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Halo Waypoint: Difference between revisions

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{{Era|RW}}
{{Title|''Halo Waypoint''}}
{{Ratings}}
{{Status|RealWorld}}
[[File:Halo Waypoint logo.jpg|250px|right]]
{{Center|''Were you looking for [[Waypoint]], a UNSC news source, or [[Navigation point]], also called "waypoint"?''}}
'''Halo Waypoint''' is a central hub for ''Halo''-related content. The hub, which is accessed through [[Xbox Live]], is available to Xbox Live Gold members. It was released by [[343 Industries]] as part of the Xbox Fall Update on November 5 [[2009]].
{{Game infobox
|name= ''Halo Waypoint''
|image= [[File:HaloWaypointlogo.png|300px]]
|developer= [[Certain Affinity]] and [[343 Industries]]
|publisher= [[Microsoft Studios]]
|platform= [http://www.halowaypoint.com/ Website]<br>
Xbox 360 (obsolete)<br>
Mobile devices
|releasedate=September 26 [[2009]] (Website)<br>
November 5, 2009 (Xbox 360)<br>
December [[2011]] (Mobile)
September 29, [[2021]] (Mobile re-launch)
|rating= [[Wikipedia:Entertainment Software Ratings Board|ESRB]]: Mature (M) for Blood and Gore, Language, Violence<br>
[[Wikipedia:Computer Entertainment Rating Organization|CERO]]: (C) Ages 15 & up<br>
[[Wikipedia:Pan European Game Information|PEGI]]: 16+ (Europe only)
}}


==Content==
'''Halo Waypoint''' is the official online portal for all ''Halo''-related content. It showcases ''Halo'' news, updates, lore, stats, and other related ''Halo'' materials.
Halo Waypoint provides users with various kinds of ''Halo'' information, including information on members of the ''Halo'' community, various [[machinima]] videos, and gameplay strategies and tutorials. It will also allow players to access their own gameplay-related data, tracking "milestones" and progress through multiple games in the series.


===Weekly content===
==Overview==
Halo Waypoint will consist of new updates and features every day of the week, with each day highlighting a different aspect of the Halo Universe.
[[File:Waypoint banner 2012.png|thumb|250px|Halo Waypoint's official banner.]]
<!-- Should a definition list (;) be used instead? - DavidJCobb -->
Halo Waypoint provides users with various kinds of ''Halo'' information, including information on members of the ''Halo'' community, various [[machinima]] videos and gameplay strategies and tutorials. It also allows players to access their own gameplay-related data. Most major announcements regarding the ''Halo'' series are also posted at Waypoint.
*'''Spotlight''': Every Monday, interesting ''Halo'' personae (ranging from community site leaders to comic artists and authors) will be featured and interviewed.
*'''Beyond the Games''': On Tuesdays, various kinds of ''Halo'' merchandise will be featured, and yet-to-be-released items will be previewed.
*'''Community Day''': On Wednesdays, Halo Waypoint will focus entirely on the ''Halo'' community, showcasing user-created content and featuring the top ''Halo'' fansites.
*'''Machinima''': On Thursdays, ''Halo'' [[machinima]] will be featured.
*'''Strategy''': On Fridays, various gameplay-related tips and tricks will be featured.
*'''Halo Legends''': On Saturdays, prior to it's release, exclusive previews and behind-the-scenes episodes of ''[[Halo Legends]]'' were be featured.
*'''Fiction''': On Sundays, various aspects of the ''Halo'' series' canon will be covered, and questions regarding the various media in the series will be answered.


===Career information===
==Versions==
Halo Waypoint displays a player's progress through the ''Halo'' games using ''milestones'' and ''awards''. Milestones are achieved as a player's ''Halo'' gamerscore increases. ''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', and ''[[Halo Wars]]'' all support milestones, and future games will support it as well, although ''[[Halo 2 Vista]]'' and its achievements are currently not supported. Originally there were forty milestones, but on January 6, 2010, it was raised to fifty via a title update. Earning achievements can also unlock [[Halo Waypoint Awards|avatar awards]]
*Waypoint is accessible online at halowaypoint.com as the primary ''Halo'' website.<ref>[http://halo.xbox.com/en-us '''Halo Waypoint''' website]</ref>
*A mobile version of Halo Waypoint was released for the Windows Phone 7 (and later 8), iOS, and Android platforms for free, though it lacked a number of features found on the web and Xbox versions. An additional feature called ATLAS was released in December 2011 which showed detailed diagrams of ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' multiplayer maps and near real time game player and weapon location stats in Matchmaking and Custom Games. ATLAS was free on the Windows Phone 7 and available for $4.99 on iOS and Android.<ref>[http://blogs.halo.xbox.com/Headlines/post/2011/12/08/The-Halo-Bulletin-12811-.aspx '''Halo Waypoint''': ''The Halo Bulletin 12.8.11'']</ref> 343 Industries discontinued support for the Waypoint the original mobile apps on August 1, 2014.<ref name="dscntd">[https://blogs.halowaypoint.com/en-us/blogs/headlines/posts/The-Halo-Bulletin-22614 '''Halo Waypoint''': ''The Halo Bulletin 2.26.14'']</ref> <br>On September 29, 2021, a new version of the app was released on iOS and Android.


Halo Awards are medals that a player can earn by unlocking related [[achievement]]s in the ''Halo'' games; essentially, they are groupings of achievements. As an example, the Vehicle Specialist award is unlocked after completing several vehicle-related achievements. Awards are also given in ''tiers''; the more achievements a player unlocks, the higher the tier of their award will become. (For example, completing "extra" vehicle-related achievements will increase the Vehicle Specialist award's tier.)
===Succession & Restoration===
The [[Halo Channel]] was a next-generation iteration of the Waypoint concept and is available on the [[Xbox One]] and [[Wikipedia:Windows 8.1|Windows 8.1]].<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-gb/halo-channel '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Halo Channel'']</ref> The Halo Waypoint website received a visual and organizational overhaul on October 14, 2014 in preparation for the release of the Halo Channel and ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]''.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/community/blog-posts/welcome-to-the-new-halo-waypoint '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Welcome to the New Halo Waypoint'']</ref>


===Intel===
Following the release of ''The Master Chief Collection'' on PC the game's [[terminal]]s , which previously could only be viewed through the Halo Channel, were incorporated into the game itself. The Halo Channel ceased to be updated, its various other functions were absorbed back into the web and mobile versions of Halo Waypoint, and as such, Halo Channel was rendered obsolete.
Halo Waypoint also offers ''Halo''-related news and grants access to exclusive content. Such content includes podcasts, trailers, screenshots, sketchbooks, videos, and, as previously mentioned, exclusive previews of ''Halo Legends''. It has also been confirmed that full episodes of ''Halo Legends'' will be available on Halo Waypoint. Though they are free and require no downloading, though they are usually only on Waypoint for a single day.


