When venerable online multiplayer service GameSpy shuts down on May 31, many fans of modern classic FPS Halo: Combat Evolved were worried that it meant their days in Blood Gulch had come to an end. However, thanks to original creators of the series Bungie and a small group of talented coders, it seems that will not be the case.
As outlined in a post on the Halo Fixes forum, Bungie will soon release a patch for the game that will allow players to take advantage of the new Master Server that they are hosting in lieu of GameSpy’s service. Thanks to the work of Roger Wolfson of Bungie as well as enthusiasts Btcc22, Kornman00 and Technut, the still-popular online multiplayer of Halo looks set to be enjoyed for years to come.
Halo: Combat Evolved was originally released as a launch title for the Xbox, but its 2003 PC port marked the first time that its much-lauded multiplayer could be taken online out of the box. Up to sixteen players could face-off in an even wider selection of maps than the Xbox version offered, and given that the original was undoubtedly one of the most popular games of its console generation, it’s of no surprise that it found a warm reception on the PC.
Online multiplayer via Xbox Live was included in Halo 2, and proved to play a huge part in the series’ ongoing popularity—but for many, whether it was experienced through LAN parties, splitscreen or online, the multiplayer in Halo: Combat Evolved was the pinnacle of the series. With server shutdowns that render the multiplayer portions of games becoming more and more prevalent, it’s promising to see a team of committed fans and a major studio working together to make sure that that’s not the case here.