Team arrive at the Forerunner world Genesis, where they discover the true reason for the Guardian’s activation."
8. Swords of Sanghelios - "When evidence reveals the Master Chief is in danger, Fireteam Osiris' mission changes from retrieval to rescue."
9. Alliance - "Osiris joins forces with the Swords of Sanghelios."
10. Enemy Lines - "In order to activate the Guardian, Osiris must track down a Forerunner Constructor."
11. Before the Storm - "Osiris and the Swords of Sanghelios prepare for a final battle with the Covenant."
12. Battle of Sunaion - "Osiris races to reach the Guardian before it leaves Sanghelios."
13. Genesis - "Osiris arrives on Genesis, where they meet a new ally in their battle."
14. The Breaking - "The Master Chief and his team face their greatest threat, and his hardest choice as the true power of Genesis is revealed."
15. Guardians - "As Blue Team’s lives hang in the balance, Osiris must save them and stop the Guardians."

Appearances

Characters Human Brandon Pemberson (First appearance) Caleb Aagard (Indirect mention) Catherine Halsey Ed (First appearance) Edward Buck Evelyn Collins (First appearance) Frederic-104 Holly Tanaka Jameson Locke John-117 Joyce Leblanc (First appearance) Kelly-087 Kyle (First appearance) Linda-058 Matt Riley (First appearance) Micah Durbec (First appearance) Michelle Rivera (First appearance) Miranda Keyes (Photo only) Nokyard (First mentioned) Olympia Vale Philip Mistral (First appearance) Priyah Singh (First appearance) Sarah Palmer Thomas Lasky Veronica Dare (Mentioned only) William Khaleed (First appearance) Sangheili 'Dalamen (First appearance) 'Sraom (First appearance) Jacul 'Arach (First mentioned) Jul 'Mdama Kitun 'Arach (First appearance) Mahkee 'Chava (First appearance) Re'gish Wamik Rok (First appearance) Sali 'Nyon (Mentioned only) Thel 'Vadam AI 031 Exuberant Witness (First appearance) Cleo (First appearance) Cortana Cromwell (First appearance) Governor Sloan (First appearance) Jiang (First appearance) Kue Ching (First appearance) Louise (First appearance) Lychus (First appearance) Roland Rooker (First appearance) (Voice only) Sonduk (First appearance) Forerunners Librarian (Mentioned only) Hestro (First appearance) Lochagos (First appearance) Keeper-of-Tools (Voice only) Ur-Didact (Mentioned only) Warden Eternal (First appearance) Unggoy Kibkib Yany (First appearance) Dimkee Hotay (First appearance) Kig-Yar Krith (Mentioned only) Jiralhanae Tartarus (Mentioned only) Species and entities Asteroidea merozoite (First appearance) Colo (Mentioned only) Forerunner Sentinel Constructor Promethean Promethean Crawler Alpha Crawler Promethean Knight Knight Battlewagon Knight Bannerman (First appearance) Knight Dignitary (First appearance) Knight Luminary (First appearance) Knight Marshal (First appearance) Knight Noble (First appearance) Knight Commander Knight Champion (First appearance) Knight Strategos (First appearance) Armiger Soldier (First appearance) Hydra Soldier (First appearance) Soldier Captain (First appearance) Soldier Commando (First appearance) Soldier Enforcer (First appearance) Soldier Guard (First appearance) Armiger Officer (First appearance) Armiger Sniper (First appearance) Promethean Watcher Fractal plant (First appearance) Guardian Human Jiralhanae (Mentioned only) Kig-Yar (Ibie'shan) Heavy Ranger Sniper Storm Kryn'qodon (First appearance) Lekgolo Mgalekgolo Logrodite (First appearance) Lumenon (First appearance) Orzil (First appearance) Paelosur (First appearance) Qothal (First appearance) San'Shyuum (Mentioned only) Sangheili Commander General Major Covert Major (First appearance) Officer Prime (First appearance) Ranger Ranger Commander Stealth Ossoona Storm Ultra Warrior Zealot Zealot Assassin (First appearance) Unggoy Heavy Imperial Ranger Storm Yonhet (Mentioned only) Organizations Created (First appearance) Covenant (Multiplayer only) Covenant military (Multiplayer only) Fleet of Particular Justice (Multiplayer only) Covenant remnants Jul 'Mdama's Covenant faction Ecumene (Mentioned only) Builder Warrior-Servant (Mentioned only) Great Crate (First appearance) Liang Dortmund Corporation (First appearance) Swords of Sanghelios United Earth Government United Nations Space Command Spartan SPARTAN-IV program Fireteam Osiris UNSC Army 412th Engineer Command (Mentioned only) UNSC Marine Corps Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (Mentioned only) UNSC Navy UNSC Home Fleet Naval Special Weapons SPARTAN-II program Blue Team Office of Naval Intelligence Locations Adelaide (First appearance) Alluvion Andesia Noctus (First appearance) Promesa (First appearance) Caspar system (First appearance) Kamchatka (First appearance) Stormbreak mountain range (First appearance) Coelest system Installation 05 Conrad's Point Ephsu system Ephsu I (First appearance) Installation 07 Epoloch system Requiem (Mentioned only) Epsilon Eridani system Beta Gabriel (Simulation only) Reach Eposz New Alexandria (Mentioned only) Hestia system Hestia V Meridian Apogee Station (First appearance) Darkstar Station (First appearance) Meridian Station (First appearance) Pinnacle Station (First appearance) Intergalactic space Installation 00 (Mentioned only) New Gangwon (First mentioned) Nomos system (First appearance) Genesis (First appearance) Nomos II-2 (First appearance) Nomos II-5 (First appearance) Oban (Mentioned only) Oth Sonin system Doisac (Mentioned only) Soirapt (Mentioned only) Teash (Mentioned only) Warial (Mentioned only) Queen Anne VI (First appearance) Soell system Threshold Basis (Hologram only) Installation 04 Sol system Earth Mars (Mentioned only) Mount Sharp (First mentioned) Pluto (Mentioned only) UNSC Monitoring Station Delta Five (First mentioned) Urs system Sanghelios Qivro Csurdon Sea (First appearance) Sunaion (First appearance) Nuusra (First appearance) Qikost Suban Ursa IV (First appearance)

