Over the past week, you’ve gotten your eyes on the launch trailer for Halo 5: Guardians, learned about playlists and API support, received orders for launch night, and perhaps started to create a digital to-do list with the reveal of upcoming achievements. But, with just 11 days until launch, that’s not all.

Earlier today, Josh Holmes, with the help of the multiplayer team, detailed new info about Halo 5’s Competitive Skill Rating (CSR), Seasons, matchmaking, and the almighty banhammer. Below, we’ll showcase each of the ranking levels within CSR, which has been updated and overhauled since the beta. For the full breakdown and dev commentary, head here.

Competitive Skill Rating

If you’re excited about jumping into Arena, you’re likely also looking forward to climbing the ranks and proving your skills against friends and opponents from around the globe. In prior ranking and progression systems, the iconography of the ranks, levels, and variants of each has become engrained into our memories as legendary titles to be earned; status to be achieved. You may remember getting your first (pre-patch!) level 16 in Halo 2, when the icons begin to look significantly different from that of ranks 4-15. Or perhaps you’re instead reminded of the rarity distinctiveness of levels 44-50. Or maybe the look and meaning of Halo 3’s 5-star general icon, which let you know that you were dealing with one serious Spartan. Or the comet and stars of Reach’s Inheritor icon. We remember these images so well – the amazing matches and friends we associate with them, the desire to acquire them when you stumbled upon them in a post-game lobby, and the effort required to earn them and proudly see them next to your gamertag in a pre-game lobby. Today, we’re presenting you with the ranks, tiers, and imagery for Halo 5: Guardians’ Competitive Skill Rating, and hope that the experiences that you associate with these images are added to your memory of amazing Halo moments and gameplay.

BRONZE

SILVER

Gold

Platinum

DIAMOND

ONYX

CHAMPION

Commendations

Earlier this week, we revealed the achievement list for Halo 5: Guardians, which gave you a new set of tasks to review while we wait for the game’s release. Knowing you, though, you’re looking for even more to do, more to explore, and more to master. You’ve come to the right place. This week, we’re also revealing intel on Halo 5 Commendations. To give you the scoop, here’s Investment Lead Chris Blohm.

Chris Blohm, Investment Lead

Commendations, our old friends introduced in Halo: Reach, are returning for Halo 5: Guardians. You’re likely familiar with them - a reward system where various tasks are presented that need to be incremented via gameplay. When building Halo 5’s commendations, we kept the basic structure intact, but we simplified to all commendations having five tiers. One of the reasons you’re probably reading this, besides getting a view at the full launch list, is to learn about what you’ll be rewarded with. We can’t really blame you. Every tier of a commendation rewards XP. Completing tier 3 of a commendation rewards a bonus REQ Pack with boosts and other single-use REQs. The 5th tier of every commendation unlocks a pack containing a specific emblem. This allows a player to flaunt their reward and let everyone know via that emblem and the corresponding back plate that they have put the time in and had the skill required to finish the commendation.

Commendations overall are a valuable system for us at 343. First, it allows us a vector to get more rewards and more REQ packs into your hands. It also allows us to enable that player pride moment. We intend to add more commendations in the months ahead and we will watch the current ones close to make sure that they are fun and balanced.

Below, you’ll find a look at the commendations list for day 1:

Commendation Description Warzone Mastery Master All Warzone Commendations Scorpion Gunner Kill enemy Spartans with a Scorpion Assistant Earn any Assist medal in Warzone Carbine Kill an enemy Spartan with the Carbine UNSC Power Weapon Mastery Master all UNSC power weapons Mantis Destroyer Destroy enemy occupied Mantises Loadout Assault Rifle Kill an enemy Spartan with the Assault Rifle Mantis Gunner Kill enemy Spartans with a Mantis Wraith Gunner Kill enemy Spartans with a Wraith Phaeton Gunship Gunner Kill enemy Spartans with a Phaeton Gunship Ghost Gunner Kill enemy Spartans with a Ghost Rockethog Gunner Kill enemy Spartans with a Rockethog Gausshog Gunner Kill enemy Spartans with a Gausshog Banshee Gunner Kill enemy Spartans with a Banshee Warthog Gunner Kill enemy Spartans with a Warthog Splinter Grenade Kill an enemy Spartan with the Splinter Grenade Plasma Caster Kill an enemy Spartan with the Plasma Caster Aggressive Expansion Take over 3 bases without dying in any Stronghold gametype in matchmaking Unstoppable Survive a full match of Breakout Smash Kill an enemy Spartan with melee Scorpion Destroyer Destroy enemy occupied Scorpions Hunter Slayer Kill Hunters Knight Slayer Kill Knights Soldier Slayer Kill Soldiers Marine Replicant Slayer Kill Enemy Marines Elite Slayer Kill Elites Elite Slayer Kill Elites Watcher Slayer Kill Watchers Jackal Slayer Kill Jackals Crawler Slayer Kill Crawlers Weapon Mastery Master all weapon commendations Grunt Slayer Kill Grunts Grenade Mastery Master all grenade commendations Forerunner Power Weapon Mastery Master all Forerunner power weapons Covenant Power Weapon Mastery Master all Covenant power weapons Plasma Grenade Kill an enemy Spartan with the Plasma Grenade Frag Grenade Kill an enemy Spartan with the Frag Grenade Binary Rifle Kill an enemy Spartan with the Binary Rifle Incineration Cannon Kill an enemy Spartan with the Incineration Cannon Scattershot Kill an enemy Spartan with the Scattershot Boltshot Kill an enemy Spartan with the Boltshot Fuel Rod Cannon Kill an enemy Spartan with the Fuel Rod Loadout Weapon Mastery Complete all loadout weapon commendations Bringing Down the House Destroy the core of an Enemy Base Big Game Hunter Kill an ultra boss or assist on the kill of an ultra boss in Warzone Conqueror Capture a base Hunter Kill a boss or assist on the kill of a boss in Warzone Explorer Complete an exploration quest Stronghold Mastery Master all Stronghold commendations Head in the Game Defend a team base in any Stronghold gametype in matchmaking Beam Rifle Kill an enemy Spartan with the Beam Rifle Needler Kill an enemy Spartan with the Needler Hydra Launcher Kill an enemy Spartan with the Hydra Launcher Energy Sword Kill an enemy Spartan with an Energy Sword Spartan Laser Kill an enemy Spartan with the Spartan Laser

