Armor customization (Halo 2: Anniversary)

This article is about the armor customization in Halo 2: Anniversary. For other games, see armor customizations.

The original three Spartan armor permutations available in Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer.

The original three Elite armor permutations available in Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer.

Armor customization in Halo 2: Anniversary allows players to customize their Spartan and Elite player model. Following in the footsteps of Halo 3, and Halo 4, the customization system would be revamped and overhauled following Halo: The Master Chief Collection's launch in 2014.

Overview

The customization menu for Halo 2: Anniversary, following its overhaul for Series 3.

Upon launch, Halo 2: Anniversary originally featured six basic armor sets, split between Spartans and Elites. The Spartan and Elite's visual styles were rooted in the aesthetic of MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor [GEN2], and the Covenant remnant introduced in Halo 4, respectively. Originally, the armor players could use in Anniversary were locked to pre-made armor sets, lacking any customization whatsoever. Additionally, the six base sets were freely unlocked, with no prerequisites present for their use.

For the launch of Series 3: Recon in 2020, the customization system was updated, allowing players to swap individual helmets, shoulders, chests, wrists, and legs for Spartans, and helmets, arms, chests, and legs for Elite models.

With 343 Industries celebrating the 20th anniversary of Halo in late 2021, a new armor permutation was added to Halo 2: Anniversary: the Orion armor. ORION is based on the armor used by the Master Chief, seen during Halo's reveal in 1999, and was made available through The Exchange exclusively.

The launch of Series 9 in 2022 saw the release of several new Fractures armor sets for the game's customization suite; Trooper, Megaframe, Panzerdoll, and Bioroid. Additionally, a new canon armor set, Breach, was added - with its design being based on unused Halo 3 concept art.

List of permutations

Spartan armor

Spartan armor
Armor	Helmet	Chest	Shoulders	Forearms	Legs
Mark VI	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default
CENTURION	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default
HOPLITE	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default
ORION	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)
Breach Link helmet	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Breach Scout helmet	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
TAC/SRV-III shoulders	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
UA/WAYLAND shoulders	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
UA/GRT78 chest	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A
UA/KOTIN	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A

Elite armor

Elite armor
Armor	Helmet	Chest	Arms	Legs
Combat	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default
Outrider	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default
Invader	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default	Unlocked by default

Fracture armor

A series of Fractures-based armor sets introduced during Series 9.

Series 9 armor
Armor	Helmet	Chest	Shoulders	Forearms	Legs
Bioroid armor
Bioroid Apollyon	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bioroid Israfil	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bioroid Tithonus	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bioroid Alpha Strain	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bioroid Beta Strain	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bioroid Eliminator-type	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Bioroid Guardian-type	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Bioroid Meld-type	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Bioroid Sensor-type	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Bioroid Vambrace	N/A	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A
Bioroid Greaves	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)
Panzerdoll armor
Panzerdoll Blazeknight	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Panzerdoll Cindersnake	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Panzerdoll Firefox	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Panzerdoll Infernowolf	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Panzerdoll Orbcutter	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A[	N/A	N/A
Panzerdoll Vectorslash	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A[	N/A	N/A
Panzerdoll Impulsecrit	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Panzerdoll Y-1G Panel	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Panzerdoll Zerotype Panel	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Panzerdoll ZKU-06 Panel	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Panzerdoll Gauntlets	N/A	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A
Panzerdoll Bipedal Legs	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)
Megaframe armor
Megaframe	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)
Trooper armor
Buzzkill	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Falco	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Hog	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Sandsting	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Seawing	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Tusk	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A	N/A
Trooper Forearms	N/A	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)	N/A
Trooper Legs	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	The Exchange ( 2)

Production notes

A Mark VI-clad Spartan rendered in Unreal Engine 4 from 2020 to 2022.

Halo 2: Anniversary's cosmetic options would undergo dramatic overhauls over the course of The Master Chief Collection's lifespan.