===The Fiction===
==History==
The Fiction content contains articles and videos by former [[Ascendant Justice (Blog)|Ascendant Justice]] staff, Vociferous and Cocopjojo, each detailing a specific aspect of the Halo universe. There are five sub-categories to the Fiction content, Characters, Armory, Ships, Locations and History. The most common format of these entries is a written article, containing a gallery of related images, usually screenshots from the Halo games. Some entries include only a video, and in some cases, an intro video and three written parts.
On July 23, [[2009]] Halo Waypoint was announced as an Xbox 360 application that would feature several ''[[Halo Legends]]'' videos.<ref>[http://news.microsoft.com/2009/07/23/halo-universe-breaks-new-ground-with-unveiling-of-halo-legends-anime-project/#sm.0000jpu1ewkxvem8vk521bgd16bed “Halo” Universe Breaks New Ground With Unveiling of “Halo Legends” Anime Project]</ref>


====Armory====
The Halo Waypoint website launched September 2009. The site provided basic information on the Halo franchise detailing the games, and also supplied weekly updates involving the Halo Community, but it lacked the stat tracking and achievement records the subsequently released console app featured.<ref>[
The weapons, vehicles and equipment found within the story of Halo.
https://web.archive.org/web/20090926023404/http://www.halo.xbox.com/en-us Internet archive link to the earliest Halo Waypoint site]</ref> Following this, many marketing sites for Halo, including the ''[[Halo Wars Launch Site]]''.
*'''[[D77C-NMPD Pelican Dropship|NMPD Pelican]]''' - [[Dropship 77-Troop Carrier|D77]] Civilian Pelican - [[New Mombasa Police Department]] ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[Single Occupant Exoatmospheric Insertion Vehicle|Drop Pod]]''' - A method of troop deployment. ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[Magnetic Accelerator Cannon|Gauss Technology]]''' - Magnetic acceleration in combat. ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[Open Frame 92/Extra-Vehicular Activity|Booster Frame]]''' - Open Frame 92/Extra-Vehicular Activity. ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[Visual Intelligence System, Reconnaissance|VISR]]''' - Visual reconnaissance technology for field operations. ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[AC-220 Vulture Gunship|Vulture]]''' - AC-220 Vulture Gunship ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[MAAT-9 Wolverine|Wolverine]]''' - M9 Wolverine MAAT ''(Text and images)''


====Characters====
On October 19, 2009 the Xbox 360 Halo Waypoint was first shown in a preview video, and on October 30 it was available to Xbox Preview members.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkRIzrQOal0 Halo Waypoint Preview]</ref>
The individuals and players found within the story of Halo.
*'''[[The Face of Regret]]''' - A look at the [[Prophet of Regret]]. ''(Four parts, first part a video)''
*'''[[Taylor H. Miles|Heavy Weapons Specialist Dutch]]''' - Corporal Taylor H. Miles ''(Video)''
*'''[[Michael Baird|Sergeant Mike Baird]]''' - The last battle aboard The Heart of Midlothian. ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[Ellen Anders|Professor Ellen Anders]]''' - The resident scientist of the UNSC Spirit of Fire. ''(Video)''


====Factions====
On November 5, 2009 the Halo Waypoint app on Xbox 360 was publicly released.
The different species and organizations found within the story of Halo.
*'''[[Jiralhanae|Rise of the Brutes]]''' - A brief look at the history of the Jiralhanae. ''(Video)''


====History====
On August 4, [[2010]] a Beta forum was added to the website which allowed communication between Halo fans on the site. That same day, many marketing sites for previously released ''Halo'' media, such as the ''[[Halo Wars Launch Site]]'', were removed and redirected to the Halo Waypoint site instead. On December 15, 2010, the [[Halowars.com]] forums went offline and were subsequently merged with the Halo Waypoint forums.<ref>[http://www.halowars.com/forums/1/953396/ShowThread.aspx '''Halowars.com''': ''Halo Waypoint Transition (Please Read)'']</ref>
The events, [[Battle|military operations]] and [[technology]] which shaped the story of Halo.
*'''[[Ten Twenty]]''' - The events on and around [[2552#October|October 20, 2552]]. ''(Four Parts, first part a video)''
*'''The Secret Below Harvest''' - The Halo Wars story retold. Part 1 of 5. ''(Video)''
*'''Battle for Arcadia''' - The Halo Wars story retold. Part 2 of 5. ''(Video)''
*'''The Shield World''' - The Halo Wars story retold. Part 3 of 5. ''(Video)''
*'''The Forerunner Fleet''' - The Halo Wars story retold. Part 4 of 5. ''(Video)''
*'''Lost with All Hands''' - The Halo Wars story retold. Part 5 of 5. ''(Video)''
*'''The Long Road Home''' - A look at the story in between Halo 2 and Halo 3. ''(Video)''


====Locations====
On September 14, 2010 the website was redesigned. This redesign removed the timeline feature and previously found on the site, and a footer at the bottom of the page that changed every time the page refreshed.
The [[Milky Way Galaxy|galaxy]]-spanning places which are visited during the story of Halo.
*'''[[Uplift Nature Reserve|Uplift Reserve]]''' - [[New Mombasa]]'s [[New Mombasa Uplift|corporate]]-funded nature preserve. ''(Video)''
*'''[[Space Elevator|Space Tether]]''' - The mechanics and purpose of the orbital space elevator ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[Arcadia (Planet)|Arcadia]]''' - A critical outer colony early in the war with the Covenant. ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[Shield World]]''' - A Forerunner shelter from the firing of the Halo Array.''(Text and images)''


====Ships====
On February 26, [[2011]] a Beta stat tracker was added for ''Halo: Reach'' on the forums.
The [[fleet]]s, ships and other space-faring vehicles which exist within the story of Halo.
*'''[[UNSC Say My Name]]''' - Warship at the frontlines during the events of Halo 3: ODST... ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[Modular Dispersal Technology]]''' - An ancient technology repurposed. ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[CCS-class Battlecruiser|Battlecruiser]]''' - A detailed look at the infamous Covenant ship. ''(Text and images)''
*'''[[UNSC The Heart of Midlothian]]''' - A significant UNSC warship during the conflict with the Covenant. ''(Text and images)''


==Awards==
On September 8, 2011 a Gamma forum was created for the testing features that was going to be used in the final build of the forums. This subsequently lead to the Beta forum ending and leading to the final build of the forum to be completed.
'''Halo Waypoint Awards''' are awards earned in Halo Waypoint. They are unlocked by playing Halo games in the series, mainly ''[[Halo 3]]'' and ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''. The awards unlock unique Halo related avatar accessories. There are currently 11 rewards, 5 are specific to male avatars and 5 are specific to female avatars.<ref>[http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=23588 '''Bungie.net''': ''Bungie Weekly Update: 10.30.09'']</ref>


===List of current Awards and unlocks===
On March 31, [[2012]] Halo Waypoint officially took over all record-keeping responsibilities from [[Bungie.net]].
To encourage players to use ''Waypoint'', several Awards, accessories for the player's Xbox Live Avatar, can be unlocked through ''Waypoint''. To unlock an Award, the player must complete a specific task in one of the ''Halo'' games, and then log in to ''Halo Waypoint''.


*'''Halo Waypoint Monitor:''' Log In to ''Halo Waypoint'' for the first time. An Avatar "pet", adds an idle animation to the player's Avatar in which their character summons a [[Forerunner]] [[Monitor]] who bobs and hovers around them playfully.
On October 13, 2014, the web version of ''Waypoint'' received a massive overhaul, which included the removal of some of the elements found on the site since its launch. The Xbox 360 version did not receive such an update, and as such these features could still be found there.
*'''Rookie Helmet:''' Unlocked ''Halo 3: ODST''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Campaign Complete Achievement (Any Difficulty). A 'hat' for Avatars, made in the image of the helmet worn by [[the Rookie]].
 
*'''ODST Armor:''' Unlocked ''Halo 3: ODST''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Good Samaritan (Achievement)|Good Samaritan]] Achievement. A costume for Avatars which dresses them up in a recreation of the combat armour worn by Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in ''Halo 3: ODST''.
In 2021, in preparation of the launch of ''[[Halo Infinite]]'', ''Waypoint'' once again received a visual and technical overhaul. ''Waypoint'' received support for ''[[Halo Infinite]]'', including new ways to engage with the game's system from the ''Waypoint'' website and the mobile app.{{Ref/Site|Id=|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/inside-infinite-june-2021|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=INSIDE INFINITE - JUNE 2021|Detail=|Quote=|Quotee=|D=24|M=6|Y=2021}}
*'''Black ODST Shirt:''' Unlocked Halo 3: ODST's [[Tourist (Achievement)|Tourist]] Achievement.
 