Commendation Description Rocket Launcher Kill an enemy Spartan with the Rocket Launcher Shotgun Kill an enemy Spartan with the Shotgun Railgun Kill an enemy Spartan with the Rail Gun SAW Kill an enemy Spartan with the SAW Magnum Kill an enemy Spartan with the Magnum Stronghold Victory Win a match in any Stronghold gametype in matchmaking Storm the Walls Take over any base in any Stronghold gametype in matchmaking Slayer Mastery Master all Slayer commendations Playing Favorites Kill the same opponent three times without them killing you in any Slayer gametype in matchmaking Wonderful Toys Pick up three or more weapons or powers during a single match in any Slayer gametype in matchmaking Bulldozer Finish with KDA over eight in any Slayer gametype in matchmaking Slayer Victory Be on the winning team of a Slayer match Flag Mastery Master all Capture the Flag commendations Mine! Return your team's flag in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking Defender of the Flag Protect your team's flag in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking Sniper Rifle Kill an enemy Spartan with the Sniper Rifle Light Rifle Kill an enemy Spartan with the Light Rifle Suppressor Kill an enemy Spartan with the Suppressor Storm Rifle Kill an enemy Spartan with the Storm Rifle Loadout SMG Kill an enemy Spartan with the SMG Loadout DMR Kill an enemy Spartan with the DMR Loadout Battle Rifle Kill an enemy Spartan with the Battle Rifle Spartan Spree Kill multiple enemy Spartans without dying Geronimo Kill an enemy Spartan with ground pound Multikill Quickly kill multiple enemy Spartans Flag Victory Win a match in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking Carrier Takedown Kill an enemy flag carrier in any Capture the Flag gametype in matchmaking Breakout Mastery Master all Breakout commendations Against All Odds Win a round of any Breakout gametype while outnumbered in matchmaking Breakout Victory Win a match in any Breakout gametype in matchmaking Eye of the Tiger Survive three rounds in a Breakout gametype in matchmaking Arena Mastery Master all Arena commendations Vehicle Mastery Master all vehicle commendations Wargoose Gunner Destroy enemy Spartans with a Wargoose Phaeton Gunship Destroyer Destroy enemy occupied Phaeton Gunships Juggernaut Kill an enemy Spartan with shoulder bash Assassin Assassinate enemy Spartans Spartan Slayer Take out enemy Spartans And Stay Off Kill an enemy Spartan that is clambering Protector Protect a teammate Combat Opportunist Earn any combat skill medal Payback Kill the enemy Spartan that just killed you Avenger Kill an enemy Spartan that just killed a teammate Close Quarters Earn any CQC medal Whites of Their Eyes Kill a full health Enemy Spartan with a precision weapon without missing any shots Banshee Destroyer Destroy enemy occupied Banshees Wraith Destroyer Destroy enemy occupied Wraiths Warthog Destroyer Destroy enemy occupied Warthogs Ghost Destroyer Destroy enemy occupied Ghosts Mongoose Destroyer Destroy enemy occupied Mongooses Splatter Splatter an enemy Spartan with a vehicle Wheelman Earn Vehicle Skill medals Forerunner Destroyer Master all Forerunner kill commendations Warden Slayer Kill Wardens Covenant Destroyer Master all Covenant kill commendations

Medals

Since Halo 2, medals have celebrated our moment-to-moment multiplayer merits. Medals on our screen bring smiles to our faces, and give montages a certain look and feel that makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Well, as warm and fuzzy as they can while Spartans are being taken down with face-ripping headshots left, right, and center.

Halo 5 brings with it brand new multiplayer medals – some have brand-new art, while others are brand new to the franchise, and will celebrate epic moments and plays in new ways.

To get the lowdown on these medals, I sat down with MP designer Max Grossman who provided some insight into the different types of hardware you’ll be earning in multiplayer. Luckily, he also bothered the UI team to get a sneak peek at some of the final medal art. Dig in below!

Max Grossman, Multiplayer Designer

Every Medal in Halo 5 exists for one of three reasons: to reward objective play, to earn REQ points, or to highlight incredible feats. Boss Takedown and Flag capture are great examples of objective based Medals that help reinforce important actions critical to victory. When playing Warzone, every Medal you earn increases your level, allowing you to redeem increasingly powerful REQs. Medals allow us to clearly show players when their actions have a positive effect on their level. Kill type medals are the most common manifestation of this Medal. The final (and most exciting) reason we create a medal is to highlight awesome moments: Bulltrue, Alley-Oop, and Killing Spree, to name a few.

When we look at creating a new Medal, we have to make sure it satisfies a few rules. A Medal needs to be an explicit action that a player can perform; rather than something that can “just happen.” Players should have a clear idea of what it is that they did to earn the Medal. For example, we removed the Reload This Medal because it didn’t satisfy this criterion. Second, a Medal needs to promote good behavior and should never reinforce a negative action. You won’t see the Comeback Kill Medal in Halo 5 because it reminded players that they had died 3 times in a row without getting a kill. When a player is playing poorly, they already know; they don’t need the reminder. Lastly, a Medal has to have a killer name. “Bulltrue.” “Overkill.” “Reversal.” I always like to imagine Jeff Steitzer’s (the infamous multiplayer Announcer) voice in my head whenever trying to come up with Medal names. For as many new Medals that appear in Halo 5, there are just as many that we tinkered with during development that didn’t make the cut.