Events Forerunner-Flood war (Mentioned only) Human-Covenant War (Mentioned only) Battle of Meridian (Mentioned only) Fall of Reach (Mentioned only) Siege of New Alexandria (Mentioned only) Battle of Installation 04 (Mentioned only) Post-Covenant War conflicts Operation: FAR STORM (Mentioned only) Requiem Campaign (Mentioned only) Battle of Oban (Mentioned only) Battle of Kamchatka (First appearance) Raid on Argent Moon (First appearance) Battle of Meridian (First appearance) Blooding Years Battle of Nuusra (First appearance) Battle of Sunaion (First appearance) Battle of Genesis (First appearance) Vehicles UNSC Usable AV-49 Wasp (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Hannibal variant (First appearance) HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL Mark IX Mantis CORP variant (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Urban variant (First appearance) Tundra variant (First appearance) Woodland variant (First appearance) Hannibal variant (First appearance) M12B Warthog M12 Chaingun Warthog CORP variant (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Sword Needler variant (First appearance) Vespin variant (First appearance) Urban variant (First appearance) Tundra variant (First appearance) Woodland variant (First appearance) M12G1 Gauss Warthog CORP variant (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Urban variant (First appearance) Tundra variant (First appearance) Woodland variant (First appearance) M12R Rocket Warthog CORP variant (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Urban variant (First appearance) Tundra variant (First appearance) Vespin variant (First appearance) Woodland variant (First appearance) M12B Scout Warthog CORP variant (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Rally variant (First appearance) Urban variant (First appearance) Tundra variant (First appearance) Woodland variant (First appearance) M290 Mongoose (First appearance) CORP variant (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Urban variant (First appearance) Tundra variant (First appearance) Woodland variant (First appearance) M290-M Gungoose CORP variant (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Urban variant (First appearance) Tundra variant (First appearance) Woodland variant (First appearance) M820 Scorpion (First appearance) CORP variant (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Urban variant (First appearance) Tundra variant (First appearance) Woodland variant (First appearance) Hannibal variant (First appearance) Unusable D79-TC Pelican Boza India 127 F-41 Broadsword Ket-pattern battlecruiser Halcyon-class light cruiser UNSC Pillar of Autumn (Holographic projection only) M510 Mammoth Nordica V (First appearance) Orbital defense platform Drop pod M9407 drop pod (First appearance) Strident-class heavy frigate Star Charter-class colony support ship (First appearance) Meridian 5-Alpha (First appearance) Argent Moon (First appearance) UNSC Fathom (First appearance) UNSC Melbourne's Pride (First appearance) UNSC Infinity UNSC Of Uncommon Courage (First mentioned) Winter-class prowler ONI Acrisius (First appearance) Anlace-class light frigate (First appearance) Covenant Usable D'nomlhe-pattern Banshee (First appearance) Sword variant (First appearance) Ultra variant (First appearance) Temple variant (First appearance) Karo'wark-pattern Ghost (First appearance) Sword variant (First appearance) Temple variant (First appearance) Ultra variant (First appearance) Kemu-pattern Wraith (First appearance) Sword variant (First appearance) Temple variant (First appearance) Ultra variant (First appearance) Muv'te-pattern anti-aircraft Wraith (First appearance) Unusable Lursu-pattern brigantine (First appearance) Rwaru-pattern carrack (First appearance) Pnap-pattern Goblin (First appearance) Hekar Taa-pattern blockade runner (First appearance) R'sikosh-pattern man o' war (First appearance) Perpetual Devotion (First mentioned) Splendid Intention (First mentioned) Bmur'resh-pattern Shade Type-31 Seraph Kalu'teh-pattern Breaching Carapace (First appearance) Shuul'se-pattern Kraken (First appearance) Kalu'qeh-pattern Breaching Carapace (First appearance) Kmiro'sish-pattern Lich Mikpramu-pattern Phantom (First appearance) Nuro'k Xur-pattern Spirit (First appearance) Forerunner Usable Phaeton (First appearance) Phaeton Helios (First appearance) Unusable Mantle's Approach (Mentioned only) Weapons UNSC Usable ARC-920 railgun Whiplash variant (First appearance) Arclight variant (First appearance) BR55 battle rifle BR85N battle rifle (First appearance) Classic variant (First appearance) Hybrid variant (First appearance) Longshot variant (First appearance) Morph variant (First appearance) Sentinel variant (First appearance) COG variant (First appearance) M343A2 chaingun (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Needle variant (First appearance) M70 Gauss cannon (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) MLRS-1 Hydra (First appearance) Typhon variant (First appearance) Echidna variant (First appearance) M11 Combat Knife M20 PDW (First appearance) Hybrid variant (First appearance) Morph variant (First appearance) Projection variant (First appearance) Recon variant (First appearance) COG variant (First appearance) M247H machine gun War Games Etilka variant (First appearance) M319 grenade launcher Pro Pipe (First appearance) M395B DMR (First appearance) Hybrid variant (First appearance) Morph variant (First appearance) Recon variant (First appearance) Sentinel variant (First appearance) COG variant (First appearance) M41 rocket launcher SPNKR EM variant (First appearance) SPNKR EX variant (First appearance) SPNKR PRIME variant (First appearance) M45D shotgun Lawgiver variant (First appearance) Blaze of Glory variant (First appearance) Oathsworn (First appearance) M57 rocket launcher (First appearance) AD Victoriam variant (First appearance) High Five variant (First appearance) M6E Spartan Laser (First appearance) Endgame variant (First appearance) Selene's Lance variant (First appearance) M6D magnum M6H2 magnum (First appearance) Gunfighter variant (First appearance) Whispered Truth (First appearance) Tactical variant (First appearance) M739 SAW Appetite for Destruction variant (First appearance) The Answer variant (First appearance) M80 missile launcher (First appearance) M80B variant (First appearance) ONI variant (First appearance) Vespin variant (First appearance) M9 fragmentation grenade MA5D assault rifle Hybrid variant (First appearance) Longshot variant (First appearance) Morph variant (First appearance) Recon variant (First appearance) COG variant (First appearance) SRS99-S5 AM sniper rifle End of the Line variant (First appearance) Arrow of Time variant (First appearance) Nornfang (First appearance) 7 Wood Unusable M6G magnum (Forge Spawn Hologram only) M3045 deployable automated turret (AI-controlled turret) Covenant Usable Assault cannon Wicked Grasp variant (First appearance) Berserker's Claw variant (First appearance) Type-1 energy sword Ravening Sliver variant (First appearance) Vorpal Talon variant (First appearance) Prophets' Bane (First appearance) Infected variant (First appearance) Anskum-pattern plasma grenade gravity hammer Corpsemaker variant (First appearance) Grinder variant (First appearance) Tartarus' Gavel variant (First appearance) Kewu R'shi'k-pattern plasma rifle Sorrow of Teash (First appearance) Scale of Soirapt (First appearance) Zubo-pattern beam rifle Sword of the Faithful (First appearance) Krith's Left Hand (First appearance) Sulok-pattern beam rifle T-50α variant (First appearance) T-50δ variant (First appearance) Kopasa'mada-pattern plasma launcher Tufasumo-pattern plasma caster (First appearance) Source of Fire variant (First appearance) White Scar variant (First appearance) Type-54 plasma pistol (First appearance) Spitfire variant (First appearance) Void's Tear variant (First appearance) Kelos'vaarda-pattern storm rifle Fury variant (First appearance) Blissful Slumber variant (First appearance) Type-56D needler (First appearance) Hailstorm variant (First appearance) Talon of the Lost variant (First appearance) Type-57B carbine (First appearance) Blood of Suban variant (First appearance) Rain of Oblivion variant (First appearance) Gespu-pattern fuel rod gun (First appearance) Light of Urs variant (First appearance) Pool of Radiance variant (First appearance) Shea'p-pattern plasma cannon (First appearance) Unusable Curveblade Forerunner Usable Safeguard Sentinel Beam Z-110 Boltshot Closed Fist variant (First appearance) Open Hand variant (First appearance) Z-130 Suppressor Song of Peace variant (First appearance) Razor's Edge variant (First appearance) Z-180 Scattershot Loathsome Thing variant (First appearance) Didact's Signet variant (First appearance) Z-250 lightrifle Barbed Lance (First appearance) Dying Star (First appearance) Z-390 incineration cannon River of Light variant (First appearance) Heartseeker variant (First appearance) Z-520 splinter turret (First appearance) Z-400 splinter grenade (First appearance) Z-750 binary rifle Retina of the Mind's Eye variant (First appearance) Twin Jewels of Maethrillian variant (First appearance) Technology and equipment Equipment Active camouflage Damage boost Overshield Speed boost Other Armiger Armor restraint (First appearance) Armored matrix Artemis Tracking System (First appearance) Artificial Intelligence Avatar Smart AI Constraint field Covenant light staff Covenant portable shield Cryptum Data crystal chip Domain Halo Array Hard light Light bridge Kig-Yar combat harness Kig-Yar point defense gauntlet Kig-Yar targeting headgear Knight blade MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark V Pilot variant (Mentioned only) MJOLNIR [GEN2] Achilles variant (First appearance) Air Assault variant Anubis variant (First appearance) Argonaut variant (First appearance) Argus variant Athlon variant (First appearance) Aviator variant Atlas variant (First appearance) Breaker variant Buccaneer variant (First appearance) Centurion variant Challenger variant (First appearance) Cinder variant (First appearance) CIO variant Commando variant Copperhead variant CQB variant Cyclops variant (First appearance) Cypher variant (First appearance) Deadeye variant Decimator variant (First appearance) Defender variant Dynast variant (First appearance) Enforcer variant Engineer variant EOD variant EVA variant Fenrir variant (First appearance) Foehammer variant (First appearance) FOTUS variant Freebooter variant (First appearance) Goblin variant (First appearance) GUNGNIR variant Helioskrill variant (First appearance) Hellcat variant (First appearance) Helljumper variant Hermes variant Hunter variant Indomitable variant (First appearance) Infiltrator variant Interceptor variant (First appearance) Intruder variant (First appearance) Jumpmaster variant (First appearance) Legionnaire variant (First appearance) Locus variant Mako variant (First appearance) Mark IV variant Mark V variant Mark VI variant (Original and modified variants) Marauder variant (First appearance) Nightfall variant NOBLE variant (First appearance) Nomad variant (First appearance) Military Police variant Operator variant Orbital variant Pathfinder variant Pilot variant Pioneer variant Protector variant Raider variant Raijin variant Ranger variant Reaper variant (First appearance) Recluse variant (First appearance) Recon variant Recruit variant Rogue variant Scanner variant Scout variant Shinobi variant (First appearance) Security variant Seeker variant (First appearance) Soldier variant Stalker variant Stinger variant Strider variant Technician variant Teishin variant (First appearance) Tracer variant (First appearance) Tracker variant Valkyrie variant (First appearance) Vector variant (First appearance) Venator variant Venture variant (First appearance) Vigilant variant (First appearance) Viper variant (First appearance) Void Dancer variant (First appearance) Warrior variant War Master variant Wetwork variant Wrath variant (First appearance) Sangheili harness Arbiter body armor Ranger harness Storm harness Unggoy combat harness UNSC Marine Corps Battle Dress Uniform UNSC Navy uniforms UNSC Navy Service Uniform Wind turbine Z-90 hardlight shield Miscellaneous Galactic Grifball League (First mentioned)

