We also wanted these items to fit into each map's visual theme and setting.Īnother challenge to tackle was sound design as these maps hadn't received full audio passes in their original development cycle. These maps won't offer quite the same Forge flexibility as Sandbox or Foundry (Halo 3's dedicated Forge canvases), but they each offer lots of structure items and gadgets to build with. For Forge, we wanted to take advantage of some of the updates we made to other Halo 3 maps with its PC launch and empower players to create unique experiences of their own. Of course, players can create their own variants of these maps in Forge which presented another fun design space to explore. We took inspiration from the Halo Online power weapon placement, but ultimately took steps to make things fit Halo 3, both in "feel" and in function. Halo 3's sandbox differs quite a bit from Halo Online's, so ensuring that the right weapons and equipment were present to complement and counter one another was important. Altering the maps to accommodate for these led to some changes in spawns or having to add blockers to areas that in Halo Online would not have been accessible before.
Matt Jordan (Designer) + Dana Jerpbak (Designer): Some gameplay design changes were needed while working on the maps due to things like Halo Online having sprint and not having equipment. What kind of design changes were required in order to move the maps from Halo Online to Halo 3? Fortunately, the Halo Online technology base made the process of bringing these maps over to Halo 3 a bit smoother than trying to bring content across games with larger engine differences. Maps are one of the more complex pieces of content to bring into Halo: MCC. Our goal is to give players more things to look forward to as well as new ways to play the game. We also look for opportunities to bring out unreleased content or items that were teased but not released, such as the GRD helmet. Max Szlagor (Design Director): We are always on the lookout for ways to make each season fresh and to bring in new types of content. Can you walk us through the decision to turn your attention back to a game that hadn’t seen new maps in so long? Halo 3 is getting new maps after more than a decade.
After a delay, the game is slated for release this fall on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. In addition to MCC, 343 is working on the Halo Infinite. The team also shared some thoughts on why being transparent and open with fans is so vitally important to the studio. Read on to check out our full interview, which also touches on things like the Custom Game Browser, which is coming sometime later, along with how the developer responds and reacts to feedback. "We are investigating what is possible for each game and what additional maps we can bring in," he said. Szlagor teased that 343 is planning to release additional maps for MCC in future seasons, and they might not be limited to Halo 3 alone, which is exciting to think about. "Altering the maps to accommodate for these led to some changes in spawns or having to add blockers to areas that in Halo Online would not have been accessible before," Szlagor said.īringing maps from Halo Online to Halo 3 in MCC was "a bit smoother" due in part to how Halo Online ran on a modified version of the Halo 3 engine. Further changes were required due to the fact that Halo Online doesn't have equipment. Halo Online features sprinting, but Halo 3 vanilla doesn't, so the developers at 343 had to make some gameplay design changes to accommodate this. Maps are one of the more complex pieces of content to bring into Halo: MCC," design director Max Szlagor said. "Our goal is to give players more things to look forward to as well as new ways to play the game. In a new interview, developers from 343 Industries spoke to GameSpot about releasing new maps for Halo 3 and shed some light on the development and design process.
Microsoft is testing another Halo Online map, Edge, but it needed more work so it didn't make it in for Season 6. It's the first new DLC map for Halo 3 in more than a decade, and it won't be the last, either. The Waterfall map, which originally debuted in the short-lived free-to-play Halo Online game for Russia, is now available in MCC through Custom Games.
The free update adds 100 tiers of new content in its battle pass-style system, along with perhaps the most exciting new addition to the compilation package in years-a new map for Halo 3. It's a big day for Halo, as Halo: The Master Chief Collection's long-awaited Season 6 update is finally here on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.