Bungie unveils details on 4-player Halo 3 co-op

by Richard Mitchell { Jul 31st 2007 at 5:25PM }

With the revelation earlier today that 4-player co-op is definitely coming to Halo 3, Bungie has now posted an article detailing everything you could want to know about the feature. So, without further ado, the nitty-gritty:

4-player co-op via system link or Xbox Live
Splitscreen limited to 2 players, but 2 more can be accommodated via system link or Live
Co-op is managed in its own lobby, similar to other modes
Players can still save films of co-op sessions
Bungie will be adding some incentive for multiple play-throughs

If you haven't yet surmised the significance of the image above, know that the three elites will serve as the Master Chief's co-op partners. Player two, naturally, will play as the Arbiter. The other two are newly created Elites with their own backstories. It seems that since the Schism of the Covenant in Halo 2, humanity finds itself with a growing segment of Elite sympathizers.

However you slice it, 4-player co-op -- and all of the tactical options it adds to Halo 3 -- sounds like it's going to be a blast. Now all we have to worry about is the fight over who gets to be Master Chief.

[Thanks, Skandil]

Tags: bungie, bungiestudios, halo, halo3, mgs, microsoftgamestudios

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

DarkTravesty @ Jul 31st 2007 5:31PM

ME!

Stupidiot @ Jul 31st 2007 5:34PM

I want to be the blue elite on the right! I hate the Arbiter for some reason...

TORO @ Jul 31st 2007 5:37PM

This game pwns GOW! I'm not a hater I actually like GOW, but Halo's are by far my favorite videogames.

John @ Jul 31st 2007 5:41PM

*sniff sniff* Halo...godly...Im...speechless.

Boff @ Jul 31st 2007 5:42PM

Back of the net!!!

Maximus @ Jul 31st 2007 5:45PM

I love this news! I want to be the Arbiter. Thanks you Bungie, Frankie, Lukems and fanboys everywhere. I'm now the most excited I've been for Halo 3 since before the beta.

Little Lee @ Jul 31st 2007 5:48PM

Hope you can get the achievements this way. I suck at Hard and Legendary. Need some Halo masters to carry me through the game :)

Good news though

Boff @ Jul 31st 2007 5:48PM

I reckon they should open up the Beta again so we can do a few 'stress tests' of the 4 player co-op ;o)

E.J. @ Jul 31st 2007 6:04PM

No jump-in-anytime action like GoW... but four-player co-op!

Whooo!

zourskittles @ Jul 31st 2007 6:05PM

HALLEJUBHA!!!!

Dylan @ Jul 31st 2007 6:05PM

I can't wait

intRvenous @ Jul 31st 2007 6:07PM

Put that in your Metal Gear Solid 4 and smoke it...

erivera3 @ Jul 31st 2007 6:10PM

Halo 3 already wasn't fair to other games, now it is just sick. Holy shit, this is the greatest thing ever I always knew in the back of my mind that Bungie wouldn't let us down, Gosh bless Bungie and America and everyone! This is the best news ever I was having a horrible day then I log on to see this?!?!?!?!

OMG

intRvenous @ Jul 31st 2007 6:12PM

Book fans: it's a shame we'll probably never see/play Kelly, Tom, Lucy ...Kurt, Sam. It would've been perfect for 4 player co-op... sniff sniff...

Maybe a Fall of Reach DLC mission?!

Grindstone @ Jul 31st 2007 6:13PM

56 days to go. It's like waiting for Christmas morning... torture!

rockeranimefreak @ Jul 31st 2007 6:15PM

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG! O_O

BUNGIE LISTENED TO US!!!!! I LOVE YOU BUNGIE! CAN WE HAVE A CORTANA FIGURINE IN OUR HALO3 SETS PLEASE!!!!!

erivera3 @ Jul 31st 2007 6:17PM

Anyone up for some online 4 person coop in some Halo 3?

DUG E. FRESH @ Jul 31st 2007 6:17PM

Midnight Launch Party Watch out!

Clutch @ Jul 31st 2007 6:25PM

"If you build it, they will come."

DaveC @ Jul 31st 2007 6:52PM

EGM must feel PRETTY stupid right about now. Unless of course the internet twisted their words. Either way, god has shined upon this game.