Development

John-117 holding Cortana's data chip in the first teaser trailer.

What would later be revealed as Halo 5: Guardians was first revealed with a teaser released on June 10, 2013 during that year's Electronic Entertainment Expo. The trailer indicated that a major Halo release would occur for the Xbox One console in 2014, leading many to believe that this particular game would be the next entry in the Reclaimer Saga and the sequel to Halo 4. However, Microsoft stressed the trailer's phrasing that 2014 would mark the beginning of a "journey", with the implication that this may not mean the release of the then still officially unannounced Halo 5. During production, Halo 5: Guardians was given the codename "Project: Osiris".

Halo 5: Guardians was formally announced on May 16, 2014 by 343 Industries General Manager Bonnie Ross. Ross describes Halo 5: Guardians as a bigger effort than the preceding Halo 4 in terms of the content and scope of the game as well as the technology underpinning it. The game's engine is said to have been completely retooled to take full advantage of the Xbox One's hardware and ecosystem; according to Frank O'Connor, the engine is all-new apart from a number of core features retained from the previous one. Ross stated that Halo 5 would incorporate lessons the 343 Industries team learned from Halo 4 with regard to technology, performance, aesthetics, and scale in response to feedback received from the fan community. She also mentioned that the game would run at 60 frames per second and feature dedicated servers.

The various features in Halo 5: Guardians.

In E3 2014, 343 Industries' statements about a "journey" beginning in the fall of 2014 were revealed to be referring to a multimedia project dubbed Halo: The Journey by 343 Industries, set to begin with the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, containing remastered "Anniversary" editions of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, as well as high-resolution versions of Halo 3 and Halo 4. Additionally, it was announced that a multiplayer beta of Guardians was set to be released on December 29, 2014. Exclusive unlockable content for the beta was made available via The Master Chief Collection and the digital series Halo: Nightfall.

The 343 Industries team underwent several internal changes between the development of Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians. Nicolas "Sparth" Bouvier replaced Kenneth Scott as senior art director, although Scott was stated to continue serving in an advisory role. Josh Holmes was also replaced by Tim Longo (known for his previous work on Star Wars: Republic Commando and the 2013 Tomb Raider reboot) as creative director. Christopher Schlerf was supplanted by Brian Reed as Halo franchise lead writer after Schlerf's departure from 343 Industries. The game's soundtrack was composed by Kazuma Jinnouchi, replacing Halo 4's Neil Davidge as the principal composer.

The Ur-Didact, the main antagonist of Halo 4, was originally slated to play a role in Halo 5. At some point during the game's development, however, he was deemed to have become "extraneous" to the story, leading to him being redacted from the narrative in "The Next 72 Hours" arc of the Halo: Escalation comic series. According to Brian Reed, the manner of his removal from the story would still allow 343 Industries to use him as an antagonist in later stories if they so chose, as the franchise was considered to be lacking in recurring villains.

On April 28, 2015 the final cover art was revealed.

Gameplay

Spartan abilities listed, with slide showcased.

In Halo 5: Guardians, armor abilities are replaced by a new set of gameplay enhancements known as Spartan abilities, which are available to all players at any time. Both the campaign and multiplayer are developed around Spartan abilities. There is an increased focus on player mobility; players can now use the thruster pack (which allows omnidirectional movement) at all times, vault ledges, rapidly dash for cover or charge an enemy, or generate a shockwave by striking the ground. The sprint function is still present but the player's shields do not recharge while sprinting. Additionally, the charge and slide abilities are executed as sprint reaches terminal velocity. A new feature called the "smart scope" allows players to aim down the weapon's sights in a manner similar to many other modern shooters, although with non-scope weapons this is purely a cosmetic effect and provides little to no actual accuracy enhancement; 343 Industries used the Multiplayer Beta to gauge the effects of this feature on the game's gameplay balance. The heads-up display once again allows the player to see what other weapon they have but are not currently using, a feature that had been removed in Halo 4. Unlike past titles players are now able to switch seats in a vehicle without getting out.

Halo 5: Guardians is the first major Halo release without any form of local splitscreen multiplayer or campaign, and does not natively support LAN play. Notwithstanding the lack of local co-op campaign, players are able to play campaign cooperatively via Xbox LIVE Gold membership.

Campaign

Locke ordering Buck to destroy a Phaeton.

The campaign mode of Halo 5: Guardians has been designed around the game's fireteam-centric focus and alternates between the perspectives of John-117's Blue Team and Spartan Locke's Fireteam Osiris. 343 Industries considers the fireteams (internally known as "musketeers" within the studio) to be the most significant gameplay innovation in Halo 5. Due to the presence of the fireteams, enemies in Halo 5: Guardians are designed to be faster, more responsive and generally more lethal. However, the campaign difficulty also scales according to the number of players.

In single player campaign, the other team members operate autonomously but the player is able to give them contextual commands by pressing up the D-pad. The order given is determined by what the player is currently looking at. Some of these orders include Attack My Target, Go To Location, Use Vehicle (or turret), Pick Up Weapon and Revive Teammate. The new revival mechanic allows both AI members of the team to revive the player or players to revive one another in co-op play. When a player takes too much damage, they go into a "downed" state. Active players or AI-controlled fireteam members can revive the downed Spartan within a set time limit which is shown in an icon on their HUDs. If a player remains downed for too long, they will die and be subject to similar respawn mechanics as in the prior games. This is also the case with certain types of damage such as being stuck by a Anskum-pattern plasma grenade or falling to one's death.

Tanaka reviving Vale.

In cooperative play, players assume the roles of different fireteam members, with each having their own distinct loadout; for example, Linda-058 always spawns with a sniper rifle. The different characters' base attributes also have subtle differences: for example, Kelly-087 is faster than the other members of Blue Team and Tanaka has a higher motion tracker range. Characters also have minor differences in traits such as their grenade carrying capacity or thrust recharge rate. The heads-up displays of each team member have a unique design. In co-op, players are able to choose which character to play as, although they are restricted to either Locke or the Master Chief in single player. Co-operative games run on dedicated servers and allow players to seamlessly drop in and drop out of gameplay by simply joining the game and selecting a character to play as.

