Fans of Halo 3 are gathering across the internet to pay their respects for one of the Xbox 360's most iconic titles ahead of its impending server termination.Across social media, players are sharing their memories of Halo 3 and its vast assortment of multiplayer modes. Developer 343 Industries confirmed that Jan. 13 will be the final day that several classic Halo games can be enjoyed on the Xbox 360 as the servers will finally be shut down. Beyond Halo 3, the affected titles include Halo 3: ODST, Halo Reach, Halo 4, Halo Wars, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo: Spartan Assualt. While many of these titles still sport their complete functionality on the Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S, the loss of the Xbox 360 servers has many fans nostalgic.
Despite Halo 3's online multiplayer component no longer being supported, various game modes will still be accessible to players. Dedicated Spartans can still enjoy the campaign, splitsceen cooperative and competitive multiplayer and LAN games. This rings true for every other affected Halo game except Halo: Spartan Assualt and Halo Wars which both still support matchmaking.
While the death of Halo 3's servers will undoubtedly upset long-time fans of the franchise, the game's multiplayer is still playable through Halo: The Master Chief Collection. This bundle gathers together every mainline game in the franchise, offering updated visuals and mechanical tweaks. Gamers looking to relive the glory days of plasma grenades and rocket launchers can find all of Halo 3's maps neatly preserved for modern audiences as well as a few additional extras to discover and explore.
Released in 2007, Halo 3 went on to be one of the best-selling games on the Xbox 360. Developed by Bungie and published by Microsoft, the game's story follows Master Chief, a super-soldier tasked with bringing an end to a deadly alien collective known as the Covenant. The game was a commercial success, earning the title of best-selling video game in the United States for 2007 and grossing $600 million USD within three years of its release. Halo 3 also received almost generally positive reviews as critics lauded its compelling multiplayer mode while others believed the single-player campaign to be a disappointing conclusion to the narrative arc started in Halo: Combat Evolved.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is available for Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC.
Source: Twitter