One of the sad realities of online gaming is the fact that, one day, servers for most games will eventually be turned off. That’s exactly what just happened to a number of classic Halo games released for Xbox 360, including Halo 3, Halo 4, Halo: Reach, and more. January 13th marked the final date that players could participate in online matches in the game, and it’s a sad day for a lot of fans. The Xbox 360 era was a good one for the franchise, and it provided players with a lot of enjoyment over the years. For many, these games will be missed.
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Halo Support’s Tweet announcing the move can be found embedded below.
It’s hard to say exactly how many people were still regularly enjoyingthese Halo games online, though a lot of fans clearly jumped in for some matches before the servers went down. In the replies to the Tweet above, many players shared their experiences during those last hours. Some fans are hoping to see information shared on exactly how many players signed on for the final day, though official numbers have not been released, as of this writing.
The modern era of gaming has resulted in a number of challenges for the industry in terms of preservation. It’s not just servers for online games, it’s things like digital storefronts, as well. As the video game industry leans more and more into things like game streaming, and exclusively digital releases, some games run the risk of being lost forever.Fortunately, these Halo games will remain playable, even if their online modes won’t be.
Of course, while the Xbox 360 servers have been taken offline, fans of the earlier Halo games can still enjoy online multiplayer for them through Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The experience isn’t exactly the same, but 343 Industries has kept the spirit of these games alive in a major way, with updates provided to the graphics. I guess it’s true what they say: Spartans never die, they’re just missing in action!
Did you get some Halo matches in before the servers went down? Are you disappointed these games won’t be playable online anymore? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