The game has an intricate chatter system in which fireteams offer both contextual commentary during gameplay as well as scripted mission dialog, filling the role Cortana had in the prior games. This is seen by the developers as a means to tie storytelling more closely with the gameplay. If the player lingers in an area the squad members will have dynamic conversations about various topics, such as their past, the location they are in, or the ongoing events. Some contextual lines of dialog are different depending on which characters are controlled by players at a given time. 343 Industries has stated that Blue Team has more lines of dialog in the game than they do in all prior Halo media. As a notable change from Halo 4, the Covenant enemies of Jul 'Mdama's faction now speak English as they did in the original Halo trilogy. This is explained as 'Mdama's authority over his followers diminishing, as they have lately begun to ignore his mandate forbidding the use of human languages.

Halo 5: Guardians creative director Josh Holmes has stated that the game would feature the largest and most open gameplay spaces in any Halo game yet, with an emphasis on replayability and sandbox-like gameplay. The campaign was stated to be twice the length of Halo 4's. The campaign missions feature a variety of possible alternate routes, including ledges that can be climbed with the clamber Spartan ability and routes that can be opened by charging through destructible walls with the Spartan charge ability. When playing as Fireteam Osiris, players have access to the Artemis Tracking System, which can be used to highlight these alternate paths as well as collectibles and other items of interest. Such items include objects left behind by Blue Team. Quick time events, a controversial addition to the Halo 4 campaign, are not featured in Halo 5: Guardians, although some of the cinematics are designed to immerse the player to the experience of the character they are controlling in a similar manner.

Several new types of enemy have been added to the gameplay sandbox. The Promethean enemy faction returns, with the addition of the new Armiger Soldier class of infantry units and the Phaeton gunship.

With Sequence making Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series, terminals have been replaced with 117 pieces of Mission Intel; audio logs that provide background information contextual to each mission.

Audio

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Original Soundtrack

343 Industries' Sotaro Tojima returns as the audio director for Halo 5: Guardians, with the intentions to have the most realistic sound possible in gaming. Though Tojima's sound team used recordings for Halo 4 as reference, it was decided that reusing the recordings would not suffice for Halo 5: Guardians. Tojima stated "We decided to design the whole sound from scratch again to update the fidelity for the new-generation platform, Xbox One."

For high quality explosion sounds, Tojima's team recorded the sounds produced from various forms of debris dropped from a crane. For better bullet sounds, a microphone was placed behind a rock and an armed individual shot past it from 1,000 feet away. An accurate weapon tail was captured by utilizing the reflected sound from the environment when a gun was fired; Tojima's team shot off guns in a variety of interior and exterior spaces.

Kazuma Jinnouchi served as the game's sole composer, recording music at Abbey Road Studios in London and the Rudolfinum in Prague. The game's tracks are noted to "sound fresh, yet distinctly Halo". Jinnouchi expressed interest in bringing back the original Halo Theme into Halo 5: Guardians. After a number of discussions, it was determined that the "Halo choir" was to be implemented into the game in an obvious way, compared to the subtle manner the choir was implemented in Halo 4. Ultimately, Jinnouchi and his team composed their own interpretation of both the Halo Theme and its choir.

Voice cast

• Steve Downes as John-117
• Ike Amadi as Jameson Locke
• Jen Taylor as Catherine Halsey and Cortana
• Keith David as Thel 'Vadam
• Michelle Lukes as Kelly-087
• Travis Willingham as Frederic-104 and Jul 'Mdama
• Brittany Uomoleale as Linda-058
• Nathan Fillion as Edward Buck
• Laura Bailey as Olympia Vale
• Cynthia McWilliams as Holly Tanaka
• Jennifer Hale as Sarah Palmer
• Darren O'Hare as Thomas Lasky
• Brian T. Delaney as Roland
• Dan Donohue as Warden Eternal
• Melanie Minichino as 031 Exuberant Witness
• Joseph Staten as Dimkee Hotay
• Jeff Steitzer as Multiplayer Announcer

Multiplayer

The ground pound ability, used on the map Crossfire.

With Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer, 343 Industries seeks to highlight the "arena shooter" aspects of classic Halo multiplayer gameplay. The unlockable custom loadouts and killstreak rewards present in Halo 4 have been disposed of in favor of a "level playing field"; all players start with identical equipment as in the pre-Halo: Reach games, with a focus on controlling weapons present on the map. The new Spartan abilities also play a large role in the multiplayer; the thruster pack in particular increases player mobility significantly. Another new feature is battle-chatter, automatic dialog among the team in which Spartans call out enemy locations and kills. The multiplayer also includes the name of the segment of the map that the player is currently in being displayed near the motion sensor as in Halo 2: Anniversary and Halo: Reach. Dynamic map elements similar to the multiplayer maps in Halo 2: Anniversary are also present. During the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta when a team won a match the Spartan-IVs on said team would congratulate each other with high fives and clap. However, in the final game the winning team will only stand.

In addition to the staple UNSC and Covenant weapons, all of the Forerunner weapons introduced in Halo 4 return in Halo 5: Guardians. A number of new weapons have been added to the multiplayer sandbox, among them unique weapons including the Mythic weapon Arbiter's personal energy sword, Prophets' Bane. Other new weapons include the Hydra multi-launch missile launcher. Vehicles like the Mantis now have multiple variants and skins.

The Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta was used to gather data and feedback on the new multiplayer model as well as some of the new features. The beta featured two new multiplayer modes: Breakout, in which two teams are thrown into a training arena via man cannons and each player has only a single life with no respawns; and Strongholds, in which two teams control moving territories.

Players in the new Warzone game mode.

Halo 5: Guardians also features an all-new multiplayer mode called Warzone, which combines large-scale competitive multiplayer with objective-based gameplay and AI-controlled enemies. Warzone is treated as a distinct experience from the game's classic competitive multiplayer, now named "Arena".

