14 years after Microsoft shut it down, Halo 2 gets new public servers thanks to an unofficial OG Xbox Live replacement
Mar. 15, 2024Good news for Mountain Dew and Doritos lovers
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Insignia is the free and unofficial OG Xbox Live replacement that has restored online functionality for almost 200 older games. The service requires you to jump through a few hoops to get it working on an original Xbox console, as detailed on itswebsite, which probably explains why there are just over 10,000 registered users and only 13 players online at the time of writing.
But if you don’t mind fiddling with your dusty machine, the service is a surefire way to play the Conker remake, Project Gotham Racing, and Phantasy Star Online with their servers intact. Even Star Wars Battlefront 1 & 2 are included - just in caseserver woes persist on their high-definition remasters.
Next up on the online game preservation waitlist is Halo 2, which is coming to the service later today with ten multiplayer playlists: Team Slayer, Skirmish, Training, Snipers, Hardcore, SWAT, Double Team, Rumble Pit, H2 Challenge, and my personal favorite, Big Team Battle. The shooter launches on Insignia in Public Beta at 8pm GMT and 4pm EST.
Halo 2 was a landmark release two decades ago and it’s still just as hilariously chaotic today thanks to some unshackled physics mayhem that sends tanks flying off the map, for instance. The game is still playable through normal means today via Halo: The Master Chief Collection, but I’m happy to hear that online functionality is being revived for the shooter’s original hardware.
Modders have worked magic on the classic game recently, withone team discovering and even resurrecting cut contentfrom before the game’s release. Another modforced Spartans and Stormtroopers to battle it outfor the sci-fi crown. And one animator used the game’s textures tocreate a Pokemon Snap crossover-yes, you read that right -that I never knew I needed.
Developer 343 Industries is slowing down support on Halo Infinite as the studio prepares for new projects in the series.
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Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that’s vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he’ll soon forget.
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