As Helldivers 2 soars, former Halo dev says tons of pitched ODST games never saw the light of day: “Some galaxy-spanning, some more intimate…and one that was really dark”
In an alternate universe, there’s probably an ODST Halo game that plays a lot like Helldivers 2.
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Arrowhead Game Studios' hit new co-op shooterHelldivers 2is all about tough-as-nails space marines hot dropping directly into enemy territory and blowing alien threats to pieces, so naturally, fans of Xbox’s flagship franchise Halo are wondering why Microsoft and 343 Industries never made more games about the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODSTs) like Halo 3: ODST. Ever since their appearances in that game, Bungie’s other Halo titles, and the series' novels, these battle-hardened troops have been fan favorites, and are almost as iconic and recognizable as the Spartan super soldiers you typically play as.
According to former 343 Industries senior game designer Kevin Schmitt, though, many ODST gameshavebeen pitched before, but were never greenlit. Notably, these include both single-player and multiplayer concepts, as well as both small and large-scale ones. One, apparently, was also very mature.
“We must have pitched 20-30 game ideas over the 12 years I was there that would have totally worked in the Halo universe,“revealedSchmitt on X (Twitter). “Many SP & MP ODST themed ones. Some galaxy-spanning, some more intimate…and one that was really dark. lol.”
The reactions to Schmitt’s post were about as downcast as you’d expect them to be, with tons of fans heartbroken to learn that none of these spinoff ideas never saw the light of day.Halo YouTuber HiddenXperia sums it up pretty well: “Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan.” Yeah. That’s how I feel, too.
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Right now, it’s unclear why none of these projects ever got past the concept stage, though some believe that it might have something to do withMicrosoft and 343 Industries' focus on telling “a Spartan story.“This is just speculation, of course, though it wouldn’t surprise me if thiswasone of the reasons the developers never moved forward with these pitches.
TheHalouniverse is as wide as an ocean and as deep as one, too, so it’s disappointing that aside from Halo 3: ODST and parts of Halo Wars andHalo Wars 2, the games have never ventured far beyond the perspective of a Spartan. Can you imagine a gritty, grounded co-op ODST shooter like Helldivers 2 where you’re desperately fending off waves of Covenant with iconic Halo weapons? Or a single-player action horror game in which you play as a UNSC Marine in the midst of a Flood invasion? Projects like these would show off just how rich and diverse Halo can be, which is why it’s such a shame that none have ever come to fruition. I hope that changes in the future.
Speaking of Helldivers 2, the Starship Troopers-meets-Terminator PvE shooter has absolutely taken off since its launch on February 8.It broke a record for PlayStation Studiospublishing by surpassing 150,000 concurrent Steam players last weekend, and its community has been growing steadily since then. This weekend, its concurrent player peak on Steam has surpassed the records ofStarfieldandDestiny 2, andHalo Infinite.
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Notably, there are so many Helldivers trying to do their part that theservers have hit capacityat the time of writing. This has been an ongoing problem for most of the weekend and has led to otherbugs and issueslike connection loss and missing mission rewards, though developer Arrowhead is working hard to expand its server structure. And hey, at least everyone isearning 50% bonus XP and Requisitionsright now.
Helldivers 2 is available now for $39.99 on both PS5 and PC, and so far, it’s one of thebest PC gamesof the year. The game also supports cross-platform play between PS5 and PC.
Helldivers 2 —$39.99 at GMG (Steam)Battle aliens, robots, and other beasts in humanity’s quest to spread democracy through an unforgiving galaxy. It’s 4-player co-op at its absolute best, and its most refined.
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Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he’s been an avid fan since childhood. He’s been writing for Team WC since the summer of 2017, and you’ll find him doing news, editorials, reviews, and general coverage on everything gaming, Xbox, and Windows PC. His favorite game of all time is probably NieR: Automata, though Elden Ring, Fallout: New Vegas, and Team Fortress 2 are in the running, too. When he’s not writing or gaming, there’s a good chance he’s either watching an interesting new movie or TV show or actually going outside for once.Follow him on X(Twitter).