Toph @ Jul 31st 2007 7:01PM

@ 16 Rockeranimefreak:

A Cortana light-up figurine will be coming next summer in the McFarlane HALO 3 line, so your prayers are answered!

I think 4 player co-op for HALO 3 is great, but I won't be using it as my sole way to work through the campaign. I want to experience the secrets of the story alone and fresh, but I plan to use it with friends to finish the game on Legendary mode for sure.

Not a super killer aspect to HALO 3 for me, but something I'm glad it has! I'd not like H3 to be lacking anything in any regard.

(I'd be more excited if Bungie told us that the campaign would have many more levels and a longer game than HALO 2. THAT would really excite me! :) )

Toph @ Jul 31st 2007 7:03PM

Oh..and while we're all writing in our chosen skins for the co-op, write me in for an Elite; I PWN with Carbine! Give me a backup shotty and be ready for decimation on a grand scale! :):)

Levon @ Jul 31st 2007 7:07PM

can't believe it! that'll be intense with how big the maps sound now. and beat the campaign online co-op? awesome.

Justin @ Jul 31st 2007 7:10PM

It would have been pretty cool if they had 4 spartans. not necessarily master chiefs, but just spartans.

Randy Roy @ Jul 31st 2007 8:09PM

OMG!! I AM SO GLAD I DIDN'T KILL MYSELF YESTERDAY!!! SUCK MY FREAK PS3!! SONY SUX MICROHARD RULES!!

David Wright @ Jul 31st 2007 8:59PM

Get ready guiness book of world records, this is gonna be huge!

Great news, I dont tend to play campaign myself anyway, much prefer live, but this news is fantastic, I can see myself and my gf playing with a couple of friends through the game!

Buckling @ Jul 31st 2007 9:00PM

w00t

Josiahx @ Jul 31st 2007 9:01PM

FVCKYEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!! I knew it!!

Ryan Hartman @ Jul 31st 2007 9:02PM

I saw this article, and I peed a little.

And then I ejaculated A LOT!

I am SO gay for 4 player co-op.

lee_ @ Jul 31st 2007 9:19PM

does this mean the arbiter and the other elites don't have active camo?

Ryan @ Jul 31st 2007 9:20PM

Does everyone know the blastacular pack is now free on Halo 2

Doc @ Jul 31st 2007 9:25PM

so...god does exsist? this is great news ,beyond great now i can have my cake and eat it too! the only thing that would make this better is if they gave away the game! way to go bungie i was beginning to wonder about this , i'm just glad it's not some DLC that i have to pay for later down the road!

Jonah Falcon @ Jul 31st 2007 10:50PM

There's a single player campaign meta-game in which you get points for your performance in each of the 9 chapters. That gets sent to the online leaderboard.

russny @ Jul 31st 2007 10:57PM

I knew this day would come! Every night for the last few months I've been visiting the X360F website in hopes of finding this exact news - and it finally happened!

Bungie came through! Best developer of all times maybe? :D Who else shows the fans as much love as Bungie? Epic, perhaps... Not many, that's for sure :)

Now I just hope the option to play as 4 spartans comes out as a DLC.

WAY TO GO BUNGIE!

Fat Ballz @ Jul 31st 2007 11:26PM

What the hell is the big deal? I mean, yes, this is welcome news, but hardly a deal-breaker (or maker). I'm just as big of a Halo nerd as the rest of you guys, but the campaign mode only has so much replay value. Yes, I'm sure Halo 3's campaign will have a lot more replay value than CE and 2, but the true greatness of the Halo series has been its multiplayer.

I'm sure I'll play plenty of 4-player coop over Live, simply because I can, but I would've had just as much fun playing it offline by myself or split-screen. I just don't see why all of you are creaming your thighs over this.

Bravo6 @ Aug 1st 2007 12:08AM

lol, whoever put the original article out saying it wouldn't be there has to feel like a total assclown now.

DevilsArm @ Aug 1st 2007 1:23AM

nice.

Digitalspirit @ Aug 1st 2007 4:49AM

This is the best news. What with Crysis appearing for the PC the week before, I'm simply not going to know what to do with myself! I really cannot wait now! :)

hiddenzombie013 @ Aug 1st 2007 8:32AM

This is sweet. Halo 2 should have had this, but at least H3 gets it with 4 people.

