To the shock and awe of the Halo community, 343 gave Halo MCC a massive update with the Floodfight Update. Many were not expecting this update, especially since Halo Infinite is slotted for their Second Season in early May. While this update was teased at adding more brand-new content for ODST firefight, this patch has also brought in many additional changes.
The Flood Returns
The primary focus of this update is derived from Halo ODST’s wave-based Firefight game mode. All the different forms of the Flood have arrived in Firefight, along with some brand-new conditions and mechanics never included in the game’s original release. The infected civilian, ODST, and Elite Major were newly introduced into this mode. The Elite Major was brought back while sporting their iconic red armor and energy shields.
Along with these additional enemies, dead ODST players can be infected and resurrected by the Flood for the first time in Halo history. All infected players return from the grave with their previous weapons, making them an extra powerful threat if you had something akin to a Rocket Launcher when you died. These new flood waves also affect the map itself whenever you enter one.
The Flood appears with a dense green fog that makes more creepy and atmospheric moments like previous campaign missions. In this “Floodfight” update for Halo, the Flood even brings in unique hazards such as Flood Stalkers and dropping in from the sky with Flood Dispersal Pods. For the first time since Halo 2, the Flood can control vehicles again, along with being able to wield turrets alongside several newly added animations.
Player Updates Coming in this Halo Master Chief Collection Update
The Flood aren’t the only ones receiving new features; there have been quite a few changes added for players. For the first time, players will be able to use the Energy Sword and Sentinel Beam in ODST. Players can now use the VISR map to see enemy locations, even while waiting to respawn. The Flood aren’t the only ones added to Firefight; Elites Enemies can be found in the new variant waves.
Players can obtain “Boons” across different maps, such as weapon racks containing battle rifles and assault rifles which were not included in the original release of Halo 3: ODST. Some maps include Flamethrowers, Marines, and NMPD officers to help combat the Flood. On night missions, allied Elites drop in via insertion pods to aid you against the Flood.
A handful of fixes and improvements have also been imported back to Halo: Reach. One notable change is friendly marines on Installation 04 can now be evicted from vehicles and you can trade weapons with them, just like in the campaign.
Halo 4 Campaign Customization in the Floodfight Update for Halo TMCC
A small but welcome change is additional skin customization being added to Halo 4’s campaign. Skins that you have earned through Halo MCC’s free season passes can now be enabled in campaign missions. However, players will still appear as Master Chief and will not use custom armor, visors, or armor effects like Halo: Reach’s campaign.
New Skulls for Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 3: ODST Coming in Floodfight Update
The Acrophobia Skull that was previously added to Halo 3 is now available in Halo 2: Anniversary, making players no longer need modding tools to activate this effect. Halo 3 and ODST have received skulls that were exclusive to only Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary and Halo 2 Anniversary. The list of skulls is:
- Anger – Enemies fire their weapons faster and more frequently
- Bandanna – Infinite ammo
- Bonded Pair – Co-op skull: When one player dies, the other player gets a large damage boost that lasts a while
- Boom – Increase explosion radius x2
- Eye Patch – Auto-aim features disabled for all weapons
- Foreign – Players cannot pick up or use opposing factions’ weapons
- Ghost – AI no longer flinch from attacks
- Jacked – Players can only enter ground vehicles by boarding
- Malfunction – Every time you respawn, a random element of your HUD is disabled
- Master Blaster – Co-op skull: One player’s shields recharge to overshield level and can only melee while the second player has no shields and infinite ammo. Roles switch after a number of enemy kills
- Pinata – Punching enemies makes them drop a grenade
- Recession – Every shot is worth twice the ammo
- So… Angry… – Enraged Brutes explode like frag grenades if not dispatched within seconds. Base Brute score values are increased
- Swarm – Hunters are much stronger. Base Hunter score values are increased.
- That’s Just… Wrong – Increase enemy awareness of player
- They Come Back – Flood Combat Forms spawned by Infection Forms reanimating a corpse are much more dangerous
Halo 3: ODST receives all the skulls mentioned above Including Acrophobia while excluding ‘They Come Back’.
51 New Halo 3 Medals
Halo 3 has also gained 51 new medals exclusive to multiplayer. These medals will already be familiar to Halo fans, as they are inspired by later Halo titles. If you wish to keep seeing only the traditional Halo 3 medals, these extra medals can be turned off in the settings menu. The list of new multiplayer medals coming in the Floodfight update for Halo Master Chief Collection is:
- Headshot: Kill an opponent by shooting them in the head.