The visual design of our Medals is something we focused on in Halo 5. Chad Pfarr, our Lead UI Designer, has spent a lot of time refining the visual design of our Medals. We wanted to preserve the classic feel of the legacy medals while giving all of our Medals a fresh new look. Even since the Beta, Chad has redesigned almost all of our Medals. What we have now is a visual language that groups similar medals together, helping to reinforce what caused a player to earn a medal. For instance, each game mode has its own unique visual style to help players identify them. Here are some of the other families of Medals that show up in Halo 5:

Multi-Kills (Double Kill)

Killing Sprees (Killing Spree)

Melee Kills (Assassination, Gunpunch)

Perfect Kills (Killing an opponent with maximum efficiency)

Game Mode (different for each mode)

Vehicle (Hijack, Vehicle Destroyed)

Long Distance (Rocket Mary)

Assisted Kills (EMP Assist, Protector)

Advanced Kills (Quickdraw)

Enemy State Kills (Bulltrue)

Reversal is one of my personal favorite Medals. To earn a Reversal Medal, you have to single-handedly eliminate an enemy that has reduced you to 75% health before you first damage them. We spent a ton of time tuning this Medal to feel just right: how much damage does a player need to deal before this activates? Can the kill be assisted? Can you earn it while you have Overshield? One question we discussed at length was whether or not we should let power weapon kills count towards earning a Reversal. In the end, we decided that a Reversal is the ultimate out-play: power weapon and vehicle kills won’t trigger it. Whenever you earn a Reversal, you know that you completely wrecked your opponent.

Here's a look at all multiplayer medals in Halo 5: Guardians:

General Medals

Medal Description Pound Town Assist Assist in a kill by dealing ground pound damage that is killed by another player's ground pound. EMP Assist Assist in a kill by erasing an enemy player's shields with a Charged Plasma Pistol shot. Wingman Get a spree of any five assist types Close Call Kill with low health and then survive Reversal Win a 1v1 encounter after starting behind Team Takedown Assist Get a kill with the help of three teammates Team Takedown Get a kill with the help of three teammates Airsassination Kill an opponent via midair assassination Assassination Kill an opponent via assassination Retribution Assassinate the opponent who killed you last Brawler Melee an opponent who is shooting you Bulltrue Kill a player who is lunging with the sword Starkiller Kill a player that is ground pounding BXR Melee an opponent and kill them with one shot from a BR Nadeshot Kill an enemy with a single headshot after damaging them with a grenade Quickdraw Kill an enemy with a single headshot with the pistol after damaging them with your primary weapon. Noob Combo Fully charged plasma pistol followed by a single headshot to kill Cliffhanger Kill an enemy while they are clambering Distraction Distract an enemy player that is then killed Extermination Wipe out an enemy team (requires overkill) Sayonara Earn credit for a kill where an enemy falls to their death First Strike Earn the first kill of the match From the Grave Kill an opponent after you die Gunpunch Two BR shots and a melee Snipunch One sniper shot and a melee Hat Trick Get three sniper headshot kills without dying Headshot Kill an opponent with a headshot Deadshot Get a kill with the last bullet in your clip Longshot Get a kill from long range with a precision weapon Double Kill Kill two opponents within 4.5s of one another Triple Kill Kill three opponents within 4.5s of one another Overkill Kill four opponents within 4.5s of one another Killtacular Kill five opponents within 4.5s of one another Killtrocity Kill six opponents within 4.5s of one another Killamanjaro Kill seven opponents within 4.5s of one another Killtastrophe Kill eight opponents within 4.5s of one another Killpocalypse Kill nine opponents within 4.5s of one another Killionaire Kill 10 opponents within 4.5s of one another Protector Save a teammate by killing his attacker Guardian Angel Save a teammate's life from long range Bodyguard Get a spree of three Protector Medals Showstopper Stop an assassination by killing opponent Spray and Pray Kill an enemy from long range with an automatic weapon Killing Spree Kill five players without dying Killing Frenzy Kill 10 players without dying Running Riot Kill 15 players without dying Rampage Kill 20 players without dying Untouchable Kill 25 players without dying Invincible Kill 30 players without dying Inconceivable Kill 35 players without dying Unfriggenbelieveable Kill 40 players without dying Big Game Hunter Kill three enemies that are holding power weapons Hard Target Recharge your shields 10x without dying Triple Double Get double digit Kills, Assist, and Headshots in a game Alley-Oop Pickup a weapon that was blasted to you by another player Combat Evolved Pickup a weapon that you blasted to yourself Big Gun Runner Pick up three power weapons Perfect Kill Kill an opponent with the Battle Rifle in four shots without missing Perfect Kill Unique perfect medal for the Carbine Perfect Kill Unique perfect medal for the DMR Cluster Luck Get two kills with one grenade Fastball Kill an enemy with the impact of a grenade Hail Mary Kill an opponent with a long grenade throw Perfect Kill Unique perfect medal for Light Rifle Perfect Kill Unique perfect medal for Magnum Beat Down Kill an opponent with a Beat Down Ground Pound Kill an opponent with a Ground Pound Melee Kill Kill an opponent with Melee Shoulder Bash Kill an opponent with a Shoulder Bash Stuck Stick an opponent with a Plasma Grenade Rocket Mary Kill an enemy with a long range Rocket Sniper Headshot Kill an enemy with a sniper headshot. Airborne Snapshot Kill an enemy with a snapshot while airborne Buckle Up Kill the driver of a moving enemy vehicle by using a Sniper Rifle Snapshot Kill an enemy with an unscoped sniper shot Snipeltaneous Kill two or more enemies with one sniper shot Flyin' High Achieve a massive Mongoose or Warthog jump with a passenger Hijack Board a land-based vehicle by forcibly removing the enemy in it Busted Kill an enemy trying to hijack or skyjack a vehicle Skyjack Board an air-based vehicle by forcibly removing the enemy in it Splatter Kill an enemy by running them over with a vehicle Road Trip Splatter an enemy with a full Warthog Wheelman Drive a vehicle where your passenger gets a kill

