Halo is a military sci-fi video game series and franchise originally developed by Bungie. Halo is currently managed by Halo Studios, a part of Microsoft’s Xbox Game Studios. The first game in the Halo series was released in 2001, and the first-person shooter video game, Halo: Combat Evolved, was a huge success and one of the top-rated releases in the franchise.
The demand for Halo has increased with the release of Halo Season 2 on Paramount Plus. You will have a deeper understanding of all the big players in Halo when you try to watch the series and play the game along with it. If you are a gamer who watched the Halo TV series, then you might know how and where to start the game. If you’re looking to play Halo games in the correct order, we’ve got you covered.
Halo Games in the Release Date Order
Here is the list of Halo Games based on the original release dates. The players who want to experience the games from oldest to newest can follow this pattern, and following this pattern will help you experience the technological and graphics advancements that differentiate the Halo franchise from the rest of the video games.
By following the list, you can experience the game in its true gaming experience, but if you are focusing on the timeline of the story, and start your gaming journey from the earliest point to the last, you might need to follow another sequence. Chronology is an important factor in the Halo series since the game spans multiple decades and time points. Here is the chronological order that will help you to keep up with the main plot of the game and experience the game in its true sense.
Halo Games in the Chronological Order
Here is the chronological order that will help you to keep up with the main plot of the game and experience the game in its true sense.
Let us take a detailed look at each of the games in the Halo series. This explanation will be based on the timeline order of the Halo Franchise.
1. Halo Wars (2531)
Halo Wars (2531) is an RTS (Real Time Strategy) video game in the Halo universe. The game was released for Xbox 360 in 2009. The game takes place in 2531, which is 21 years before Halo: Combat Evolved, which happened during the Human-Covenant war. The setting of Halo Wars (2531) is in the early Human-Covenant War. The game has different player modes, including multiplayer, campaign, skirmish, and co-op campaign modes.
2. Halo: Reach (2552)
Halo: Reach (2552) is the prequel of Halo: Combat Evolved. Both Halo: Reach and Halo: Combat Evolved happen in the same year, 2552. The game was released for Xbox 360 on September 14, 2010. The prequel of ‘Combat Evolved’ focuses on the fall of the human colony world, Reach, during the Covenant invasion. The game follows Noble Team, consisting of six Spartans, and they fight to protect Reach from the Covenant.
3. Halo: Combat Evolved (2552)
Halo: Combat Evolved (2552) is the first released game in the Halo series. The first-person shooter game is set in the brutal war between humans and the Covenant in 2552. Halo: Combat Evolved (2552) marks the beginning of the human-Covenant war, and it introduces characters like Master Chief and Cortana.
4. Halo 2 (2552)
Halo 2 is the second title in the Halo video game franchise. The game features the same Human-Covenant War as the previous version. The game takes place in 2552 in the midst of the Human-Covenant War, and after the events in Halo: Combat Evolved. Master Chief and the Arbiter are the two playable characters in the second instalment of the Halo Series. Miranda Keyes, The Prophet of Truth, Mercy, and Regret, is the other character featured in Halo 2.
5. Halo 3: ODST (2552 – Takes Place Within Halo 2)
Halo 3: ODST is the fifth installment in the Halo franchise that was released in September 2009. In this game, players assume the roles of “Orbital Drop Shock Troopers” or ODSTs, who are the United Nations Space Command Marines. In Halo 3’s campaign mode, players can explore the demolished city of Mombasa to find out what happened to their teammates and search for the missing officers.
6. Halo 3 (2552-2553)
Halo 3, set in the years 2552-2553, is the conclusion to the original Halo trilogy. The story of the game continues with the same Human-Covenant War. In the conclusion of the Halo trilogy, the story focuses on Master Chief’s uncompromised efforts to defeat the Covenant and the Flood.
The game takes place in the final stages of the Human-Covenant War, which is in the final months of 2553. The game has a lot of multiplayer features like Forge Mode and other thrilling campaigns.
7. Halo: Spartan Assault (2554)
Halo: Spartan Assault is an isometric shooter game set between Halo 3 and Halo 4. The game was released in 2013 for Microsoft Windows (Windows 8 and Windows Phone), Xbox One, Xbox 360, and Steam. The Halo: Spartan Assault has a campaign mode that consists of more than 30 missions, where players can team up and fight against the Flood. The game takes place in 2554 in the middle of the Battle of Draetheus V, where Spartans like Sara Palmer fight against a Covenant remnant.
8. Halo 4 (2557)
Halo 4 (2557) is a first-person shooter video game, released in 2012. Halo 4 is set in the year 2557, four years after the Human-Covenant War. The game focuses on the Master Chief’s journey to the UNSC Forward Unto Dawn, where he faces new enemies and encounters Prometheans and Didact, the new enemies. The major characters in Halo 4 are Master Chief, Cortana, Prometheans, and Didact.
9. Halo: Spartan Strike (2557)
Halo: Spartan Strike is a top-down shooter game in the Halo Universe. The game takes place in 2557 and is the sequel to Halo: Spartan Assault, which was set in 2554. Since the game is the sequel to Halo: Spartan Assault, it follows a Spartan-IV operative simulating past UNSC operations. Players of Halo: Spartan Strike encounter Promethean enemies and their advanced weapons alongside the traditional Covenant enemies.