Nick Nelson @ Aug 1st 2007 8:55AM

I know the article mentions that every player will have identical abilities but wouldn't it allow for more options and fun if they didn't? Perhaps the new elite characters have newer armor and can sustain a longer cloak. Or the ability to play as a covenant grunt or hunter who were taking the elite's side near the end of halo two. Or the option to play as a plain old marine? With all the different classes you could have specific strengths and weaknesses, specializing your team for a particular situation or just have fun running around with a high pitched voice 3 feet shorter than all your friends. Also, can we have the elite's jetpacks now please?

MYPS3KilledMy360 @ Aug 1st 2007 10:14AM

dude why would you compare games across genres but if you want MGS series totally pwns halo3 in story maybe not mutli player but story and gameplay. Omg im M. cheif shoot shoot shoot shoot omg swith to another weapon but i will always go back to the assault shoot shoot shoot shoot omg shotgun. but seriously i play halo without a headset with my volume off people are too fucking racist i dont care if its a joke or you 2 million miles away dude your racist!!! i hope this has the best ending ever with twist and secrets because if doesnt im sure people will just say the multi p. is good but then it would just be a next gen upgrade with map pack, and weapons. buid your hopes up as high as you want!!! i never expect a game to be good till its actually in my system.

Grant @ Aug 1st 2007 10:26AM

I don't know why everyones surprised.
If a games like GOW can have online co-op, so could H3. I've said that since the first rumor of no XBL co-op appeared.
it's nearly the same damn net code as team slayer, so basically Bungie was just fucking with the net community.

Ian @ Aug 1st 2007 11:00AM

Wheres all the PS3 fags that laughed when there was 'rumors' about Halo3 not having co-op?

Trogdor @ Aug 1st 2007 11:25AM

This is really great news, and while I agree that it isn't a make or break deal that some people were implying, it's a really awesome feature.

And I don't think Halo gets enough credit for its story arc. It's a good story, not great but for a videogame it's better than most.

James @ Aug 1st 2007 12:28PM

I thought it was only like 2 weeks ago that everybody was carrying the story that they wouldn't have 4-player XBL co-op "yet"? When did that change?

Anyway, I'm not complaining -- this might make the difference between me getting the game or not. See, everybody in the thread above says online MP "makes" Halo games, but it holds little interest for me -- at least in the H3 beta, as well as Halo 1/2 XBL play, 90% of the people I played with were complete asshats, 12-year-olds, or both. To play big online matches with known non-cocknockers, I'd need a huge friends list and have to spend tons of time inviting people. In story mode, I can have a blast with two or three people from my friends list and not have to spend all day navigating to the "Avoid This Player" command. Call me crazy, but for me online co-op is miles ahead of online deathmatch.

alpha @ Aug 1st 2007 12:29PM

DAMN!!! This is unprecidented, 4 player co-op = madness!!

DjDATZ @ Aug 1st 2007 1:08PM

I'm sorry everyone, but I AM teh Master Chief. You can all play as 'dem gay Elites. I'll play as me, MC.

Scott Krueger @ Aug 1st 2007 1:25PM

Co-Op, Thank you very much.
Would like More than 2 via Split Screen, but not a deal breaker.

Not to Happy about having to be the Arbiter... Stupid Arbiter... Now everyone will fight to be player 1, cause none of us will want to be the stupid Arbiter.

Kn1gH7oN @ Aug 1st 2007 5:28PM

OMFG I have always wanted to play halo co-op over XBC now I can finally play with 4 of my friends!! I think i just shat my pants!! OMG Im goen to be the chief OH yeah...When I get halo 3 and i finally sit down and play...im goen to ask for a portable toilet for christmas as well cause im going to shat my pants every time i fire the weapon...ANd every time the controller vibrates im going to piss myself...oh yeah u heard right piss myself. LMFAO New weapons New player to play with new everything OMFFFFFFG oh wait...wait...wait...yup..i did it again...I shat myself. :D lol

This was a joke so ummm for u ppl that like to comment about everything shut ur mouth now thanks..