SLAYER MEDALS

Medal Description Award the Clutch Kill Medal Player gains the lead with a kill in the final seconds or kills in Sudden Death Top Gun Be the first player to 10 kills Power Player Get 10 kills with power weapons Game Saver Save a teammate from dying the 50th death (similar to Guardian or Protector) Perfection Win a Slayer game without dying and with at least 15 kills.

STRONGHOLDS MEDALS

Medal Description Stronghold Captured Capture any Stronghold Stronghold Capture Assist Help capture a stronghold before it is captured Lockdown Erase an enemy team's capture progress three times before dying Capture Spree Capture three bases without dying. Total Control Medal Control all strongholds on the map Base Defense Kill an enemy in a controlled stronghold Stronghold Secured Medal Erase an enemy team's capture progress from a controlled Stronghold.

BREAKOUT MEDALS

Medal Description Blind Side Player assassinates last opponent alive Superfecta Player earns final kill, was down 4v1 at one point during round Trifecta Player earns final kill, was down 3v1 at one point during round Perfecta Player earns final kill, was down 2v1 at one point during round Duelist Player earns final kill, was down 1v1 at one point during round Immortal Survive every round of Breakout Extinction Eliminate every opponent on the enemy team in a round. Fast Break Score a kill in the first 10 seconds of a round Buzzer Beater Score a kill in the last 10 seconds of a round. Triple Threat Score a kill with a Gun, a Melee, and a Grenade in a single round.

Capture the Flag Medals

Medal Description Stealth Capture Capture the flag without being spotted Flag Captured Capture the flag Flag Capture Assist Carry the flag before a teammate captures it Flag Runner Player has captured two flags Flag Champion Player has captured three flags Flag Kill Flag carrier kills an opponent Flagsassination Kill an opponent via assassination while carrying the flag Stopped Short Kill a flag carrier that is near their flag stand Flag Joust As the Flag Carrier, kill the enemy Flag Carrier. Carrier Kill Kill the enemy Flag Carrier. Flag Defense Defend your flag from an enemy. Carrier Protector Protect your flag carrier from death Flag Returner Player or team returns flag