10. Halo 5: Guardians (2558)
Halo 5: Guardians is a first-person shooter game released in 2015. It is the fifth main instalment in the Halo series, which is set in the year 2558, right after 8 months of Halo 4 and Spartan Ops mode. The game features a story of the Blue Team and the Fire Team Orsiris, two fireteams led by Master Chief and Jameson Locke, respectively.
In this game, the Blue Team’s quest for Cortana, the AI assistant of Master Chief, is the central theme. In Halo 5: Guardians, they introduce new mechanics like Spartan Abilities, Clamber, Ground Pound, Charge, Sprint, Thruster Pack, Smart Scope, etc, to replace and enhance the armour abilities.
11. Halo Wars 2 (2559)
It is a real-time strategy(RTS) video game in the Halo Universe. Halo Wars 2 is a sequel to Halo Wars, which was set in 2531. The sequel takes place in 2559, after a long interval of 28 years after the events of the first Halo Wars. The story of Halo Wars 2 follows the crew of Spirit of Fire, which is a well-known United Nations Space Command (UNSC) ship in the Halo series.
A conflict between the UNSC forces and the alien emerges, and the following combat is the main theme of the game. The game received positive reviews after its launch, and it was one of the games that featured outstanding animation quality.
12. Halo Infinite (2560)
Halo Infinite is a game set in the year 2560 that follows the events of Halo 5: Guardians. The game is a continuous sequel of Halo 5: Guardians, where Master Chief battles with the Banished on Zeta Halo, a damaged location. In Halo Infinite, Master Chief is on his mission to neutralize Cortana, who acted as a rebel against the UNSC and took control of the galaxy. Master Chief, Cortana, Atriox, and Commander Agryna are the key characters in Halo Infinite.
These are the 12 games in the Halo series you can play on various consoles and gaming platforms. If you are an ardent admirer of the Halo series who wishes to enjoy tits gaming experience. You can either play them in the order of their release or the chronological order as the story timeline demands.
Here is the table that shows mainline games featuring the Master Chief and his partner Cortana. In this table, you can see the details regarding Halo’s spinoff games.
| Game | Release date | Platforms |
| Halo: Combat Evolved | November 15, 2001 | Xbox Windows XP Mac OS X Xbox One* Windows 7+* Xbox Cloud Gaming* *Anniversary edition through Halo: The Master Chief Collection |
| Halo 2 | November 9, 2004 | Xbox Windows Vista Xbox One* Windows 7+* Xbox Cloud Gaming* *Anniversary edition through Halo: The Master Chief Collection |
| Halo History Pack | September 13, 2007 | Xbox Xbox 360 |
| Halo 3 | September 25, 2007 | Xbox 360 Xbox One* Windows 7+* Xbox Cloud Gaming* *Through Halo: The Master Chief Collection |
| Halo Wars | February 26, 2009 | Xbox 360 Xbox One* Xbox Series X|S* Windows 10* Xbox Cloud Gaming* *As Halo Wars: Definitive Edition |
| Halo 3: ODST | September 22, 2009 | Xbox 360 Xbox One* Windows 7/8/10* Xbox Cloud Gaming* *Through the Halo: Master Chief Collection |
| Halo 3: Mythic | September 22, 2009 | Xbox 360 |
| Halo 3 & Fable II Combo Pack | November 16, 2009 | Xbox 360 |
| Halo 3: ODST & Forza Motorsport 3 Combo Pack | May 22, 2010 | Xbox 360 |
| Halo: Reach | September 14, 2010 | Xbox 360 Xbox One* Windows 7/8/10* Xbox Cloud Gaming* *Through the Halo: Master Chief Collection |
| Halo: Reach & Fable III Double Pack | March 1, 2011 | Xbox 360 |
| Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary | November 15, 2011 | Xbox 360 Xbox One* Windows 7/8/10* Xbox Cloud Gaming* *Through the Halo: Master Chief Collection |
| Halo 4: King of the Hill Fueled by Mountain Dew | October 31, 2012 | Android iOS |
| Halo 4 | November 6, 2012 | Xbox 360 Xbox One* Windows 7/8/10* Xbox Cloud Gaming* *Through the Halo: Master Chief Collection |
| Halo: Origin Pack | June 6, 2013 | Xbox 360 |
| Halo: Spartan Assault | July 18, 2013 | Windows 8 Windows Phone Xbox 360 Xbox One iOS Xbox Cloud Gaming |
| Halo Origins Bundle | November 22, 2013 | Xbox 360 |
| Halo: The Master Chief Collection | November 11, 2014 | Xbox One Windows 7/8/10 |
| Halo: Spartan Strike | April 16, 2015 | Windows 8, Windows Phone, iOS |
| Halo 5: Guardians | October 27, 2015 | Xbox One |
| Halo Wars 2 | February 21, 2017 | Windows 10 Xbox One |
| Halo Recruit | October 17, 2017 | Windows 10 (Windows Mixed Reality |
| Halo: Fireteam Raven | July 1, 2018 | Arcade cabinet |
| Halo Infinite | December 8, 2021 | Windows 8, Windows Phone iOS |
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The Bottom Line
Halo is one of the biggest brands and franchises in the gaming world. All the players who wish to play and experience the Halo franchise must note that chronology is a key factor that affects their gaming experience. If you can chronologically play the game, your gaming experience will be on another level, and you can enjoy the essence of the game at its purest form.
There is a lot of noise out there regarding the future of the Halo franchise, but there is news spreading about the possible entry of new developers jumping to create new Halo games to bring the franchise back to its golden days.