Series 5: Anvil

Previous:	Season 4: Reclaimer
Next:	Season 6: Raven
Season 5: Anvil
Start date:	January 27, 2021
End date:	April 7, 2021
Number of tiers:	100
Total unlock cost:	100
Includes content for:	Halo: Reach; Halo 3;

This article is about the content update released for Halo: The Master Chief Collection. For the seasonal update for Halo Wars 2, see Season 5 (Halo Wars 2).

Season 5: Anvil is a season for Halo: The Master Chief Collection, released on January 27, 2021.^[1] 343 Industries included previously-cut AKIS and Mariner helmets as part of this update,^[5] after they were pushed back from Season 4 due to difficulties encountered during development.^[6] Additionally, Season 5 sees the introduction of 12 armor sets from the cancelled game Halo Online into Halo 3.^[7]

The season is named after ANVIL Station and Anvil Initiative; a space station known for testing the MJOLNIR armors introduced with the update and the organization that runs the station, respectively.^[8] The season's logo is the Anvil Initiative's logo: a Human and a Sangheili shaking hands.

Season unlocks

Keyart from Xbox.com showcasing some of the season's content.

Season 5 added the following content to the game. Notably, the Halo: Reach and Halo 3 customization options were implemented into the game in the Season 4 December update, as available for preview in the game's menus. However, they are unable to be unlocked and used in-game without the use of modding.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

10 new nameplates

Halo: Reach

Two new Halo: Reach helmets originally cut from the release of the Anniversary Map Pack: AKIS, Mariner
- Three Halo: Reach helmet attachments for AKIS: GRD, CBRN, GRD/CBRN
- Three Halo: Reach helmet attachments for Mariner: Mister Chief, Defiant and OPTREX
Six new Halo: Reach chest armors, five of which are new robot arm variants of existing chests and one new:
- Default [R]
- UA/Counterassault [R]
- Tactical/Recon [R]
- Tactical/Patrol [R]
- Collar/Grenadier [UA] [R]
- EXO/TSCS

Halo 3

For Halo 3, the existing "New Skins in Halo 3" toggle will be updated to include the new armor permutations mentioned below alongside weapon and vehicle skins. If the new cosmetics are turned off, any players using Halo Online-based armor will instead display as using the default Mark VI.^[9]

Techsuit customization for Halo 3^[7]
- Two new techsuit options for Halo 3 (GEN2 and GEN2 Tinted)
- The game's original GEN1 techsuit has been replaced with an updated, slimmer techsuit based on the Halo 2: Anniversary design for compatibility with the new armour
Forearm and leg armor customization for Halo 3
Twelve new armor permutations for Halo 3, originally from Halo Online:^[7]
- Air Assault
- Aviator
- Compass
- Deadeye
- Demo
- Hivemind
- Navigator
- Pioneer
- Soldier
- Suture
- Tanker
- Warrior

26 new weapon skins and 1 new vehicle skin for Halo 3
- 8 for the Battle Rifle (One unlockable via Challenge)
- 2 for the Sniper Rifle
- 1 for the Rocket Launcher
- 2 for the Assualt Rifle
- 2 for the Magnum
- 3 for the SMG
- 1 for the Fuel Rod Gun
- 1 for the Needler
- 1 for the Plasma Pistol
- 1 for the Plasma Rifle
- 3 for the Carbine
- 1 for the Mongoose (Unlockable via Challenge)

Page 1

Tier	Unlock requirements	Unlocks
1	1	AKIS helmet and Reach Metal nameplate
2	1	Bullet nameplate
3	1	Air Assault helmet
4	1	SMG Scorpio skin
5	1	Suture forearms
6	1	Tanker chest
7	1	Air Assault shoulders
8	1	Tanker legs
9	1	Aviator helmet
10	1	Mariner helmet

Page 2

Tier	Unlock requirements	Unlocks
11	1	Aviator chest
12	1	Air Assault forearms
13	1	No Entry and Bullet Stack nameplates
14	1	Warrior chest
15	1	Air Assault chest
16	1	Pioneer forearms
17	1	Aviator shoulders
18	1	Battle Rifle Desert skin
19	1	Soldier helmet
20	1	EXO/TSCS chest

Page 3

Tier	Unlock requirements	Unlocks
21	1	Battle Rifle Scarlet Thorn skin
22	1	Rocket Launcher Hazard Pay skin
23	1	Tanker shoulders
24	1	Bandage nameplate
25	1	Default [R] chest
26	1	Demo chest
27	1	Air Assault legs
28	1	Needler schism skin
29	1	Pioneer shoulders
30	1	AKIS CBRN helmet attachment

Page 4

Tier	Unlock requirements	Unlocks
31	1	Plasma Pistol Schism skin
32	1	Demo forearms
33	1	Battle Rifle Hunter's Blood skin
34	1	Pioneer chest
35	1	Cowboy Shells nameplate
36	1	Carbine Zealot skin
37	1	Demo helmet
38	1	Deadeye chest
39	1	Demo shoulders
40	1	Pistol Tech Camo Bravo skin