Warzone medals

Medal Description Grunt Kill Kill a Grunt Jackal Kill Kill a Jackal Crawler Kill Kill a Crawler Watcher Kill Kill a Watcher Soldier Kill Kill a Soldier Elite Kill Kill an Elite Hunter Kill Kill a Hunter Knight Kill Kill a Knight Warden Kill Kill a Warden Marine Kill Kill a Marine Soldier Assist Assist a player in killing a Soldier Elite Assist Assist a player in killing an Elite Hunter Assist Assist a player in killing a Hunter Knight Assist Assist a player in killing a Knight Warden Assist Assist a player in killing the Warden Marine Assist Assist a player in killing an enemy Marine Base Capture Capture a Base Base Defense Kill an enemy in a controlled Base Core Defense Kill an enemy near your Core Boss Takedown Participate in a Boss Takedown Legendary Takedown Participate in a Legendary Boss Takedown Mongoose Destroyed Destroy an enemy Mongoose Mongoose Assist Assist a player in destroying an enemy Mongoose Warthog Destroyed Destroy an enemy Warthog Warthog Assist Assist a player in destroying an enemy Warthog Scorpion Destroyed Destroy an enemy Scorpion Scorpion Assist Assist a player in destroying an enemy Scorpion Ghost Destroyed Destroy an enemy Ghost Ghost Assist Assist a player in destroying an enemy Ghost Wraith Destroyed Destroy an enemy Wraith Wraith Assist Assist a player in destroying an enemy Wraith Mantis Destroyed Destroy an enemy Mantis Mantis Assist Assist a player in destroying an enemy Mantis Banshee Destroyed Destroy an enemy Banshee Banshee Assist Assist a player in destroying an enemy Banshee Phaeton Destroyed Destroy an enemy Phaeton Phaeton Assist Assist a player in destroying an enemy Phaeton

Warzone Kill Medals

Medal Description Kill Generic Kill Assist Assist a player in achieving a kill Grenade Kill Kill an opponent by using a Grenade Incineration Kill Kill an opponent by using an Incineration Cannon Rocket Kill Rocket Kill Scattershot Kill Kill an opponent by using a Scattershot Shotgun Kill Kill an enemy by using a Shotgun Sniper Kill Kill an opponent by using a Sniper Rifle Beam Kill Kill an opponent by using a Beam Rifle Binary Kill Kill an opponent by using a Binary Rifle Sword Kill Kill an opponent by using an Energy Sword Hydra Kill Kill an enemy by using a Hydra Launcher Splaser Kill Kill an opponent by using a Spartan Laser Supercombine Kill an opponent by using a Needler SAW Kill Kill an opponent by using a SAW Railgun Kill Kill an opponent by using a Railgun Caster Kill Kill an opponent by using a Plasma Caster

Before we go, here’s a quick preview of some of the final medal art in Halo 5, courtesy of Lead UI Designer Chad Pfarr:

Halo: The Master Chief Collection

Earlier this week, we released the latest CU for MCC, which included new penalties and temporary bans for quits, betrayals, and idling, and a look at data from this week suggests that wrongdoers have learned of these developments. The CU also included fixes for the “Who Needs Them?” achievement, betrayal booting in Halo: CE, selecting a random matchmaking voting slot upon voting ties (rather than defaulting to the left-most option) and penalizing players who back out once voting begins. For the full patch notes, head here.

Earlier today, the latest playlist update went live as well, which features Halo: CE 4v4 as a featured playlist, and we’re looking forward to seeing how it fares compared to Infection and other past playlists. And Infection fans, don’t worry, your playlist will return, and potentially a permanent one as previously stated.

