One of Microsoft’s biggest franchises is going free-to-play in Russia, and now we have our first look at the game in action.
The publisher revealed that it is making Halo Online. We explained why Microsoft is making the decision to release the free sci-fi shooter in closed beta exclusively in Russia in a report yesterday. Today, we can see what we’re missing.
Here’s the trailer:
That … actually looks pretty cool.
Microsoft confirmed yesterday that Halo Online is running on Halo 3 technology, and that is obvious from the above clip. It is essentially Halo 3 with a bunch of custom weapons and attachments and maps from throughout the Halo series.
If you’re wondering what the Russian text over the trailer says, Reddit user Q_x went ahead did a translation:
“ЛЕГЕНДАРНЫЙ ШУТЕР, ПОКОРИВШИЙ ВЕСЬ МИР
Legendary shooter, conquer the world
СОЗДАЙ УНИКАЛЬНОГО СПАРТАНЦА
Create a unique Spartan
ВЫБЕРИ ОРИГИНАЛЬНОЕ ОРУЖИЕ И БРОНЮ
Select original weapons and armor
ПОБЕЖДАЙ ЗА СЧЕТ ПРОДУМАННОЙ ТАКТИКИ
Win by considering tactics
ТЕПЕРЬ БЕСПЛАТНО И НА РС
Now free on PC”
If all of this gets you capitalist pigs in America greedy for the chance to play Halo Online yourselves, don’t expect that will happen any time soon. Microsoft has said the beta is exclusive to Russia, but even if it does expand, it will likely first spin Halo Online out to other Eastern European countries as well as China first. These are regions were online PC shooters are thriving. In North America and Western Europe, Microsoft is still gonna want your $60 for Halo 5 instead.
And maybe you noticed that the notification text in the trailer was nearly all in English. For example, you can clearly see “Your team took the lead” 20 seconds into the clip. Again, this doesn’t indicate an immediate Western release. Halo Online’s developer, Saber Interactive, is based in New Jersey. While it has an office in St. Petersburg, the company is likely re-programming the standard Halo 3 engine from English first before doing the translation work.
None of this means that we’ll never get Halo Online. That’s still possible, but there’s no evidence so far to suggest that is happening any time soon.