- Assist: Assist a player in achieving a kill.
- Revenge: Kill the opponent responsible for your last death.
- Kill: Kill an opponent (applies only when no other kill medal is awarded).
- Avenger: Kill an opponent who recently killed your teammate.
- Comeback Kill: Achieve a kill after dying 3 times in a row.
- Reload This: Kill an opponent who is reloading.
- Grenade Kill: Kill an opponent by using a Frag Grenade or Pulse Grenade
- Protector: Save a teammate by killing his attacker.
- Close Call: Kill an opponent while your health is low and survive.
- Rocket Kill: Kill an opponent by using a Rocket Launcher.
- Plasma Kill: Kill an opponent by using a Plasma Grenade.
- Vehicle Kill: Kill an opponent with a vehicle. This includes the Shade Turret and Elephant Turret. This is for vehicle weapon kills, not splatters.
- Vehicle Destroyed: Destroy an enemy vehicle.
- Sword Kill: Kill an opponent by using an Energy Sword
- First Strike: Earn the first kill of the match.
- Vehicle Destroy Assist: Assist in destroying a vehicle.
- Supercombine: Kill an opponent by using a Needler.
- Snapshot: Kill an opponent with a sniper rifle while not zoomed in.
- Last Strike: Earn the final kill.
- Flag Taken: Take an enemy’s flag from their base.
- Hill Offense: Kill an opponent holding a hill.
- Hill Defense: Kill an opponent while holding a hill.
- Ball Carrier Kill: Kill an opponent holding the Oddball.
- Flag Returned: Return your team’s flag.
- First Touch: Be the first player to pick up the Oddball.
- Fuel Rod Cannon Kill: Kill an opponent by using a Fuel Rod Cannon.
- First Point: Be the first player to earn a point from a hill.
- Hammer Kill: Kill an opponent by using a Gravity Hammer.
- Inconceivable: Kill 35 opponents in a row without dying.
- Unfrigginbelievable: Kill 40 opponents in a row without dying.
- Ball Holder: Hold onto the Oddball for 10 seconds.
- Ball Keeper: Hold onto the Oddball for 20 seconds.
- Ball Master: Hold onto the Oddball for 30 seconds.
- Ball Hog: Hold onto the Oddball for 45 seconds.
- Magic Hands: Hold onto the Oddball for 1 minute.
- Flag Runner: Capture 2 flags in one game.
- Flag Champion: Capture 3 flags in one game.
- Smooth Moves: Get a Triple Kill with the oddball.
- Hill Dominance: Hold and survive in the hill for its entire duration.
- Brute Shot Kill: Kill an opponent with a Brute Shot.
- Sentinel Beam Kill: Kill an opponent with a Sentinel Beam.
- Turret Kill: Kill an opponent with a turret.
- Territory Captured: Captured a Territory.
- Territorial: Kill an opponent while you are in a Territory Zone.
- Triumvirate: Capture 3 different Territories during a match.
- Bomb Defense: Protect the enemy bomb by killing an opponent near it.
- Bomb Defused: Defuse the bomb.
- Disarmed: Kill an opponent while they are arming the bomb.
- Saboteur: Successfully plant 2 bombs that go off during a match.
- Environmentalist: Kill an opponent with any dynamic element in the level.
Other Additions Coming in the Floodfight Halo Update
The custom game browser for Halo MCC has been finally updated with a quick match feature. Also, all Halo titles have been added to the browser, meaning all Halo lobbies are finally accessible to everyone.
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Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST campaigns now have cross-play enabled. Both players on PC and Xbox can play both campaigns cooperatively online with one another.
Halo 3: ODST Mod Tools have been released along with this update. The mod tools can be downloaded on Steam. 343 Industries plans to release mod tools for the remaining titles across the MCC; soon, every Halo game on MCC will have supported mods.
Lastly, a lot of cut and unseen content didn’t make it into previous Halo MCC seasons that 343 has yet to release. We can expect future updates to bring even more unexpected customization to the game finally.
Alongside all of these changes, loads of UI updates and bug fixes were added to Halo MCC in this Floodfight update. The latest update for the MCC is a fantastic achievement for 343 Industries, and the community can’t wait for more.