Halo Waypoint Chronicles are a series of short stories published by 343 Industries on the eponymous Halo Waypoint website, beginning in late 2022. They are generally short fiction designed to feature small glimpses into aspects of the Halo universe that may not otherwise be suitable for a feature-length novel or game. Due to their smaller scope and nature, Waypoint Chronicles frequently feature or flesh out aspects of other Halo media, and feature increased use of weapons, vehicles, locations, and characters from the series' expanded universe. The Chronicles are written by Alex Wakeford and other members of the 343 Industries franchise writing team, and are generally released for free on Halo Waypoint alongside an audiobook usually narrated by Wakeford on YouTube.
All currently-released Waypoint Chronicles are fully-canon within the Halo universe; the alternate-universe Fracture events within Halo Infinite have their own Story Shards which are similar in premise.
List of Halo Waypoint Chronicles
Vertical Umbrage
- Main article: Vertical Umbrage
Vertical Umbrage was the first Waypoint Chronicle, released in late 2022 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the release of Halo 4. It depicts an operation by Fireteam Shadow to board and disable a Zanar-pattern light cruiser Panom's Canticle, as first-depicted offscreen via radio chatter in the Spartan Ops level Everything Has Gone Wrong.
- External links
- Halo 4 - Vertical Umbrage - The official Waypoint post in which the short story was released for free.
- Official Vertical Umbrage PDF - The PDF of the short story released on Halo Waypoint (Archived copy).
- Halo: Vertical Umbrage | Audiobook - The audiobook narrated by Alex Wakeford.
Vertical Umbrage keyart.
Winter Contention
- Main article: Winter Contention
Winter Contention was the second Waypoint Chronicle released in early 2023 to coincide with the Noble Intention in-game event within Halo Infinite. The piece depicts an operation by NOBLE Team late in the Human-Covenant War to fend off a Covenant attack on the colony world of Concord. The story notably features the inclusion of Rosenda-A344 and Thom-A293, two previously mentioned-only characters cut from the production of Halo: Reach, alongside the Draugr - a vehicle also cut from the game's development.
- External links
- Halo: Winter Contention - The official Waypoint post in which the short story was released for free.
- Official Winter Contention PDF - The PDF of the short story released on Halo Waypoint (Archived copy).
- Halo: Winter Contention | Audiobook - The audiobook narrated by Alex Wakeford.
Winter Contention keyart.
Sunrise on Sanghelios
- Main article: Sunrise on Sanghelios
Sunrise on Sanghelios was the third chronicle to be released, debuted on Day 2 of the Halo World Championships 2023. Unlike prior stories, Sunrise on Sanghelios was debuted with a live reading from Halo voice actors Steve Downes, Keith David, and Jen Taylor, who all reprised their roles of John-117, Thel 'Vadam, and Catherine Halsey/Cortana, respectively. The story depicts a conversion between John, Thel, and Halsey immediately following the events of Halo 5: Guardians.[1]
Artwork used to tease Sunrise on Sanghelios prior to its official debut.
Untitled stories
At the Canon Fodder Live event on day one of the Halo World Championships 2023, four upcoming Waypoint Chronicles were teased in the form of a composite keyart. The four images include an image depicting John-117, Halsey, and the Arbiter (to tease the aforementioned Sunrise on Sanghelios), a Flood-infected Spartan (to tie in with the Flood armor of Season 05: Reckoning and the final entry in Season 04: Infection's intel drops), the banner art for the Combined Arms operation, and a screenshot of the House of Reckoning.[2]
- CFL UpcomingChronicles.png
The original image composite.
Combined Arms banner art.
The House of Reckoning.
Sources
- ^ YouTube - Halo, HaloWC 2023 Community Stage – Day 2 (Season 5, Steve Downes, Jen Taylor, Keith David, Cosplay +): 3:39:50 (Retrieved on Oct 14, 2023)
- ^ YouTube - Halo, HaloWC 2023 Community Stage – Day 1 (Forge, Steve Downes, Jen Taylor, Keith David, Lore, Digsite +): 7:38:02 (Retrieved on Oct 14, 2023)
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