In a formal apology to the Halo community, Bonnie Ross, studio manager of 343 Industries, addressed the announcement of a compensation package for those who have been affected by the various issues surrounding Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
After six weeks of matchmaking and stability issues, 343 Industries has been determined to listen to the fans. Though the various patch updates speak to the developer’s aim at creating the best Halo experience for gamers, it would seem a bulky compensation package will act as an apology for the game’s rough state.
“This has been a humbling experience and highlighted how we as a studio can – and need – to do better for Xbox fans around the world. We are so grateful to our fans who have stood by our side and we appreciate all of your patience as we worked through these issues. As a token of our appreciation and to thank fans for the continued support and understanding, we will be offering the following items, for free, to anyone who has played Halo: The Master Chief Collection online since launch (11.11.14) through today (12.19.14).”
- 1 Month of Xbox Live Gold
- Exclusive In-Game Nameplate
- Exclusive In-Game Avatar
“Additionally, you’ve told us that you want more Halo 2: Anniversary multiplayer map content and Halo 3: ODST on Xbox One,” Ross added. “As a future bonus, we’re going to make these happen and give them to you for free. We are just now starting work with our partners to bring both to Halo: The Master Chief Collection and will share more specific details on timing in the coming months.”
- Halo 3: ODST Campaign – Development has just started on the campaign for Halo 3: ODST, which will be available within Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and upgraded to 1080p resolution, running at 60fps. It will be available for free to anyone who has played Halo: The Master Chief Collection since launch (11.11.14) through today (12.19.14).* Thanks to our friends at Bungie for creating the original “Halo 3: ODST” campaign.
- “Relic” Halo 2: Anniversary Multiplayer Map – Available via a free content update to Halo: The Master Chief Collection, we will reimagine the fan-favorite map “Relic,” fully remastered and running at 1080p resolution and 60fps. We chose this map based on its suitability for Slayer and Objective modes and its ability to support teams of varying sizes. And you can trust that Certain Affinity will tune and tweak the map to make it even better than you remember.
But what about the issues still plaguing Halo: The Master Chief Collection? Don’t worry, Ross made it a point to ensure that the studio is still hard at work in creating updates that will help fix the game’s remaining issues in regards to matchmaking and stability.
“Next week, we’ll release a content update that will add all 10 episodes of the cooperative experience ‘Spartan Ops’ for Halo 4, and will address other issues. I assure you that the team will continue to work on additional content updates to further improve the all-up gameplay experience.”
“The satisfaction and joy of our fans is absolutely critical to everyone at 343 Industries and we regret the issues and the frustration you have endured,” Ross concludes. “We are truly sorry and thank you for your continued patience and support of the Halo franchise.”
For more details on claiming the compensation items, make sure to head over to 343’s FAQ.