Page 5

Tier	Unlock requirements	Unlocks
41	1	Hivemind chest
42	1	Magnum Blast nameplate
43	1	Assault Rifle Hazard Pay skin
44	1	Soldier legs
45	1	Mariner Defiant helmet attachment
46	1	Warrior legs
47	1	Warrior shoulders
48	1	Battle Rifle Hazard Pay skin
49	1	Pioneer helmet
50	1	Bullet Line nameplate

Page 6

Tier	Unlock requirements	Unlocks
51	1	Pioneer legs
52	1	Suture legs
53	1	Battle Rifle Golden skin
54	1	Deadeye shoulders
55	1	Grenadier [UA] [R] chest
56	1	Warrior helmet
57	1	Pistol Hazard Pay skin
58	1	Carbine Splendor skin
59	1	Hivemind shoulders
60	1	AKIS GRD helmet attachment

Page 7

Tier	Unlock requirements	Unlocks
61	1	Sniper Rifle Red Alert skin
62	1	Compass shoulders
63	1	Suture helmet
64	1	Hivemind helmet
65	1	Battle Rifle Grey Scales skin
66	1	Demo legs
67	1	Hivemind legs
68	1	Sniper Rifle Hazard Pay skin
69	1	Suture chest
70	1	Tactical/Recon [R] chest

Page 8

Tier	Unlock requirements	Unlocks
71	1	Suture shoulders
72	1	Navigator helmet
73	1	Soldier shoulders
74	1	Compass forearms
75	1	Navigator legs
76	1	Tactical/Patrol [R] chest
77	1	SMG Art of War skin
78	1	Deadeye helmet
79	1	Carbine Schism skin
80	1	Mariner OPTREX helmet attachment

Page 9

Tier	Unlock requirements	Unlocks
81	1	Navigator shoulders
82	1	Compass helmet
83	1	Battle Rifle Great Journey skin
84	1	Tanker forearms
85	1	Bullet Pile nameplate
86	1	Assault Rifle Desert skin
87	1	Tanker helmet
88	1	Warrior forearms
89	1	Compass legs
90	1	UA/Counterassault [R] chest

Page 10

Tier	Unlock requirements	Unlocks
91	1	Plasma Rifle Keeper skin
92	1	Navigator chest
93	1	SMG Golden skin
94	1	Aviator legs
95	1	Fuel Rod Gun Schism skin
96	1	Compass chest
97	1	Deadeye legs
98	1	Soldier chest
99	1	Soldier forearms
100	1	AKIS GRD/CBRN helmet attchment and From The Beginning nameplate

Flights

Main article: MCC Insider Program

No Flighting was conducted for Season 5, due to 343 Industries' staff being on leave for the 2020 Christmas period. However, Season 5 content (specifically, the new Halo Online armor sets) were added into the collection for preview purposes in a patch on December 16.

Marketing

Season 5 preview stream

On January 25, 2021, 343 Industries conducted a livestream on YouTube in which they showed off the new content for the season prior to release.^[10] The stream can be found here.

Trailer

Main article: Halo: The Master Chief Collection - Season 5 Trailer

To showcase the release of Season 5 and its new customisation content, a trailer for the update was released on January 27, 2021. Notably the trailer showcased some upcoming armor not included in the Season 5 patch including the Infiltrator, Nomdagro and Operator designs.

Season 5 fan kit

On January 28, 2021, a number of 4K wallpapers were released on Halo Waypoint for fans to use, showcasing some of the new content.^[11] The fankit can be found here, and the images in the gallery section at the bottom of this article.

Patch notes

December patch

While Season 5 launched on January 27, 2021, the patch released in December of 2020 physically added the bugfixes and new content to the game. The patch notes for the December patch can be found here.

January 27 patch notes (Version 1.2094.0.0)

January 27 (season launch) patch (Version 1.2094.0.0)

The Season 5 patch launched alongside the start of the season on January 27, 2021.^[12]

Install Size by Version

Steam
- Max size of 258 MB
Microsoft Store and Xbox Game Pass for PC
- Max size of 6.3 GB
Xbox
- Max size of 9.9 GB

New Features

Season 5, “Anvil,” begins with this update. It includes a variety of new unlockable cosmetics for Halo 3 and Halo: Reach, including new skins for armor and weapons, new nameplates, and a new Mongoose skin.

The New Skins in Halo 3 toggle in settings has been expanded. Players who want to maintain a classic Halo 3 experience can flip this setting to “disabled” to avoid seeing any new cosmetic items while playing Halo 3, including weapon skins, vehicle skins, and armor. While cosmetics are disabled, any players in your game who are wearing new armor will appear with the default Mark VI.

