Update:

A Microsoft spokesperson told IGN, “While we’re thrilled there’s so much interest outside of Russia, the beta of Halo Online is a PC experience tailored specifically for the tastes, tech and infrastructure of the Russian market and furthermore, is still in an early state. As such, we want to ensure a quality experience for our beta participants within Russia which could be impacted through unauthorized use."

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Just last week, Microsoft and 343 Industries announced Halo Online , a free-to-play shooter exclusive to PC gamers in Russia. Since then, a team of modders has taken it upon itself to leak the game to the rest of the world.The group, known as El Dorito, has taken an early build of the game and worked to make it accessible to PC gamers outside of Russia, despite requests from Microsoft to cease such efforts."The game was going to be free in the first place," modder Neoshadow42 told TorrentFreak . "The PC audience has been screaming for Halo 3 for years and years, and we saw the chance with this leak. The fact that we could, in theory, bring the game that everyone wants, without the added on stuff that would ruin the game, that’s something we’d be proud of."Microsoft has issued a DCMA takedown, but El Dorito has no intention of stopping. In fact, the team has backups in place to ensure work can continue. Because the game is free-to-play, the group doesn't believe they're ethically in the wrong."At the end of the day, El Dorito aims to deliver exactly what everyone wants. The closest thing to a Halo 3 experience as possible, but on PC. If we can manage that, I’ll be more than happy."For more on Halo Online, be sure to check out our analysis of the announcement trailer

Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @alexcosborn