*'''ODST Hoodie:''' Unlocked Halo 3: ODST's [[Dark Times (Achievement)|Dark Times]] Achievement.
On January 13, [[2022]], all [[Xbox 360]] ''Halo'' online services were shut down, and with them the Xbox 360 version of Halo Waypoint.{{Ref/Site|Id=shutdown2|D=23|M=1|Y=2022|URL=https://www.windowscentral.com/halo-xbox-360-servers-have-been-shut-down2021|Site=Windows Central|Page=Halo Xbox 360 servers have been shut down, ending an era}}{{Ref/Site|Id=shutdown1|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/sunsetting-halo-xbox-360-game-services-in-2021|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Sunsetting Halo Xbox 360 Game Services in 2021}}
*'''Recon Helmet/Dare's Helmet:''' Unlock Halo 3: ODST's [[Vidmaster Challenge: Endure|Vidmaster: Endure]] Achievement. Unlocks a 'hat' for Avatars, made in the image of the famous [[Recon Armour|Recon]] helmet. Referred to as "Dare's helmet" when worn by female Avatars, and as "Recon" for male Avatars.
 
*'''EVA Helmet:''' Achieve Milestone level 50 in Halo Waypoint.
==Website Content==
*'''Halo: Reach Beta Hoodie:''' Participated in the [[Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta]] (Time-sensitive). A green hooded sweatshirt for Avatars with "Reach Beta Tester" written on the front.
Content on Halo Waypoint is divided into seven main categories: Games, News, Esports, Community (including Insider program and Forums), Support, and Gear (formerly Shop/Store). There is also a profile section for the user to explore their own game progress, stats, customization, and Waypoint activity.
*'''Carter's Helmet:''' Get the Halo: Reach [[Halo: Reach Limited Edition|Limited Edition]] or [[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition|Legendary Editions]].
 
*'''Kat's Helmet:''' Get the Halo: Reach [[Halo: Reach Limited Edition|Limited Edition]] or [[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition|Legendary Editions]].
===Games===
*'''Jun's Helmet:''' Get the Halo: Reach [[Halo: Reach Limited Edition|Limited Edition]] or [[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition|Legendary Editions]].
{{Main|Archive:Halo Waypoint/2009 to 2014/Games}}
*'''Emile's Helmet:''' Get the Halo: Reach [[Halo: Reach Limited Edition|Limited Edition]] or [[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition|Legendary Editions]].
Players can find information for each and every Halo game, organized by title. The web version displays only limited galleries as well as links to service records and related forums.
*'''Jorge's Helmet:''' Get the Halo: Reach [[Halo: Reach Limited Edition|Limited Edition]] or [[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition|Legendary Editions]].
 
The Xbox 360 version featured extensive galleries, as well as access to trailers and videos.
 
===News===
News gives users info on the current Halo news, such as the Halo Community Update, info on the newest game released, and so on.
 
===Esports===
Esports gives users info on Halo Esports news that is happening.
 
===Community===
The main page displays recent articles and blog posts, as well as Waypoint's Twitter and YouTube feeds. Additional links provide easy access to the newsfeed, eSports information, the Halo Community Feedback Program, [[Spartan Company|Spartan Companies]], and Waypoint forums.
 
====Forums====
An easy menu directs players to the Waypoint forums where they can discuss Halo media and content with other players. The forums originally featured several ranks and badges which could be unlocked. In 2021 the ranks were discontinued, and the badges restructured.
 
===Gear===
The Gear link redirects to the Xbox Gear Shop which features physical items for sale including clothing, action figures, books and more.
 
==Website Profile==
In the a player's profile allows them to view their basic Halo stats, recent forum activity, and Waypoint Service Awards. Players can view their basic stats for every nearly ''Halo'' FPS game from ''[[Halo 2 (Windows Vista)|Halo 2 Vista]]'' through ''[[Halo Infinite]]'' . The ''Halo Infinite'', ''Halo: MCC'', ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]'' and ''[[Halo: Fireteam Raven]]'' service records also feature links to the more extensive stats pages.  
 
===Halo Infinite service record===
The Halo Infinite service records allows users to interact with their battle passes, view challenge progression and their current ultimate reward, purchase items and credits from the store page, and view multiplayer statistics. Statistics included are total multiplayer games played, total battle pass ranks, total multiplayer kills, time played, performance for last 20 games, as well as other features. On the Halo Waypoint mobile app, customization for spartans is also available.
 
===Halo: The Master Chief Collection service record===
The MCC service record denotes MCC rank, overall statistics,  rewards unlocks for the most recent season, multiplayer statistics by game, playlist ranks, information on the player's 20 most recent multiplayer matches, and campaign progress including collectibles (terminals, skulls, audio logs), and campaign high scores and fastest times for each level both solo and co-op.
 
===Halo 5: Guardians service record===
The player's comprehensive ''Halo 5: Guardians'' includes detailed Arena, [[Warzone]] and campaign stats, game history, [[List of Halo 5: Guardians commendations|commendations]], [[List of Halo 5: Guardians medals|medals]], [[Requisition system|Requisitions]] and [[Achievements (Halo 5: Guardians)|achievements]].
 
===Halo: Fireteam Raven service record===
The [[Halo: Fireteam Raven]] service record allows users to connect their Xbox accounts to a Fireteam Raven Arcade cabinet, allowing users to save their progress to their accounts. It also allows players to see stats for levels they complete and see a global score leaderboard.
 
===Xbox 360 & Windows Vista games===
Waypoint also included only the most basic statistics pages for ''Halo'' FPS games originally released on the Xbox 360 (''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', ''Halo: Reach'', ''Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary'', and ''Halo 4'') as well as [[Halo 2 (Windows Vista)|''Halo 2'' for Windows Vista]]. Statistics displayed include: games played, kills, kill-death ratio, and achievements unlocked.
==Obsolete and Discontinued==
The following features were found on previous versions of Halo Waypoint.
===Xbox 360 version===
The Xbox 360 version of Halo Waypoint was co-developed by [[Certain Affinity]] and [[343 Industries]], and ended up leading to the cancellation of an [[Cancelled Certain Affinity Halo game|unnamed ''Halo'' game]] being pitched by Certain Affinity at the time.{{Ref/Site|Id=VICE|URL=https://www.vice.com/en/article/xwqjg3/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history|Site=VICE|Page=The Complete, Untold History of Halo: An Oral History|D=10|M=10|Y=2021}}<ref>[http://certainaffinity.com/waypoint/ '''Certain Affinity''': ''Halo Waypoint'']</ref> It was released by 343 Industries as part of the Xbox Fall Update on November 5, [[2009]]. In May [[2012]] Halo Waypoint was updated to include [[wikipedia:Kinect|Kinect]] compatibility. The Xbox 360 version was last updated with the release of ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'' in 2014; for the next seven years the application was still accessible, though the information was no longer current.
 
On January 13, [[2022]], all [[Xbox 360]] ''Halo'' online services were shut down, and as a result the Xbox 360 version of Halo Waypoint is now completely inaccessible.{{Ref/Site|Id=shutdown2|D=23|M=1|Y=2022|URL=https://www.windowscentral.com/halo-xbox-360-servers-have-been-shut-down2021|Site=Windows Central|Page=Halo Xbox 360 servers have been shut down, ending an era}}{{Ref/Site|Id=shutdown1|D=01|M=6|Y=2020|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/news/sunsetting-halo-xbox-360-game-services-in-2021|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Sunsetting Halo Xbox 360 Game Services in 2021}}
 
===Universe===
"Universe" was a section of the Halo Waypoint website which included Universe articles from after 2014. Any articles written before 2014 could only be viewed on Halo Waypoint on Xbox 360 until January 2022, when they became completely inaccessible.
 