Gallery

Promotional images

The Season 5 splash screen.
Logoless keyart for the season.
A promotional image for Season 5, used as a Message of the Day banner.
A promotional image for Season 5, seen in emails sent to Halo Waypoint users.
A wallpaper featuring a number of Spartans on Valhalla clad in new Halo Online-derived armor.
A wallpaper featuring an AKIS-clad Spartan on Highlands.
A wallpaper featuring a number of Halo: Reach Spartans clad in the new armor.
A wallpaper featuring a number of Halo: Reach Spartans clad in the new armor.

Sources

^ ^a ^b Twitter, @Halo: "Season 5 of MCC arrives for free in just one week! [...] All live on January 27th." (Retrieved on Jan 22, 2021) [archive]
^ Halo Waypoint, GRD is Here: MCC Season 5 Now Live (Retrieved on Jan 27, 2021) [archive]
^ Twitter, Halo (@Halo): "Ready yourselves, Spartans. Season 6 of MCC, Raven, arrives for free on April 7! 🛡️ 100 tiers to unlock in the Season Pass 🎒Brand new back accessories, skins, and armor 🍃 A fresh set of Seasonal Challenges with 3 unique rewards 🎮 Xbox Series X" (Retrieved on Mar 31, 2021) [archive]
^ Halo Waypoint, Forums, MCC Development & Flighting Updates: "With it, players can look forward to all new customization options that you can unlock through Timed Seasonal Challenges, in-game events, and through the free 100 tier season pass." - Postums (Retrieved on Jan 22, 2021) [archive]
^ Halo Waypoint, News, MCC Development Update - November 2020 (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]
^ Halo Waypoint, News, MCC Development Update - October 2020 (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]
^ ^a ^b ^c Halo Waypoint, News, MCC Development Retrospective - December 2020 (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]
^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Armor Online (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]
^ Halo Waypoint Forums, MCC Development & Flighting Updates: Page 4, post 63 "The team is currently working on a game update that expands the existing skin toggle in the settings menu to also apply to armor. If you prefer a true classic experience, you’ll be able to flip the “New Skins in Halo 3” toggle to “disabled” and you won’t see any new cosmetic items (weapon skins, vehicle skins, or armor) when you’re playing Halo 3. If you decide to turn off cosmetics, any players in your game who are wearing new armor will appear as default Mark VI." (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]
^ YouTube - Halo, Halo Season 5 Preview - Halo: The Master Chief Collection
^ Halo Waypoint Forums, Season 5: Anvil Wallpapers (Retrieved on Mar 18, 2021) [archive]
^ Halo Support, Halo: The Master Chief Collection (MCC) Patch Notes - January 2021 (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]

[S5Release-1] Twitter, @Halo: "Season 5 of MCC arrives for free in just one week! [...] All live on January 27th." (Retrieved on Jan 22, 2021) [archive]

[GRDIsHere-2] Halo Waypoint, GRD is Here: MCC Season 5 Now Live (Retrieved on Jan 27, 2021) [archive]

[ReleaseDate-3] Twitter, Halo (@Halo): "Ready yourselves, Spartans. Season 6 of MCC, Raven, arrives for free on April 7! 🛡️ 100 tiers to unlock in the Season Pass 🎒Brand new back accessories, skins, and armor 🍃 A fresh set of Seasonal Challenges with 3 unique rewards 🎮 Xbox Series X" (Retrieved on Mar 31, 2021) [archive]

[MCCFridayUpdates-4] Halo Waypoint, Forums, MCC Development & Flighting Updates: "With it, players can look forward to all new customization options that you can unlock through Timed Seasonal Challenges, in-game events, and through the free 100 tier season pass." - Postums (Retrieved on Jan 22, 2021) [archive]

[MCCDevUpdateNov2020-5] Halo Waypoint, News, MCC Development Update - November 2020 (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]

[October-6] Halo Waypoint, News, MCC Development Update - October 2020 (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]

[MCCRetro2020-7] Halo Waypoint, News, MCC Development Retrospective - December 2020 (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]

[CFAO-8] Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Armor Online (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]

[9] Halo Waypoint Forums, MCC Development & Flighting Updates: Page 4, post 63 "The team is currently working on a game update that expands the existing skin toggle in the settings menu to also apply to armor. If you prefer a true classic experience, you’ll be able to flip the “New Skins in Halo 3” toggle to “disabled” and you won’t see any new cosmetic items (weapon skins, vehicle skins, or armor) when you’re playing Halo 3. If you decide to turn off cosmetics, any players in your game who are wearing new armor will appear as default Mark VI." (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]

[10] YouTube - Halo, Halo Season 5 Preview - Halo: The Master Chief Collection

[11] Halo Waypoint Forums, Season 5: Anvil Wallpapers (Retrieved on Mar 18, 2021) [archive]

[12] Halo Support, Halo: The Master Chief Collection (MCC) Patch Notes - January 2021 (Retrieved on Feb 28, 2021) [archive]

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