On This Day 18 Years Ago, the Greatest FPS of All Time Released 

Halo 3 is one of the most important FPSs of all time, and remains one of the most fun to play. The gaming world changes with each passing day, an undeniable benefit (and challenge) of an industry that thrives on innovation and expansion. However, there are some anchors in the history of gaming that will forever remain attached to the community, serving as sea-change moments for the industry as a whole. One of those titles debuted 18 years ago today, and still remains a crucial junction in the history of online gaming and first-person shooters.

Halo 3 launched September 25, 2007, and nearly two decades later, the Xbox 360 release remains one of the best first-person shooters of all time. This isn’t just because of the incredibly tight design and compelling story (although those elements were big reasons why it endured in the hearts and minds of players). The biggest reason Halo 3 is worth remembering almost twenty years later is the way it radically impacted the world of gaming, changing not just the FPS genre but pro gaming, multiplayer, and online play as a whole.

Halo 3 Was The King Of Shooters In A Crowded Era

Halo 3 was (naturally) the third mainline entry in the Halo series. Halo: Combat Evolved had proven to be a killer app for the Xbox when it launched, and Halo 2 became the best-selling title on that console. Expectations were sky-high in 2007, with Halo 3 set up as one of the most anticipated titles for the Xbox 360. Launching almost two years after that console hit the general market, Halo 3 proved to be worth the wait.

Benefiting from Bungie’s complete attention, Halo 3 had tight gameplay, a strong story campaign, and action set-pieces that are still among the best examples of the FPS genre. While the series continued onwards with fitting follow-ups like Halo: Reach (and less universally acclaimed sequels like Halo 4), Halo 3 remains a high benchmark of the franchise and console FPSs in general.

Halo 3 was more than just a strong conclusion to a solid sci-fi action trilogy. The multiplayer elements of Halo: Combat Evolved and especially Halo 2 had solidified the series as a constant at sleepovers and parties, with Halo 3 quickly picking up the torch from Halo 2 and carrying the series forward into a new generation of consoles. This was an era of LAN-parties, where games like Counter-Strike and Battlefield dominated the multiplayer scene.

Alongside Team Fortress 2 (which launched the following month), Halo 3 permanently changed the landscape for shooters, incorporating more bombastic action and explosive weaponry in a way that made the games much more fun. Looking back at the legacy of Halo 3, it’s impossible to understate just how much of an impact the title had on gamers. At launch, 1 million people were playing concurrently worldwide. Players were burning through the campaign over and over again, utilizing the co-op mode and multiplayer options to prolong the experience far beyond the typical shelf-life of a new title. While it was a massive success at the time, the true legacy of Halo 3 wouldn’t be obvious until years later.

Halo 3 Was The Kind Of Universal Success Gaming Doesn’t Get Anymore

Halo 3 was a cultural phenomenon when it launched, building on the widespread success of Halo 2 to become an icon of the industry. In this era, only dedicated gimmick games like Guitar Hero or Rock Band could really compete with Halo 3 for the title of the party game. Countless bedrooms, dorm rooms, and apartments were dominated by Halo 3 nights. Halo 3 became more than just a multiplayer hangout — it transformed the pro-gaming circuit in a major way. With Halo 3 as a major fixture in tournaments that average games could easily play themselves, Major League Gaming and eSports picked up steam in the mainstream in a way it simply hadn’t before. Pro gaming and competitive FPS shifted away from just the PC and began to be felt more in the console market.

Halo 3‘s massive success ensured it remained the sixth highest-selling game for the Xbox 360 ever after several other massive hits like Grand Theft Auto V and Call of Duty 3: Modern Warfare launched. This impact wasn’t lost on game developers. The industry as a whole reexamined the FPS format after Halo 3, with a new focus on better gunplay and a variety of weapon styles becoming the norm. Tweaks on the formula that the Halo series codified and that Halo 3 perfected helped elevate other established franchises like Call of Duty and contemporary newcomers like Gears of War and F.E.A.R. stand out amid a crowded field. If an FPS wasn’t directly influenced by Halo 3, then its unique qualities felt like a direct response to it.

Halo 3 also went a step further than Halo 2 when DLC was concerned, with Halo 2‘s downloadable multiplayer arenas giving way to multiple “Map Packs” in Halo 3. This commitment to expanding and building on Halo 3 rather than moving on to another title was almost prescient of the current gaming model. Halo 3‘s multiple map packs make it something of a proto-live service title, long before games like Fortnite would expand on the concept to great success. The focus on ranked mode in multiplayer didn’t just feed into the pro circuit, but it also codified skill ceilings in modern FPS and redefined player desires for higher rankings.

The gaming industry and fanbase changed as a result of Halo 3. The focus on multiplayer without sacrificing solo play was proof that the right FPS really could appeal to a wide scope of fans while still telling a compelling narrative. It had a willingness to “finish the fight” in the story mode, while leaving the multiplayer to carry on the legacy. Nearly twenty years later, the gaming landscape is very different from what it once was — and the state of online games, FPSs, and pro gaming is different because of Halo 3‘s legacy.