From 2014 to 2021, the web version was updated, current, and continually expanding. Categories were Characters, Species, Factions, Weapons, Vehicles, Tech, Locations, and ONI Files ([[Conversations From the Universe]], Cold Storage Reports, [[Eleventh Hour reports]], [[Terminal (Halo 3)|Halo 3 Terminals]], OPERATION: Red Flag/ 93893, PoA Tech Communications, [[Data Drop|Reach Data Drops]]). Information was presented in text articles with accompanying images.
 
When Halo Waypoint was updated for the release of ''Halo Infinite'', the Universe section was removed.
 
===Profile===
In the web version, a player's profile allowed them to write a brief bio, view their recent forum activity, and their Waypoint badges. In 2021, the forum activity was moved to the Forums section and Waypoint badges were replaced by Service Awards.
 
A drop-down menu provided links to the service record for each game from ''Halo 2 Vista'' through ''Halo 5: Guardians''. Until September 2021, the ''Halo Wars'', ''Halo: Reach'' and ''Halo 4'' service records also featured links to the more extensive stats pages found on Waypoint and HaloWars.com prior to the October 2014 overhaul. [[Career Milestones]] were first replaced by a simple total of the [[Gamerscore]] unlocked across all ''Halo Games'' with achievements (except ''Halo 2 Vista'') which itself was completely removed in September 2021.
 
====Halo: Spartan Strike service record====
The player's ''Spartan Strike'' service record included basic statistics, mission progress and high scores, and achievements unlocked. Discontinued September 2021.
 
====Halo: Spartan Assault service record====
The player's ''Spartan Assault'' service record included basic statistics, mission progress and high scores, and achievements unlocked. Discontinued September 2021.
 
====Halo 4 service record====
The Halo 4 service record displayed the basic information of the player's ''Halo 4'' career including: Completed Specializations, Player Since, Last Played, Total Playtime, Spartan Points, [[Challenges]] Completed, Campaign Completion, [[Spartan Ops]] Completion, total Commendation progress, number of achievements unlocked, the four Top Medals earned, games played by mode (campaign, Spartan Ops, War Games, and Custom War Games), most used weapon, and most played variant.
 
Complete ''Halo 4'' statistics could be found in the Halo 4 Stats web app. Players could view detailed information regarding their play in campaign, custom and matchmaking War Games, and Spartan Ops. This included statistics, game history and progress towards current Challenges, as well as specific Achievements and Specializations progress. Players could also view Domain Terminal and Spartan Ops videos.
 
Players could view all of the same information for everyone on their Friends list, or simply compare their friend's basic stats to their own. In the Xbox 360 version, this feature was known as "Barracks".
 
Discontinued September 2021.
 
====Halo: Anniversary service record====
The Anniversary service record which outlined basic campaign progress on each level and difficulty. The record displayed [[Achievements (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|achievement]] progress, and denoted the number of [[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|Terminals]] unlocked, [[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary skulls|Skulls]] collected, and objects scanned in the library [[Library (feature)|Library]]. The terminal videos could only be viewed on the Xbox 360 version, which could be viewed by pressing "X" while in the main menu or by manually accessing the "Classified" menu.
Discontinued September 2021.
 
====Halo: Reach Stats====
The ''Halo: Reach'' service record outlined a player's '''Service Record''', '''Stats''' (including weapons stats), '''Game History''', and '''Challenges'''. The PC version of Waypoint also allowed players to view [[Medals]] and [[Commendations]], '''File Share''', '''File Sets''', '''Recent Screenshots''', '''Xbox Downloads''' and '''Tag History'''. Bungie.net medals did not appear on Halo Waypoint.{{Ref/Note|List of "Bungie.net Medals" ([[Triple Double]], [[Avenge Me]], [[Bros to the End]], [[Thank the Maker]], [[Funkadelic]], [[Party Animal]], [[Love Machine]], [[Steaktacular]], [[Linktacular]], [[H. Ryan Memorial]], [[Seek and Destroy]], [[Ennobled]], [[Big Game Hunter]], and [[Wildcat Destabilizer]])}} Originally, players could view and compare their detailed ''Reach'' stats with their friends' in the web version. This was discontinued in 2014, however on the Xbox 360 version under '''Halo: Reach Service Record''' players could compare their basic ''Reach'' stats using "Friend Compare" and their general career stats using "Player Card Compare".
 
The service record features an image of the player's in-game Spartan armor. On August 1, 2014, this image ceased to be updated.{{Ref/Reuse|dscntd}} The service record itself was discontinued in September 2021.
 
===Xbox 360 exclusive features===
Most of the following features were once found on the web version of Waypoint. From 2014-2022 they could still be viewed on the Xbox 360 version. Following the shutdown of Xbox 360 ''Halo'' online services on January 13, 2022, they are now completely inaccessible and cannot be viewed at all.
 
====Universe====
Found in the main menu was a list of Universe entries on places, people, vehicles, and so on. These specific entries were not the same as the ones on the website.
 
====Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn====
Found in the main menu, "Forward Unto Dawn" was available to players who have either paid for access to [[Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn]] or purchased the [[Halo 4 Limited Edition]]. Players could view exclusive photo galleries and watch the complete film, bonus videos, and character interviews.
 
====Halo 4 Intel====
{{Main|Halo 4 Interactive Guide}}
Previously known as the Halo 4 Interactive Guide on the Website. Players could obtain detailed information about ''Halo 4'' in this guide. Information was organized in the following subheadings: Basics, Story, Enemies, War Games, Weapons, Vehicles, and Armor.
 
===Waypoint career===
The player's Waypoint Career recorded a player's progress through the entire ''Halo'' series. The Waypoint Career displayed Career Milestones, Awards, and basic individual stats summaries for all eight games, including ''Halo 2 Vista''.
 
====Career milestones====
{{Main|Career milestones}}
Milestones were achieved as a player's ''Halo'' gamerscore increased. Only Xbox 360, Windows 8, and Windows Phone 8 achievements contributed to career milestones. [[Halo 2 (Windows Vista)|''Halo 2'' for Windows Vista]] and [[Xbox One]] achievements were not supported.
The original cap of forty milestones at launch was increased incrementally with the release of additional games and achievements. The number was raised to its final level, 100, on July 15, 2013.
 
====Awards====
Halo Awards were medals that a player could earn by unlocking related [[achievement]]s in the ''Halo'' games; essentially, they were groupings of achievements. As an example, the Vehicle Specialist award was unlocked after completing several vehicle-related achievements. Awards were also given in ''tiers''; the more achievements a player unlocked, the higher the tier of their award would become. (For example, completing "extra" vehicle-related achievements would increase the Vehicle Specialist award's tier.) Tiers were indicated by the number of lines at the top of the awards, just beneath the ribbon. Locked awards appeared silver; once a player has reached a high enough tier, the awards became gold. Only achievements on the Xbox 360 were listed on Waypoint, and as such [[Achievements (Halo 2)|''Halo 2 Vista'']] and Xbox One achievements were not included. [[Achievements (Halo 4)|''Halo 4'' achievements]] and [[Achievements (Halo: Spartan Assault)|''Halo: Spartan Assault'']] were only added to the [[Joint Service, Elite]] award.
{{Waypoint Awards}}
 
====Achievements====
The Xbox 360 version of Waypoint allowed players to view every ''Halo'' achievement from every ''Halo'' game released on the Xbox 360, as well as the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 versions of ''Halo: Spartan Assault''. The achievements could be viewed from their own record in the Waypoint Career menu. ''Halo 2 Vista'' and Xbox One achievements were not included.
 
The web version of Waypoint allowed players to view these same achievements, which were instead displayed in their respective service records.
 