Notably, the Unreal Engine 4 models for both Spartans and Elites got overhauled over time. Upon Halo 2: Anniversary's PC release, all six models were of lower quality, lacking the shiny, metallic nature of the actual, in-game armor, while the techsuit featured a predominantly deep black coloration, with a slick sheen that isn't present in-game. With the release of Series 3, the models would all be updated, featuring higher quality assets overall. The metallic shine present on in-game armor would be added, and the techsuit would be rendered in a gray color, featuring a more game-accurate techsuit. Series 8 would update the models again, amplifying the armor's shine, while also returning the smooth sheen once present on the techsuit.

Additionally, during Series 3, when the options for customization were initially widened, the player's Spartan's bicep armor was determined by their choice of wrist armor, not by their shoulder armor. Eventually, this would be changed, and swapping shoulder pieces would also swap the bicep armor underneath it.

Two Spartans featuring the same colors, the left being pre-Series 8, the right being post-Series 8.

Finally, in a first since Hammer Storm, the release of Series 8: Mythic would see the colors the player could select being altered, with each being darkened dramatically compared to its pre-Series 8 counterpart. This change resulted in more visual parity between the Unreal Engine 4 render and the in-game character model. It also would not be noted in the Series' patch notes.

Mistakes

• Upon Halo 2: Anniversary's PC release, the customization menu reused tooltips from Halo: Reach's customization menu. Erroneously, the updated customization menu stated the choice between a Spartan and Elite player model is only applicable to appropriate, species-specific gametypes, despite the option being available regardless of gametype. As of Series 8, the preferred species prompt's tooltip still insinuates the choice is only applicable to appropriate, species-specific gametypes.
  • Additionally, during Series 2: Spark, the Spartan customization menu reused Reach tooltips, and stated the player can change the appearance of their Spartan by "adding or removing armor", despite the game only providing the option to switch armor sets at that time. The Elite menu properly stated the player can only select specific armor classes. This would be updated for Series 3: Recon later in 2020, opting to use more general terminology with the switch to more intensive customization.

Miscellaneous

• As of the release of Halo 2: Anniversary on PC, the updated Elite armor sets reused descriptions from the Minor, Spec Ops, and Ranger Elite armor sets seen in Halo: Reach, as a result of reused menu text. With the release of Halo 3: ODST later in the year, these would change to the descriptions based on those seen in a 2015 Canon Fodder blog post.
• The internal unlock files for Halo: The Master Chief Collection indicate the ORION armor was originally slated to be released in the ultimately cancelled Season 9. Likewise, the same files indicate the Bioroid, Breach, Trooper, Megaframe, and Panzerdoll armor sets included with Series 9 were originally intended for release in the similarly cancelled Season 10.
  • The internal unlock files for the armor within Series 9 also refer to the Breach armor sets as "BREACH A" and "BREACH B". To create "A", the player must combine the Breach Scout helmet, the TAC/SRV-III shoulders, and the UA/KOTIN chest piece. To create "B", the player must combine the Breach Link helmet, the UA/WAYLAND shoulders, and the UA/GRT78 chest piece.

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  The "Breach A" armour set.

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  The "Breach B" armour set.

Gallery

Developmental images

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  A teaser for Bioroid armor.

Menu images

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  The original UI elements featuring Spartan armor customization in the menu, used from 2014 to 2020.

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  The original UI elements featuring Elite armor customization in the menu, used from 2014 to 2020.

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  The six original base permutations for Spartans and Elites in Halo 2: Anniversary, rendered in Unreal Engine 4, used during 2020, and most of 2021.

Screenshots

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  Two Mark VI-clad Spartans engaging with shotguns on Shrine.

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  A Centurion-clad Spartan in the turret of a Warthog on Remnant.

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  Two Spartans using newly unlocked armor setups on Lockdown with the release of Series 3: Recon.

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  A Spartan on Zenith wearing ORION armor, released during Series 8: Mythic.

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  Breach armor, added during Series 9.

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  Bioroid armor, added during Series 9.

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  Megaframe armor, added during Series 9.

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  Panzerdoll armor, added during Series 9.

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  Trooper armor, added during Series 9.