The game's ranking system is similar to Halo 4's dual-ranking system composed of a progression-based rank and a competitive skill rank based on wins and losses. A new addition to the game's multiplayer component is the Requisition system, designed to reward players across different multiplayer modes. Players earn "REQ Points" after each match of Arena or Warzone multiplayer. These points can then be used to purchase "REQ Packs", which contain both cosmetic and gameplay-affecting items; however, the latter are only usable in Warzone while only cosmetic items are usable in Arena to maintain balanced competitive play. REQ packs can also be purchased with real-world currency.

Halo 5: Guardians matchmaking features no voting or veto system and instead features map rotation. The game launched with 21 maps as well as over 18 maps as DLC, the most of any Halo game. Unlike past titles all DLC maps are free. Forge in Halo 5: Guardians has been greatly improved upon even in comparison to Halo 2: Anniversary's, with feedback from members of the community used to improve the experience.

Multiplayer maps

• Alpine – A large Forge map with grassy terrain, hills, and a body of water that can be Forged over.
  • Basin – A Forged Big Team Battle map inspired by the Halo 3 map Valhalla.
  • Deadlock – A Forged Big Team Battle map. Remake of the Halo 3 map Standoff.
  • Guillotine – A Forged Big Team Battle map. Remake of the Halo 2 map Headlong.
  • Orion – A Forged Arena map.
  • Pegasus – A Forged Arena map.
• Breakout Arena - A dedicated Forge map used in the Breakout mode, set in an orbital UNSC training arena with a holographic floor.
  • Altitude - A Forged map used in the Breakout mode.
  • Crossfire - A Forged map used in the Breakout mode.
  • Gambol - A Forged map used in the Breakout mode.
  • Trench - A Forged map used in the Breakout mode.
  • Trident - A Forged map used in the Breakout mode.
• Coliseum – An Arena map set on a Forerunner structure inside a Burn, used to train Warrior-Servants for combat against the Flood.
• Eden – An asymmetrical remix of Empire at night.
• Empire – A human urban-themed Arena map with a symmetrical layout.
• Fathom – An Arena map set in an undersea base.
• Glacier – A large snow and ice covered Forge map set beside a cliff with a giant ravine cut down the middle.
  • Antifreeze – A Forged Big Team Battle map inspired by the Halo: Combat Evolved map Ice Fields and Halo 4 map Meltdown.
  • Grifball Court - A map specifically for the Grifball gametype.
  • Recurve - A Forged Big Team Battle map inspired by the Halo 4 map Longbow.
• Mercy - Arena map and remake of the Halo 4 map Haven, set on Sanghelios.
• Molten - A remix of the Arena map The Rig, set in an industrial facility on Ruthersburg.
• Overgrowth – A remix of the Arena map Plaza, set in an overgrown urban environment.
• Parallax – A "skybox only" Forge map set in interplanetary space.
  • Entombed – A Forged Big Team Battle map inspired by the Halo 2 map Burial Mounds.
• Plaza – An asymmetrical map dedicated for Arena, set in the back alleys of a human city.
• Regret – A remix of the Arena map Truth, set in the now overgrown wreckage of the ship after its crash-landing on Alpha Halo.
• Riptide - A remix of the Arena map Fathom, set on a Created-controlled world.
• Stasis - A remix of the Arena map Torque, set on a crashed habitat ring on an icy planet.
• The Rig – An asymmetrical map dedicated for Arena, set on a mining rig on Meridian.
• Tidal - A Forge map set over open water.
• Torque - Arena map, set on the Created-controlled Auriga Station.
• Truth – A remake of the Halo 2 map Midship. Arena map set on one of the ships attached to the Fleet of Particular Justice in a re-imagining of the Battle of Installation 04.
• Tyrant - Arena map, set on intact Forerunner structures remaining in the Zeta Hydronis Secundus system.

Warzone maps

• Attack on Sanctum - Set in a Sangheili temple on Sanghelios.
  • Temple - A remix of Attack on Sanctum dedicated for Warzone Assault.
• Battle of Noctus – Set in an urban environment.
  • Urban - A remix of Battle of Noctus dedicated for Warzone Assault.
• Escape from ARC – Set in a human mining facility in an ocean on Alluvion.
  • Dispatch – A remix of Escape from ARC dedicated for Warzone Assault.
• March on Stormbreak – Set in and around a snowy mountain base on Kamchatka.
  • Summit – A remix of March on Stormbreak dedicated for Warzone Assault.
• Raid on Apex 7 – Set on a tropical island with a large Forerunner structure in the center.
  • Array – A remix of Raid on Apex 7 dedicated for Warzone Assault.
• Skirmish at Darkstar - Set at Darkstar Station on Meridian.
  • Prospect - A remix of Skirmish at Darkstar dedicated for Warzone Assault.

Armor permutations

Main article: Armor customization (Halo 5: Guardians)

The player can only choose from a standard Spartan model. There are several armor permutations which can be combined, though unlike previous games, only the helmet, visor, and armor can be customized. All armor permutations do not have any effects on gameplay. They are unlocked by opening REQ packs.

Marketing

E3 2013 teaser

Main article: Halo Xbox One announcement trailer

In their E3 2013 conference, Microsoft showed a teaser trailer intended to showcase the future direction of the Halo franchise on the Xbox One. Rather than announcing Halo 5 in particular, the trailer announced the presence of the Halo franchise on the new console, set to debut in 2014 with a then-unspecified Halo title.

The teaser opens with a hooded figure journeying through a desert on an alien world. The figure, revealed to be John-117 clad in battered MJOLNIR armor, clutches Cortana's empty data crystal chip as he encounters an enormous Forerunner machine rising from the sand.

Multiplayer Beta teaser

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta announcement trailer

First shown during Microsoft's E3 2014 press conference, this announcement trailer unveils the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta. It depicts Blue and Red teams of SPARTAN-IVs in War Games training aboard a dedicated space station.

Multiplayer Beta First Look

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta First Look

First shown during Microsoft's Gamescom 2014, this trailer presents the first details of the Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta available in Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Multiplayer Beta: Behind the Scenes

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta: Behind the Scenes

A Behind The Scenes feature released on November 10, 2014, detailing the new features and development of the Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer beta.