===Classified===
{{Main|Halo Waypoint Classified}}
Terminals and other unlockables were recorded under Classified. There were five separate Data Sets: Alpha Halo Archive, Requiem Archive I, Requiem Archive II,  Section 3 Archive, and Draetheus V Archive. These were found though numerous ways, most notably through the [[Section 3 ARG]].
 
===Avatar Awards===
Several [[Avatar (Xbox 360)|avatar awards]]) could be unlocked through the Xbox 360 version of ''Waypoint''. To unlock an Award, the player had to complete a specific task in one of the ''Halo'' games and then open ''Halo Waypoint'' on their Xbox 360 while signed in on their Xbox Live profile. There are 10 avatar items which could be unlocked and vary from a Monitor prop to armor variants such as ODST helmets.<ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&cid=23588 '''Bungie.net''': ''Bungie Weekly Update: 10.30.09'']</ref>
====List of avatar awards====
*'''Halo Waypoint Monitor:''' Log In to ''Halo Waypoint'' for the first time. An Avatar 'prop' which adds an idle animation to the player's Avatar in which their character summons a [[Forerunner]] [[Monitor]] who bobs and hovers around them playfully.
*'''Rookie Helmet:''' Unlocked ''Halo 3: ODST''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s Campaign Complete Achievement (Any difficulty). A 'hat' for Avatars, made in the image of the helmet worn by [[the Rookie]].
*'''ODST Armor:''' Unlock ''Halo 3: ODST''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Good Samaritan]] Achievement. A costume for Avatars which dresses them up in a recreation of the combat armor worn by Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in ''Halo 3: ODST''.
*'''Black ODST Shirt:''' Unlock ''Halo 3: ODST''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Tourist]] Achievement.
*'''ODST Hoodie:''' Unlock ''Halo 3: ODST''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Dark Times]] Achievement.
*'''Recon Helmet/Dare's Helmet:''' Unlock ''Halo 3: ODST''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s [[Vidmaster Challenge: Endure|Vidmaster: Endure]] Achievement. Unlocks a 'hat' for Avatars, made in the image of the famous [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI/R variant|Recon]] helmet. Referred to as "Dare's helmet" when worn by female Avatars and as "Recon" for male Avatars.
*'''EVA Helmet:''' Achieve Milestone level 50 in Halo Waypoint. Comes in red or blue color schemes.
*'''Halo: Reach Beta Hoodie:''' Participated in the [[Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta]]. A green hooded sweatshirt for Avatars with "Reach Beta Tester" written on the front and the [[Noble Team]] emblem on one shoulder.
*'''Halo 4 - RAIDER Helmet:''' Unlock all technical specs for the RAIDER Spartan-IV armor variant.
*'''Halo 4 - Raider DSTT Helmet:''' Unlock all technical specs for the Raider DSTT Spartan-IV armor variant.
 
===Unlockable ''Reach'' Armor===
Players could also unlock [[seven]] armor pieces for ''Halo: Reach'' in a similar manner to the avatar awards. These pieces could only be viewed on the Xbox 360 version of Waypoint under the '''Halo: Reach Service Record'''. The following were unlockable in-game content:<ref>[http://www.readyuplive.com/showthread.php/5790-X-10-Canada-Halo-Reach-Impressions'''Ready Up Live''': ''X'10 Canada - Halo: Reach Impressions'']</ref><ref>[http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BWU_070910 '''Gamestop''': ''Bungie Weekly Update: 07.09.10'']</ref>
 
*'''[[Military police|Military Police]] (Base):''' Reach Waypoint Career Milestone 15 and unlock [[The Soldier We Needed You To Be]] [[achievement]] from [[Halo: Reach]].
*'''Military Police (CBRN/HU/RS):''' Reach Waypoint Career Milestone 20, unlock the [[Pink and Deadly]] achievement from [[Halo 3: ODST]] and the Military Police (Base) Helmet.
*'''Military Police (HU/RS/CNM):''' Reach Waypoint Career Milestone 25, unlock the [[Fear the Pink Mist]] achievement from [[Halo 3]], the [[A Spoonful of Blamite]] achievement from Halo: Reach and the Military Police (CBRN/HU/RS) Helmet.
*'''[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/C variant|CQB]] (Base):''' Reach Waypoint Career Milestone 20 and unlock the [[Folks Need Heroes...]] achievement from [[Halo: Reach]].
*'''CQB (HU/RS/CNM):''' Reach Waypoint Career Milestone 25, unlock the [[Campaign Complete: Heroic]] achievement from Halo 3: ODST and the CQB (Base) Helmet.
*'''CQB (UA/HUL):''' Reach Waypoint Career Milestone 30, unlock the [[Campaign Complete: Legendary]] achievement from Halo 3, the [[Gods Must Be Strong]] achievement from Halo: Reach and the CQB (HU/RS/CNM) Helmet.
*'''[[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/UA|UA]]/Base Security [W]:''' Reach Waypoint Career Milestone 30 and unlock the [[Yes, Sensei]] achievement from Halo: Reach.
 
==Trivia==
*In the ''Halo'' universe, [[Waypoint]] is a major news source and interstellar mail delivery system.<ref>[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=rPeMxbvCjYo '''YouTube''': ''Halo: From A to Z with Frank O'Connor'']</ref> This is most likely a reference to Halo Waypoint being the official source of news on the ''Halo'' universe.
*On Xbox 360, Waypoint was considered a game as this was the only option available when it was released (downloadable apps were not introduced until more than 2 years later). The "game" bears an ESRB rating of M for "Blood and Gore", "Language" and "Violence".
 
==Gallery==
===Logos, Icons and Screenshots===
<gallery>
File:Waypoint cover 2009-2010.jpg|Halo Waypoint's first cover, 2009-2010.
File:Waypoint cover 2010-2011.jpg|Halo Waypoint's second cover, 2010-2011.
File:Cboxhalowaypointv3.jpg|Halo Waypoint's third cover, 2011-2012.
File:Halo Waypoint logo.jpg|Halo Waypoint's original official banner, 2009-2010.
File:Waypoint Title Banner.png|Halo Waypoint's official banner, 2010-2012.
File:Waypoint title screen original.jpg|Waypoint's first title screen 2009-2010.
File:Waypoint intro screen.jpg|Waypoint's title screen 2011-2012.
File:Waypoint intro 2012.jpg|Waypoint's title screen 2012–2022.
File:Waypoint app.jpg|Halo Waypoint mobile app icon for Android and iOS 2011-2014.
File:Halo Waypoint Mobile App Icon.png|Halo Waypoint mobile app icon for Android and iOS 2021-present.
File:Waypoint app WM.png|Halo Waypoint mobile app for Windows Mobile.
File:Waypoint Background 2011.jpg|Halo Waypoint's old Blog Background's info from 2011.
File:H4Stats Waypoint Background.jpg|Background seen while viewing pages in the [https://halo4stats.halowaypoint.com/en-US Halo 4 Stats portion of Halo Waypoint.com]
File:HaloWaypoint-PossibleSiteError.png|Old version of the site.
File:Milestone 53.png|One of the Milestones a user could unlock.
File:Classified Section3.png|Classified section "Section 3 Archive" image.
File:Raider helmet.png|Classified section "Requiem Archive" image.
File:Raiderdstt helmet.png|Classified section "Requiem Archive 2" image.
 
