Halo 5: Guardians continues the story of the Master Chief, and introduces a brand new central character to the Halo universe – Spartan Locke.  Peace is shattered when colony worlds are unexpectedly attacked.  And when humanity’s greatest hero goes missing, Spartan Locke is tasked with hunting the Master Chief and solving a mystery that threatens the entire galaxy.

Experience the most dramatic Halo story to date in a four-player cooperative epic that spans three worlds. Challenge friends and rivals in new multiplayer modes: Warzone, massive 24-player battles, and Arena, pure 4-versus-4 competitive combat.

The Halo 5: Guardians Overtime content release brings a host of tweaks, adjustments and other goodies all designed to improve overall player experience. Let’s a closer look at the big-ticket items we’ve got in store.

• 4K Upgrades. The team at 343 Industries has been working closely with Skybox Labs (longtime Halo development partners on various projects including Halo 5: Forge for Windows 10) on enhancements to Halo 5: Guardians for Xbox One X. This update takes advantage of the extra power of Xbox One X to deliver higher visual fidelity for players who have compatible hardware.
• Oddball. Oddball is back in Halo 5: Guardians, with a full suite of mode-specific medals, new VO and a return of the ballyhooed and beloved skull as “the ball.” This fan-favorite mode looks to give players yet another way to have a blast with fellow Spartans on the battlefield.
• Local Server app. With this new app, players can host a local server on a Windows 10 PC connected to the same network as Xbox One consoles to enjoy easy, low-latency Halo 5: Guardians multiplayer matches – perfect for basement brawls or running your own tournament – big or small.
• Weapon Tuning Update. Last month 343 Industries conducted a public test of these newly tuned weapons in a special matchmaking playlist which you can read all about right here. Over the course of the test we received an enormous amount of feedback via our Halo Waypoint forums and official surveys which, along with a plethora of game data, have helped the team assess and refine these weapons before they get released in the November update. Check out Halo Waypoint for a breakdown of what to expect.
• Halo World Championship 2018. Halo’s world stage is back, and better than ever. With open qualifiers in four different regions and the best Halo players and teams across the world vying for glory, the Halo World Championship 2018 aims to unleash a heroic new chapter in an already-legendary legacy.
• HCS Fall 2017 Finals. The HCS Fall 2017 Finals at DreamHack Denver are this weekend! The action is going to be incredibly intense, and you aren’t going to want to miss a moment of it – catch it all streamed live on Mixer.com/Halo & Twitch.tv/Halo! For all the latest information, as well as predictions from our experts in the booth, make sure to check out our full HCS Fall 2017 Finals Preview.
• Team Skins are Coming to Halo 5: Guardians. Beginning with Halo 5:Guardians’ Overtime update (more on this below), you’ll begin to see some new weapon skins arrive in Halo 5: Guardians over the next several months, including new liveries for Luminosity, Str8 Rippin and defending HCS Pro League champions, Splyce, and more; stay tuned for more info on individual skin availability in the future!
• Microsoft Store Tournament Program. We’re excited to announce an expanded Microsoft Store Halo 5: Guardians tournament program that sees the slate grow from three months to five, and from 53 stores to 83 – meaning every Microsoft Store on the planet will be hosting Halo 5: Guardians tournaments beginning next month! The action kicks off on Monday Nov 6 and runs through March 2018, so make sure you find your nearest location and register online now to be part of all the action!

Last week, 343 Industries introduced the Relief & Recovery REQ Pack in Halo 5: Guardians in response to the seemingly unending string of challenges reality has thrown humanity’s way recently. With 100 percent of the proceeds from the Relief & Recovery REQ Pack going to GlobalGiving, Spartans have stepped up in a big way. The pack is available from Oct. 12-23 both in the Halo 5: Guardians in-game REQ Store or in the Xbox Live Store for $9.99 USD.