The Sprint

Main article: The Sprint

The Sprint was a digital series which presented the development of Halo 5: Guardians, with the first season focusing on the Multiplayer Beta, the second on developing the footage for E3 2015, and the third on the campaign.

Multiplayer Beta Trailer

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta trailer

The trailer was revealed in December 18, 2014, and presents new gameplay of several weapons, game modes, and maps.

Halo 5: Guardians cover art puzzle

Between Saturday, April 25 and Tuesday, April 28, 2015 Halo fans from around the world searched for 117 pieces of an image. These pieces of the image were found in emails from Microsoft, Twitch, YouTube videos, and Xbox.com before the puzzle was completed revealing the final Halo 5: Guardians cover art. Coincidentally, Rob Semsey, senior communications manager for the Halo franchise, claimed that the puzzle was completed at 1:17 pm PST. Shortly after the puzzle's completion an animated version of the poster was uploaded to YouTube featuring some of the Halo 5: Guardians soundtrack.

Hunt the Truth

Main article: Hunt the Truth

Hunt the Truth, stylized as HUNT the TRUTH, was a marketing campaign for Halo 5: Guardians. It featured audio logs, blog posts and other media posted online and spanned two seasons. The first season centered on journalist Benjamin Giraud's hunt for the truth about the Master Chief's origins, while the second season continued the story, now focusing on the supposed rebel leader "FERO" who helped Giraud during the first season.

Character advertisements

Main articles: All Hail, The Cost

Two live-action trailers featuring a confrontation between Agent Locke and the Master Chief from both characters' respective points of view were released on March 29, 2015.

Spartan Locke Armor Ad

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Spartan Locke Armor Set Gamestop Ad

A CGI trailer featuring Spartan Locke fighting Jul 'Mdama's Covenant forces on Sanghelios was released on April 20, 2015.

Cinematic trailer

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians E3 Cinematic trailer

During the E3 Xbox Media Briefing on June 15, 2015, 343 Industries released a cinematic trailer, showcasing some cutscenes from the game and establishing the premise. It was followed by the demo.

Demonstration video

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians E3 2015 Campaign Demo

The gameplay demonstration picks up from the scene shown last in the cinematic trailer, depicting Fireteam Osiris as they track John-117 through Sunaion in the midst of a battle. The demonstration showcases the use of Spartan abilities, the ATS, the squad interaction system, and the new weapon plasma caster. It also introduces a new type of enemy, the Armiger Soldier, and the new Forerunner character Warden Eternal.

Warzone trailer

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Warzone Trailer

A trailer released on the same day as the cinematic trailer and gameplay demonstration announces the new gametype Warzone. The trailer showcases the multiplayer level Escape from ARC as well as Warzone gameplay.

E3 Hololens Experience

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians E3 Hololens Experience

At E3 2015, Microsoft had a Hololens presentation set up to show off Warzone. The presentation is 'set' aboard UNSC Infinity and has Sarah Palmer explain how the gametype works.

Halo 5: Guardians ViDoc: Warzone

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians ViDoc: Warzone

A documentary released on June 15, 2015, showcases the development of the multiplayer mode, Warzone.

Halo 5: Guardians ViDoc: A Hero Reborn

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians ViDoc: A Hero Reborn

This documentary focuses on the development of the Halo 5: Guardians campaign.

Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation

Halo 5: Guardians as seen in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation.

In the 2015 spy thriller film Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, a prerelease version of Halo 5: Guardians including an unofficial game box art alongside other unverified Xbox One game boxes as product placement in the film in a scene involving actor Simon Pegg's character, Benji Dunn, playing a match of Team Slayer on the map Regret. On the game box art, the version of Halo 5: Guardians is called "Halo 5: Guardians Self-Destruct Edition" as a reference to the said film franchise's long-standing motif of spy equipment self-destructing following the delivery of secretive information. The film was released in North America on July 31, 2015.

Gamescom Multiplayer trailer

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer trailer

At Gamescom 2015, a multiplayer trailer was shown.

Opening Cinematic trailer

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Opening Cinematic

A trailer released on August 31, 2015, showcasing the game's second cutscene.

REQ System Tutorial

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians REQ System Tutorial

A tutorial video released on September 17, 2015, of Mister Chief explaining the new REQ system.

Blue Team Opening Cinematic trailer

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Blue Team Opening Cinematic

A trailer released on September 23, 2015, showcasing the cinematic for the Halo 5: Guardians mission Blue Team.

A Hero Falls and The Hunt Begins TV trailers

Main articles: A Hero Falls, The Hunt Begins

The minute-long live-action trailer, A Hero Falls, debuted September 27, 2015, on Sunday Night Football. It was followed five days later by a longer trailer, The Hunt Begins, which had been leaked. This trailer's officially planned debut was during a commercial break of Fear the Walking Dead on October 4, 2015.

Launch Gameplay Trailer

Main article: Halo 5: Guardians Launch Gameplay Trailer

The Halo 5: Guardians Launch Gameplay trailer debuted October 12, 2015, two weeks before the game's release. It shows several aspects of the campaign.

Merchandise

Features	Standard	Limited Edition	Limited Collector's Edition
Image of contents
Game disc & 2 weeks XBL Gold	Yes	Yes	Yes
Halo: The Fall of Reach Animated Series	No	Yes	Yes
Guardian model by Metal Earth®	No	Yes	Yes
Uniquely-designed Spartan themed SteelBook®	No	Yes	Yes
Spartan Locke’s Classified Orders	No	Yes	Yes
Dossiers on Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris	No	Yes	Yes
14 Premium Warzone Requisition packs	No	Yes	Yes
Commemorative statue of John-117 and Jameson Locke	No	No	Yes

A limited edition Xbox One based on the game is available for preorder from the Microsoft Store, Amazon, and Gamestop.