</gallery>
 
===Halo Waypoint Console first version===
<gallery>
File:Waypoint Welcome 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint Welcome RetrievingDataLoading 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint Intel 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint Portal 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint Intel Previews 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint Intel GalleryLargePreview 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint Intel Gallery 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint Intel Content UNSCSayMyName 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint Intel Content Pelican 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint CareerMilestones 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint CareerHub Milestones 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint CareerHub Awards 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint CareerHub Achievements 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint CareerAwards 1280x720.jpg
File:Waypoint CareerAwardDetails 1280x720.jpg
</gallery>


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references/>
{{Ref/Sources}}
 
==Notes==
{{Ref/Notes}}
 
==See also==
*[[Career Milestones]]
*[[BTS: Halo Waypoint]]


{{Navbox/Media/Applications}}


[[de:Halo Waypoint]]
[[Category:The Real World]]
[[Category:Xbox Live]]
[[Category:Xbox Live]]
[[Category:Halo Waypoint]]
[[Category:Halo Waypoint| ]]
[[Category:Websites]]

Latest revision as of 09:16, May 6, 2024

Were you looking for Waypoint, a UNSC news source, or Navigation point, also called "waypoint"?
Halo Waypoint
Current Halo Waypoint logo

Developer(s):

Certain Affinity and 343 Industries

Publisher(s):

Microsoft Studios

Platform(s):

Website
Xbox 360 (obsolete)
Mobile devices

Release date(s):

September 26 2009 (Website)
November 5, 2009 (Xbox 360)
December 2011 (Mobile) September 29, 2021 (Mobile re-launch)

Rating(s):

ESRB: Mature (M) for Blood and Gore, Language, Violence
CERO: (C) Ages 15 & up
PEGI: 16+ (Europe only)

 

Halo Waypoint is the official online portal for all Halo-related content. It showcases Halo news, updates, lore, stats, and other related Halo materials.

Overview[edit]

Halo Waypoint's official banner.

Halo Waypoint provides users with various kinds of Halo information, including information on members of the Halo community, various machinima videos and gameplay strategies and tutorials. It also allows players to access their own gameplay-related data. Most major announcements regarding the Halo series are also posted at Waypoint.

Versions[edit]

  • Waypoint is accessible online at halowaypoint.com as the primary Halo website.[1]
  • A mobile version of Halo Waypoint was released for the Windows Phone 7 (and later 8), iOS, and Android platforms for free, though it lacked a number of features found on the web and Xbox versions. An additional feature called ATLAS was released in December 2011 which showed detailed diagrams of Halo: Reach multiplayer maps and near real time game player and weapon location stats in Matchmaking and Custom Games. ATLAS was free on the Windows Phone 7 and available for $4.99 on iOS and Android.[2] 343 Industries discontinued support for the Waypoint the original mobile apps on August 1, 2014.[3]
    On September 29, 2021, a new version of the app was released on iOS and Android.

Succession & Restoration[edit]

The Halo Channel was a next-generation iteration of the Waypoint concept and is available on the Xbox One and Windows 8.1.[4] The Halo Waypoint website received a visual and organizational overhaul on October 14, 2014 in preparation for the release of the Halo Channel and Halo: The Master Chief Collection.[5]

Following the release of The Master Chief Collection on PC the game's terminals , which previously could only be viewed through the Halo Channel, were incorporated into the game itself. The Halo Channel ceased to be updated, its various other functions were absorbed back into the web and mobile versions of Halo Waypoint, and as such, Halo Channel was rendered obsolete.

History[edit]

On July 23, 2009 Halo Waypoint was announced as an Xbox 360 application that would feature several Halo Legends videos.[6]

The Halo Waypoint website launched September 2009. The site provided basic information on the Halo franchise detailing the games, and also supplied weekly updates involving the Halo Community, but it lacked the stat tracking and achievement records the subsequently released console app featured.[7] Following this, many marketing sites for Halo, including the Halo Wars Launch Site.

On October 19, 2009 the Xbox 360 Halo Waypoint was first shown in a preview video, and on October 30 it was available to Xbox Preview members.[8]

On November 5, 2009 the Halo Waypoint app on Xbox 360 was publicly released.

On August 4, 2010 a Beta forum was added to the website which allowed communication between Halo fans on the site. That same day, many marketing sites for previously released Halo media, such as the Halo Wars Launch Site, were removed and redirected to the Halo Waypoint site instead. On December 15, 2010, the Halowars.com forums went offline and were subsequently merged with the Halo Waypoint forums.[9]

On September 14, 2010 the website was redesigned. This redesign removed the timeline feature and previously found on the site, and a footer at the bottom of the page that changed every time the page refreshed.

On February 26, 2011 a Beta stat tracker was added for Halo: Reach on the forums.

On September 8, 2011 a Gamma forum was created for the testing features that was going to be used in the final build of the forums. This subsequently lead to the Beta forum ending and leading to the final build of the forum to be completed.

On March 31, 2012 Halo Waypoint officially took over all record-keeping responsibilities from Bungie.net.

On October 13, 2014, the web version of Waypoint received a massive overhaul, which included the removal of some of the elements found on the site since its launch. The Xbox 360 version did not receive such an update, and as such these features could still be found there.

In 2021, in preparation of the launch of Halo Infinite, Waypoint once again received a visual and technical overhaul. Waypoint received support for Halo Infinite, including new ways to engage with the game's system from the Waypoint website and the mobile app.[10]

On January 13, 2022, all Xbox 360 Halo online services were shut down, and with them the Xbox 360 version of Halo Waypoint.[11][12]

Website Content[edit]

Content on Halo Waypoint is divided into seven main categories: Games, News, Esports, Community (including Insider program and Forums), Support, and Gear (formerly Shop/Store). There is also a profile section for the user to explore their own game progress, stats, customization, and Waypoint activity.

Games[edit]

Main article: Archive:Halo Waypoint/2009 to 2014/Games

Players can find information for each and every Halo game, organized by title. The web version displays only limited galleries as well as links to service records and related forums.

The Xbox 360 version featured extensive galleries, as well as access to trailers and videos.

News[edit]

News gives users info on the current Halo news, such as the Halo Community Update, info on the newest game released, and so on.

Esports[edit]

Esports gives users info on Halo Esports news that is happening.

Community[edit]

The main page displays recent articles and blog posts, as well as Waypoint's Twitter and YouTube feeds. Additional links provide easy access to the newsfeed, eSports information, the Halo Community Feedback Program, Spartan Companies, and Waypoint forums.

Forums[edit]

An easy menu directs players to the Waypoint forums where they can discuss Halo media and content with other players. The forums originally featured several ranks and badges which could be unlocked. In 2021 the ranks were discontinued, and the badges restructured.

Gear[edit]

The Gear link redirects to the Xbox Gear Shop which features physical items for sale including clothing, action figures, books and more.

Website Profile[edit]

In the a player's profile allows them to view their basic Halo stats, recent forum activity, and Waypoint Service Awards. Players can view their basic stats for every nearly Halo FPS game from Halo 2 Vista through Halo Infinite . The Halo Infinite, Halo: MCC, Halo 5: Guardians and Halo: Fireteam Raven service records also feature links to the more extensive stats pages.

Halo Infinite service record[edit]

The Halo Infinite service records allows users to interact with their battle passes, view challenge progression and their current ultimate reward, purchase items and credits from the store page, and view multiplayer statistics. Statistics included are total multiplayer games played, total battle pass ranks, total multiplayer kills, time played, performance for last 20 games, as well as other features. On the Halo Waypoint mobile app, customization for spartans is also available.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection service record[edit]

The MCC service record denotes MCC rank, overall statistics, rewards unlocks for the most recent season, multiplayer statistics by game, playlist ranks, information on the player's 20 most recent multiplayer matches, and campaign progress including collectibles (terminals, skulls, audio logs), and campaign high scores and fastest times for each level both solo and co-op.

Halo 5: Guardians service record[edit]

The player's comprehensive Halo 5: Guardians includes detailed Arena, Warzone and campaign stats, game history, commendations, medals, Requisitions and achievements.

Halo: Fireteam Raven service record[edit]

The Halo: Fireteam Raven service record allows users to connect their Xbox accounts to a Fireteam Raven Arcade cabinet, allowing users to save their progress to their accounts. It also allows players to see stats for levels they complete and see a global score leaderboard.