Today’s update also made a variety of updates to the Big Team Battle playlist. In case you missed it earlier this month, here’s the full list:

Halo: CE 4v4

Added new featured playlist

Team Slayer:

Adding Tombstone BRs

Big Team Battle:

Adding Hang ‘em High CTF (Halo: CE)

Increasing appearance of Halo: CE Blood Gulch CTF (Halo: CE)

Adding Containment 1-Bomb Assault BR (Halo 2)

Adding Containment 1-Flag CTF BR (Halo 2)

Adding District Crazy King BR (Halo 2)

Adding District 1-Flag CTF BR (Halo 2)

Slightly increasing appearance of District Team Slayer BR (Halo 2)

Slightly increasing appearance of Uplift Team Slayer BR (Halo 2)

Adding Uplift 1-Flag CTF BR (Halo 2)

Add Uplift 1-Bomb Assault BR (Halo 2)

Slightly reducing appearance of Stonetown (H2A)

Slightly reducing appearance of Remnant (H2A)

Slightly reducing appearance of Bloodline (H2A)

Removing Ghost Town (Halo 3)

Adding Last Resort 1-Flag CTF BR (Halo 3)

Adding Longshore 1-Bomb Assault BR (Halo 3)

Adding Sandtrap Multi-Bomb Assault BR (Halo 3)

Adding Standoff Territories BR (Halo 3)

Add Valhalla Multi-Bomb Assault BR (Halo 3)

Slightly reducing appearance of Valhalla Crazy King (Halo 3)

Slightly reducing appearance of Dominion (Halo 4)

Adding Harvest CTF (Halo 4)

Add Exile CTF (Halo 4)

Play of the Week

This week’s play comes from a player by the name of Press X to Flip, and depending on their control scheme of choice is for Halo 3, that may be exactly what happened here!

In the below clip, a high-in-the-sky banshee flies down and tries to swoop in for a routine kill on Valhalla, but the end result is…spectacularly unexpected. Check it out below!

NYCC: A Community Report

While the majority of our team couldn’t be at New York Comic-Con this year, DustStorm from the Podtacular community was able to make it out to the event and put together a community report to send back via telegram. Take it away, Dust.

Community Report from DustStorm:

New York Comic-Con continues to grow, now starting to rival the size of the west coast’s own San Diego Comic-Con. This was my third time attending, and it was the most crowded NYCC I’ve attended yet. There were several vendors showing off new Halo products, including the NYCC exclusive Dark Horse Silver UNSC Pelican, Musterbrand UNSC apparel, Square Enix Halo 5: Guardians Master Chief and Spartan Locke Play Arts Kai figures, and Metal Earth Halo models to name a notable few. For Halo fans, TriForce and Mega Bloks stole the show with the help of local 405th members. The TriForce Plasma Rifle replicas were a huge hit for Spartan cosplay photo opportunities, while the replica Spartan Locke and Kelly helmets along with the Halo 5: Guardians Limited Collector’s Edition statues were simply beautiful to see in person. Mega Bloks created an awesome Master Chief helmet mural made completely out of Halo miniature figures and a life-sized Spartan Locke made completely out of bricks, which also provided for some some choice photo ops. While 343 was indeed missed at NYCC, the Halo presence was definitely there thanks to Mega Bloks, TriForce and the 405th Colonial Division.

To all NYCC attendees, we hope you had a great time, and also that we see you again next year. If you’re local to NY, rest assured that there should be some excellent launch festivities waiting for you in the city.

Community Spotlight

Depending on whether or not you’ve gone dark, well, you may or may not be reading this blog. If you are reading, hopefully you’re aware that this blog is a spoiler-free safe haven. The same, however, cannot be said about this week’s community spotlight, which highlights our friend Greenskull, who got his hands on a press review copy of Halo 5: Guardians, and streamed the first 3 missions of the campaign. If you’re staying away from spoilers, be sure not to check it out, but if you are curious, the link is below. As a fair warning, the top comment is currently “I WANT TO STOP WATCHING BUT I CAN'T.” To ensure that we don’t have any accidental viewings, we aren’t embedding this week’s spotlight, but we’ll instead post the link right here.

For those of you who have been watching early glimpses of the Halo 5: Guardians story, we hope you like what you’ve seen so far, and that you’re excited for the 27th.

We’ll be back next week with new ways to prepare for Day 1.

Until then,

Bravo