Play the Halo Games in Chronological Order

 Halo is a military science fiction media franchise, originally created and developed by Bungie and currently managed and developed by 343 Industries, part of Microsoft's Xbox Game Studios. The series launched in 2001 with the first-person shooter video game Halo: Combat Evolved and its tie-in novel, The Fall of Reach.

The mainline Halo games present a sequential storyline, though several spinoffs complicate the series’ chronology. With that in mind, we’ve created this brief rundown of the Halo timeline as explored in video games.

Play the Halo Games in Chronological Order :

1. Halo Wars (2531)

Summary

Halo Wars places the player in command of human UNSC armies as they deploy for mankinds first deadly encounter with the enemy Covenant forces.

Content Rating: 16

Developers: Ensemble Studios

Publishers: Microsoft

Franchises: Halo

Features: Memory Blocks, 16:9, 480p, 720p, Downloadable Content, Online Leaderboards, Online, 1080p, 1080i, Online Co-Op Multiplayer, Online Versus Multiplayer

Initial Release: Feb 26, 2009

Platforms: xbox-360

Genres: Strategy

2. Halo: Reach (2552)

Summary

In Halo: Reach, players experience the fateful moments that forged the Halo legend. It's the story of a squad of heroic Spartan soldiers, and their final stand on planet Reach, humanity's last line of defense between the terrifying Covenant and Earth.

Content Rating: RP

Developers: Bungie Software

Publishers: Microsoft

Franchises: Halo

Features: 16:9, 480p, 720p, Downloadable Content, Online, Local - VS # of Players, Local - Co-Op # of Players, 1080p, 1080i, Mic/Headset Voice, Online Co-Op Multiplayer, Offline Co-Op Multiplayer, Online Versus Multiplayer

Initial Release: Sep 14, 2010

Platforms: xbox-one // pc // xbox-360

Genres: Shooter

3. Halo: Combat Evolved (2552)

Summary

As a member of an elite military force, you must fight to defend the Earth from alien aggressors on the ancient alien artifact known as Halo. Bungie's first-person shooter hit started a franchise and became Microsoft's biggest Xbox brand.

Developers: Bungie Software, Gearbox Software

Publishers: Microsoft

Franchises: Halo

Features: Memory Card, 480p, Online, System Link / LAN, Dolby Digital 5.1, EAX, Online Versus Multiplayer

Initial Release: Nov 15, 2001

Platforms: xbox-360 // mac // pc // xbox

Genres: Shooter

4. Halo 2 (2552)

Summary

The defeat of the Covenant in the first FPS was only a temporary victory, as the alien attackers have renewed their mission to wipe out all humanity.

Content Rating: 16 Violence

Developers: Bungie Software, Hired Gun

Publishers: Microsoft Game Studios, Microsoft

Franchises: Halo

Features: Memory Card, 16:9, 480p, Downloadable Content, Online, Mic/Headset Voice, System Link / LAN, Dolby Digital 5.1

Initial Release: Nov 9, 2004

Platforms: pc // xbox

Genres: Shooter

5. Halo 3: ODST (2552)

Summary

The fight was finally finished in Halo 3, but gamers who can't get enough of the franchise that rocked console gaming can get involved in a new battle titled Halo 3: ODST.

Content Rating: 16 Language, Blood, Violence

Developers: Bungie Software

Publishers: Microsoft Game Studios

Franchises: Halo

Initial Release: Sep 22, 2009

Platforms: xbox-one // xbox-360

Genres: Shooter

6. Halo 3 (2552–2553)

Summary

Master Chief returns to finish the fight, bringing the epic conflict between the Covenant, the Flood, and the entire human race to a dramatic climax.

Content Rating: 12 

Developers: Bungie Software

Publishers: Microsoft

Franchises: Halo

Features: Memory Card, Custom Soundtrack, 16:9, 720p, Downloadable Content, Online, System Link / LAN, Dolby Digital 5.1, Online Co-Op Multiplayer, Online Versus Multiplayer

Initial Release: Sep 24, 2007

Platforms: xbox-360

Genres: Shooter, First-Person

7. Halo: Spartan Assault (2554)

Summary

Halo: Spartan Assault is a first top-down action shooter designed to provide an accessible, pick-up-and-play experience for Halo fans and newcomers alike.

Content Rating: Blood, Violence

Developers: Vanguard Games, 343 Industries

Publishers: Microsoft Game Studios

Franchises: Halo

Features: Online Co-Op Multiplayer

Initial Release: Jul 18, 2013

Platforms: xbox-360 // xbox-one // winphone // pc // windows-surface

Genres: Shooter

8. Halo 4 (2557)

Summary

Master Chief returns in Halo 4, part of a new trilogy in the colossal Halo universe.

Content Rating: RP

Developers: 343 Industries

Publishers: Microsoft Game Studios

Franchises: Halo

Features: Online, Online Co-Op Multiplayer, Online Versus Multiplayer

Initial Release: Nov 6, 2012

Platforms: pc // xbox-360

Genres: Shooter

9. Halo: Spartan Strike (2557)

Summary

Halo: Spartan Strike is an all new story in the Halo universe. You are a Spartan IV in this classified ONI simulation of New Mombasa set during the events of Halo 2.

Developers: Vanguard Games, 343 Industries

Publishers: Microsoft Game Studios

Franchises: Halo

Initial Release: Apr 16, 2015

Platforms: iphone // winphone // windows-surface // pc

Genres: Shooter

10. Halo 5: Guardians (2558)

Summary

343 Industries continues the legendary first-person shooter series with Halo 5: Guardians -- the first Halo title for the Xbox One gaming platform. Halo 5 featuresthe most ambitious campaign and multiplayer experience in franchise history, all running at 60 frames per second on dedicated servers.

Developers: 343 Industries

Publishers: Microsoft

Franchises: Halo

Features: Online Co-Op Multiplayer, Online Versus Multiplayer, Online Clans

Initial Release: Oct 27, 2015

Platforms: xbox-one

Genres: Shooter

11. Halo Wars 2 (2559)

Summary

Halo Wars 2 delivers real-time strategy at the speed of Halo combat. Get ready to lead armies of Spartans and other Halo fighting forces like Warthogs, Scorpions and exciting new units in a brutal war against a terrifying new enemy on the biggest Halo battlefield ever.

Developers: Creative Assembly, 343 Industries

Publishers: Microsoft

Franchises: Halo

Features: Online Versus Multiplayer, Xbox Play Anywhere

Initial Release: Feb 21, 2017

Platforms: pc // xbox-one

Genres: Strategy

12. Halo Infinite (2560)

Summary

Master Chief returns to explore the epic expanse of a Halo ring for the first time in Halo Infinite.

Developers: 343 Industries

Publishers: Microsoft

Franchises: Halo

Features: Online Co-Op Multiplayer, Online Versus Multiplayer

Initial Release: Dec 8, 2021

Platforms: xbox-4 // xbox-one // pc

Genres: Sci-Fi, Shooter, First-Person

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How to Play The Halo Games By Release Date :

Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)*

Halo 2 (2004)*

Halo 3 (2007)*

Halo Wars (2009)

Halo 3: ODST (2009)

Halo: Reach (2010)

Halo 4 (2012)*

Halo Spartan Assault (2013)

Halo: Spartan Strike (2015)

Halo 5: Guardians (2015)*

Halo Wars 2 (2017)

Halo Infinite (2020)*

*Mainline Halo games