Xbox 360 & Windows Vista games[edit]

Waypoint also included only the most basic statistics pages for Halo FPS games originally released on the Xbox 360 (Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Halo Combat Evolved Anniversary, and Halo 4) as well as Halo 2 for Windows Vista. Statistics displayed include: games played, kills, kill-death ratio, and achievements unlocked.

Obsolete and Discontinued[edit]

The following features were found on previous versions of Halo Waypoint.

Xbox 360 version[edit]

The Xbox 360 version of Halo Waypoint was co-developed by Certain Affinity and 343 Industries, and ended up leading to the cancellation of an unnamed Halo game being pitched by Certain Affinity at the time.[13][14] It was released by 343 Industries as part of the Xbox Fall Update on November 5, 2009. In May 2012 Halo Waypoint was updated to include Kinect compatibility. The Xbox 360 version was last updated with the release of Halo: The Master Chief Collection in 2014; for the next seven years the application was still accessible, though the information was no longer current.

On January 13, 2022, all Xbox 360 Halo online services were shut down, and as a result the Xbox 360 version of Halo Waypoint is now completely inaccessible.[11][12]

Universe[edit]

"Universe" was a section of the Halo Waypoint website which included Universe articles from after 2014. Any articles written before 2014 could only be viewed on Halo Waypoint on Xbox 360 until January 2022, when they became completely inaccessible.

From 2014 to 2021, the web version was updated, current, and continually expanding. Categories were Characters, Species, Factions, Weapons, Vehicles, Tech, Locations, and ONI Files (Conversations From the Universe, Cold Storage Reports, Eleventh Hour reports, Halo 3 Terminals, OPERATION: Red Flag/ 93893, PoA Tech Communications, Reach Data Drops). Information was presented in text articles with accompanying images.

When Halo Waypoint was updated for the release of Halo Infinite, the Universe section was removed.

Profile[edit]

In the web version, a player's profile allowed them to write a brief bio, view their recent forum activity, and their Waypoint badges. In 2021, the forum activity was moved to the Forums section and Waypoint badges were replaced by Service Awards.

A drop-down menu provided links to the service record for each game from Halo 2 Vista through Halo 5: Guardians. Until September 2021, the Halo Wars, Halo: Reach and Halo 4 service records also featured links to the more extensive stats pages found on Waypoint and HaloWars.com prior to the October 2014 overhaul. Career Milestones were first replaced by a simple total of the Gamerscore unlocked across all Halo Games with achievements (except Halo 2 Vista) which itself was completely removed in September 2021.

Halo: Spartan Strike service record[edit]

The player's Spartan Strike service record included basic statistics, mission progress and high scores, and achievements unlocked. Discontinued September 2021.

Halo: Spartan Assault service record[edit]

The player's Spartan Assault service record included basic statistics, mission progress and high scores, and achievements unlocked. Discontinued September 2021.

Halo 4 service record[edit]

The Halo 4 service record displayed the basic information of the player's Halo 4 career including: Completed Specializations, Player Since, Last Played, Total Playtime, Spartan Points, Challenges Completed, Campaign Completion, Spartan Ops Completion, total Commendation progress, number of achievements unlocked, the four Top Medals earned, games played by mode (campaign, Spartan Ops, War Games, and Custom War Games), most used weapon, and most played variant.

Complete Halo 4 statistics could be found in the Halo 4 Stats web app. Players could view detailed information regarding their play in campaign, custom and matchmaking War Games, and Spartan Ops. This included statistics, game history and progress towards current Challenges, as well as specific Achievements and Specializations progress. Players could also view Domain Terminal and Spartan Ops videos.

Players could view all of the same information for everyone on their Friends list, or simply compare their friend's basic stats to their own. In the Xbox 360 version, this feature was known as "Barracks".

Discontinued September 2021.

Halo: Anniversary service record[edit]

The Anniversary service record which outlined basic campaign progress on each level and difficulty. The record displayed achievement progress, and denoted the number of Terminals unlocked, Skulls collected, and objects scanned in the library Library. The terminal videos could only be viewed on the Xbox 360 version, which could be viewed by pressing "X" while in the main menu or by manually accessing the "Classified" menu. Discontinued September 2021.

Halo: Reach Stats[edit]

The Halo: Reach service record outlined a player's Service Record, Stats (including weapons stats), Game History, and Challenges. The PC version of Waypoint also allowed players to view Medals and Commendations, File Share, File Sets, Recent Screenshots, Xbox Downloads and Tag History. Bungie.net medals did not appear on Halo Waypoint.[Note 1] Originally, players could view and compare their detailed Reach stats with their friends' in the web version. This was discontinued in 2014, however on the Xbox 360 version under Halo: Reach Service Record players could compare their basic Reach stats using "Friend Compare" and their general career stats using "Player Card Compare".

The service record features an image of the player's in-game Spartan armor. On August 1, 2014, this image ceased to be updated.[3] The service record itself was discontinued in September 2021.

Xbox 360 exclusive features[edit]

Most of the following features were once found on the web version of Waypoint. From 2014-2022 they could still be viewed on the Xbox 360 version. Following the shutdown of Xbox 360 Halo online services on January 13, 2022, they are now completely inaccessible and cannot be viewed at all.

Universe[edit]

Found in the main menu was a list of Universe entries on places, people, vehicles, and so on. These specific entries were not the same as the ones on the website.

Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn[edit]

Found in the main menu, "Forward Unto Dawn" was available to players who have either paid for access to Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn or purchased the Halo 4 Limited Edition. Players could view exclusive photo galleries and watch the complete film, bonus videos, and character interviews.

Halo 4 Intel[edit]

Main article: Halo 4 Interactive Guide

Previously known as the Halo 4 Interactive Guide on the Website. Players could obtain detailed information about Halo 4 in this guide. Information was organized in the following subheadings: Basics, Story, Enemies, War Games, Weapons, Vehicles, and Armor.

Waypoint career[edit]

The player's Waypoint Career recorded a player's progress through the entire Halo series. The Waypoint Career displayed Career Milestones, Awards, and basic individual stats summaries for all eight games, including Halo 2 Vista.

Career milestones[edit]

Main article: Career milestones

Milestones were achieved as a player's Halo gamerscore increased. Only Xbox 360, Windows 8, and Windows Phone 8 achievements contributed to career milestones. Halo 2 for Windows Vista and Xbox One achievements were not supported. The original cap of forty milestones at launch was increased incrementally with the release of additional games and achievements. The number was raised to its final level, 100, on July 15, 2013.

Awards[edit]

Halo Awards were medals that a player could earn by unlocking related achievements in the Halo games; essentially, they were groupings of achievements. As an example, the Vehicle Specialist award was unlocked after completing several vehicle-related achievements. Awards were also given in tiers; the more achievements a player unlocked, the higher the tier of their award would become. (For example, completing "extra" vehicle-related achievements would increase the Vehicle Specialist award's tier.) Tiers were indicated by the number of lines at the top of the awards, just beneath the ribbon. Locked awards appeared silver; once a player has reached a high enough tier, the awards became gold. Only achievements on the Xbox 360 were listed on Waypoint, and as such Halo 2 Vista and Xbox One achievements were not included. Halo 4 achievements and Halo: Spartan Assault were only added to the Joint Service, Elite award.

v • d • e
 
Halo Waypoint career awards
Standard awards
A.C.E.

Achievements[edit]

The Xbox 360 version of Waypoint allowed players to view every Halo achievement from every Halo game released on the Xbox 360, as well as the Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 versions of Halo: Spartan Assault. The achievements could be viewed from their own record in the Waypoint Career menu. Halo 2 Vista and Xbox One achievements were not included.