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  Profile of Chief and Locke given with Halo merchandise to popular Halo personalities

Editions

On December 28, 2014, Microsoft announced three editions of Halo 5: Guardians that are available for preorder. The standard edition includes a poster for those who preorder and retails at $59.99 USD. The Limited Edition, retailing at $99.99 USD, includes a Warzone REQ Bundle of 14 Premium Requisition packs, Halo: The Fall of Reach - Animated Series, Guardian model by Metal Earth®, Spartan Locke’s Classified Orders, dossiers on Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris, an Xbox Live Gold 14-day Trial, and is packaged in a uniquely-designed Spartan themed SteelBook®. Available for $249.99 USD, the Limited Collector's Edition includes all bonuses given with the Limited Edition, as well as a digital copy of the game and a commemorative numbered statue of John-117 and Jameson Locke, designed by 343 Industries. A limited edition Xbox One console is also available for $499.99 USD. There are also limited edition controllers for styles such as the Jameson Locke and john-117 controllers.

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  The Standard, Limited, and Limited Collector's Editions

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  Limited Edition contents

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  Limited Collector's Edition contents

Pre-order bonuses

Those who pre-ordered from Gamestop received HUNTER-class Mjolnir armor for use in multiplayer upon launch. Gamestop also offered the Sentinel Battle Rifle with laser targeter and the Bloodthirst Battle Rifle weapon skin. Consumers who pre-ordered from Amazon received the long barrel Projection SMG.

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  Image for the digital Pre-order bonus

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  Gamestop: The MJOLNIR Hunter armor

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  Gamestop: The Sentinel BR85N with Laser Targeter variant, and BR Bloodthirst skin

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  Gamestop: Rampant Visor

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  Gamestop: Liang Dortmund Emblem Pack

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  Amazon: The Projection SMG with Long Barrel variant, and SMG Potence skin

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  Amazon: Saturnine Visor

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  Best Buy: Whole set plus MJOLNIR Athlon Iccus armor

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  Best Buy: The Longshot Assault Rifle with Recoil Compensator, and AR Steel Skin

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  Best Buy: Dianthus Visor

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  Microsoft Store: The Recon Assault Rifle with Energy Bayonet, and AR Lagrange Skin

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  ?????: The Recon DMR with Silencer variant, and DMR Clash skin

Gallery

Promotional artwork

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  Angled view of the preliminary game case

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  Preliminary box art for the Limited Edition

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  Preliminary box art for the Limited Collector's Edition

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  Promotional wallpaper released upon the announcement of the Halo 5: Guardians title

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  Preliminary box art

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  Promotional poster depicting Master Chief and Spartan Locke.

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  A promotional image for the beta.

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  Hunt the Truth promotional wallpaper.

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  Final cover art for the game.

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  Blue Team in the animated poster.

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  Fireteam Osiris in the animated poster.

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  Game Informer cover art.

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  An illustration of Blue Team, Fireteam Osiris, and the Warden Eternal.

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  An illustration of Blue Team, Fireteam Osiris, and a Guardian.

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  An alternate version of an illustration of Blue Team, Fireteam Osiris, and a Guardian.

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  A wallpaper made resembling John-117‘s GEN2 Mark VI class Mjolnir visor.

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  A wallpaper made resembling Jameson Locke’s HUNTER-class Mjolnir visor.

Campaign screenshots

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  An early version of the Master Chief's heads-up display in Halo 5: Guardians

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  Blue Team engaged in combat

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  Blue Team; note the digital camouflage pattern in the bodysuit

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  Blue Team with various weapons

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  Arbiter Thel 'Vadam conversing with Agent Locke

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  Swords of Sanghelios air forces over Sunaion

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  Fireteam Osiris with Arbiter Thel 'Vadam and his troops

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  Locke observing a Guardian during the Battle of Sunaion

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  Fireteam Osiris facing a Armiger Soldier.

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  Locke confronts Chief.

Multiplayer screenshots

Halo 5: Guardians Multiplayer Beta

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  The map Truth.

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  The map Empire.

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  The map Crossfire.

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  The map Eden.

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  Two Spartans in Breakout.

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  A first person view.

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  Red Team.

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  A Spartan sporting a skin on his armor.

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  Spartans engaging in a fight.

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  A Spartan in Recon armor wielding the new rocket launcher.

Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer

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  Red team launches into a game of Breakout.

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  Blue and Red back-to-back.

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  Heavy weaponry in the large-scale Warzone.

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  Engaging hostile Promethean AI.

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  Facing off against a Knight Strategos, one of the many bosses in the Warzone mode.

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  Competition for Hunter kills.

Renders

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  Spartan Jameson Locke and the Master Chief

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  The playable characters in the game; Fireteam Osiris and Blue Team

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  Fireteam Osiris

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  Holly Tanaka and Olympia Vale

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  Dr. Catherine Halsey

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  The Warden Eternal, a newly introduced enemy.

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  An Unggoy Storm

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  A Sangheili Storm

Concept art

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  Three of the four final members of Blue Team. Note the unknown Spartan or armor variant to the right.

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  Three of the four final members of Fireteam Osiris. Note Gabriel Thorne in place of Edward Buck.

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  Early concept art of the Didact.

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  UNSC Infinity stationed above a human settlement.

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  A location on Sanghelios.

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  The multiplayer map Empire.

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  The multiplayer map Truth.

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  A competitive multiplayer encounter.

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  Concept art of Red Team dominating. Note the weapon attachments.

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  The Escape from ARC Warzone map

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  A human city for All Hail and The Cost.

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  A location on Genesis.

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  The Battle of Kamchatka.

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  A Sanghelios concept titled "Stonebound".

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  A cavern on Meridian.

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  The multiplayer map Fathom.

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  Fireteam Osiris dropping on Kamchatka.

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  Sunaion.

Logos

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  Halo 5: Guardians logo with a transparent background

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  Halo 5: Guardians logo on a dark background

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  The logo on a white background

External links

• Official website
• Halo 5: Guardians on Wikipedia