The web version of Waypoint allowed players to view these same achievements, which were instead displayed in their respective service records.

Classified[edit]

Main article: Halo Waypoint Classified

Terminals and other unlockables were recorded under Classified. There were five separate Data Sets: Alpha Halo Archive, Requiem Archive I, Requiem Archive II, Section 3 Archive, and Draetheus V Archive. These were found though numerous ways, most notably through the Section 3 ARG.

Avatar Awards[edit]

Several avatar awards) could be unlocked through the Xbox 360 version of Waypoint. To unlock an Award, the player had to complete a specific task in one of the Halo games and then open Halo Waypoint on their Xbox 360 while signed in on their Xbox Live profile. There are 10 avatar items which could be unlocked and vary from a Monitor prop to armor variants such as ODST helmets.[15]

List of avatar awards[edit]

  • Halo Waypoint Monitor: Log In to Halo Waypoint for the first time. An Avatar 'prop' which adds an idle animation to the player's Avatar in which their character summons a Forerunner Monitor who bobs and hovers around them playfully.
  • Rookie Helmet: Unlocked Halo 3: ODST's Campaign Complete Achievement (Any difficulty). A 'hat' for Avatars, made in the image of the helmet worn by the Rookie.
  • ODST Armor: Unlock Halo 3: ODST's Good Samaritan Achievement. A costume for Avatars which dresses them up in a recreation of the combat armor worn by Orbital Drop Shock Troopers in Halo 3: ODST.
  • Black ODST Shirt: Unlock Halo 3: ODST's Tourist Achievement.
  • ODST Hoodie: Unlock Halo 3: ODST's Dark Times Achievement.
  • Recon Helmet/Dare's Helmet: Unlock Halo 3: ODST's Vidmaster: Endure Achievement. Unlocks a 'hat' for Avatars, made in the image of the famous Recon helmet. Referred to as "Dare's helmet" when worn by female Avatars and as "Recon" for male Avatars.
  • EVA Helmet: Achieve Milestone level 50 in Halo Waypoint. Comes in red or blue color schemes.
  • Halo: Reach Beta Hoodie: Participated in the Halo: Reach Multiplayer Beta. A green hooded sweatshirt for Avatars with "Reach Beta Tester" written on the front and the Noble Team emblem on one shoulder.
  • Halo 4 - RAIDER Helmet: Unlock all technical specs for the RAIDER Spartan-IV armor variant.
  • Halo 4 - Raider DSTT Helmet: Unlock all technical specs for the Raider DSTT Spartan-IV armor variant.

Unlockable Reach Armor[edit]

Players could also unlock seven armor pieces for Halo: Reach in a similar manner to the avatar awards. These pieces could only be viewed on the Xbox 360 version of Waypoint under the Halo: Reach Service Record. The following were unlockable in-game content:[16][17]

Trivia[edit]

  • In the Halo universe, Waypoint is a major news source and interstellar mail delivery system.[18] This is most likely a reference to Halo Waypoint being the official source of news on the Halo universe.
  • On Xbox 360, Waypoint was considered a game as this was the only option available when it was released (downloadable apps were not introduced until more than 2 years later). The "game" bears an ESRB rating of M for "Blood and Gore", "Language" and "Violence".

Gallery[edit]

Logos, Icons and Screenshots[edit]

  • Halo Waypoint's first cover, 2009-2010.

    Halo Waypoint's first cover, 2009-2010.

  • Halo Waypoint's second cover, 2010-2011.

    Halo Waypoint's second cover, 2010-2011.

  • Halo Waypoint's third cover, 2011-2012.

    Halo Waypoint's third cover, 2011-2012.

  • Halo Waypoint's original official banner, 2009-2010.

    Halo Waypoint's original official banner, 2009-2010.

  • Halo Waypoint's official banner, 2010-2012.

    Halo Waypoint's official banner, 2010-2012.

  • Waypoint's first title screen 2009-2010.

    Waypoint's first title screen 2009-2010.

  • Waypoint's title screen 2011-2012.

    Waypoint's title screen 2011-2012.

  • Waypoint's title screen 2012–2022.

    Waypoint's title screen 2012–2022.

  • Halo Waypoint mobile app icon for Android and iOS 2011-2014.

    Halo Waypoint mobile app icon for Android and iOS 2011-2014.

  • Halo Waypoint mobile app icon for Android and iOS 2021-present.

    Halo Waypoint mobile app icon for Android and iOS 2021-present.

  • Halo Waypoint mobile app for Windows Mobile.

    Halo Waypoint mobile app for Windows Mobile.

  • Halo Waypoint's old Blog Background's info from 2011.

    Halo Waypoint's old Blog Background's info from 2011.

  • Background seen while viewing pages in the Halo 4 Stats portion of Halo Waypoint.com

    Background seen while viewing pages in the Halo 4 Stats portion of Halo Waypoint.com

  • Old version of the site.

    Old version of the site.

  • One of the Milestones a user could unlock.

    One of the Milestones a user could unlock.

  • Classified section "Section 3 Archive" image.

    Classified section "Section 3 Archive" image.

  • Classified section "Requiem Archive" image.

    Classified section "Requiem Archive" image.

  • Classified section "Requiem Archive 2" image.

    Classified section "Requiem Archive 2" image.

Halo Waypoint Console first version[edit]

  • Waypoint Welcome 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint Welcome RetrievingDataLoading 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint Intel 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint Portal 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint Intel Previews 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint Intel GalleryLargePreview 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint Intel Gallery 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint Intel Content UNSCSayMyName 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint Intel Content Pelican 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint CareerMilestones 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint CareerHub Milestones 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint CareerHub Awards 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint CareerHub Achievements 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint CareerAwards 1280x720.jpg
  • Waypoint CareerAwardDetails 1280x720.jpg

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ Halo Waypoint website
  2. ^ Halo Waypoint: The Halo Bulletin 12.8.11
  3. ^ a b Halo Waypoint: The Halo Bulletin 2.26.14
  4. ^ Halo Waypoint: Halo Channel
  5. ^ Halo Waypoint: Welcome to the New Halo Waypoint
  6. ^ “Halo” Universe Breaks New Ground With Unveiling of “Halo Legends” Anime Project
  7. ^ [ https://web.archive.org/web/20090926023404/http://www.halo.xbox.com/en-us Internet archive link to the earliest Halo Waypoint site]
  8. ^ Halo Waypoint Preview
  9. ^ Halowars.com: Halo Waypoint Transition (Please Read)
  10. ^ Halo Waypoint, INSIDE INFINITE - JUNE 2021 (Retrieved on Jun 24, 2021) [archive]
  11. ^ a b Windows Central, Halo Xbox 360 servers have been shut down, ending an era (Retrieved on Jan 23, 2022) [archive]
  12. ^ a b Halo Waypoint, Sunsetting Halo Xbox 360 Game Services in 2021 (Retrieved on Jun 1, 2020) [archive]
  13. ^ VICE, The Complete, Untold History of Halo: An Oral History (Retrieved on Oct 10, 2021) [archive]
  14. ^ Certain Affinity: Halo Waypoint
  15. ^ Bungie.net: Bungie Weekly Update: 10.30.09
  16. ^ Ready Up Live: X'10 Canada - Halo: Reach Impressions
  17. ^ Gamestop: Bungie Weekly Update: 07.09.10
  18. ^ YouTube: Halo: From A to Z with Frank O'Connor

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ List of "Bungie.net Medals" (Triple Double, Avenge Me, Bros to the End, Thank the Maker, Funkadelic, Party Animal, Love Machine, Steaktacular, Linktacular, H. Ryan Memorial, Seek and Destroy, Ennobled, Big Game Hunter, and Wildcat Destabilizer)

See also[edit]

v • d • e
 
List of Halo applications
General apps
*Asterisks indicate upcoming releases
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