Halo Reach March Playlist Update

[Spectral Jester]

March Matchmaking Playlist Update

 

The month of March is known for its lion-like entrance. In the land of Halo, that ferocity translates into new game types, updated maps, and FIRE. These tweaks and optimizations are all part of our continued efforts to provide you with the best possible online experience. Read on for the specifics of next month’s matchmaking playlist update, which is slated to go live on March 6. And if you just heard something echoing in the distance, it was the Matchmaking Systems Team. They wanted you to hear them roar.

 

 

• Grifball updated.

 

Those of you who enjoy getting hammered on a regular basis will now have four new maps to play on. Malice N Envy (paired with Blargball), Temple Prime (paired with Grifball Dash), Inspiration (also paired with Grifball Dash), and Hyperbaric (paired with Hand Egg Grifball) are all being added to the hammer-heavy rotation.

 

The team of fans behind this playlist didn’t feel like that was enough for March, though, so they also added a new game type. It’s called Hand Egg, and here is what Mike from GrifballHub had to say about it.

 

Hand Egg is a variation of Grifball where you start with a golf club and sword instead of hammer and sword. In the middle of the court, you'll find the golf ball. The golf ball's significance in the game is that the bomb spawns on it. As soon as you drop the bomb, it goes to wherever the golf ball is. So not only can you bash the golf ball around and get splatters with it, but it can also be used as way to pass the bomb to a teammate. If you see the golf ball in your opponent's spawn and a teammate is nearby, you should drop the bomb so they can grab it and run in the for the score. As you can imagine that means it becomes very important to keep track of where the golf ball is at all times.

 

Speaking of balls hitting you in the face… actually, never mind. That one is entirely too easy.

 

 

• Infection updated.

 

We modified this playlist with the latest versions of the following fan-created maps: Spooky Base, Powerless, Deadwalk, Bedlam, Uncongealed, and Parasitic. Thank you to the players who have continued to perfect their already incredible creations. We’ll make sure we save some brains for you.

 

 

• Evade removed from Spartan loadouts.

 

With the exception of Grifball, Evade has been removed from Spartan loadouts. Elites can continue to bob, weave, and juke to their hearts’ content, however. Wort wort wort.

 

 

• Anniversary Squad retired.

 

Fret not! See Super Slayer added.

 

 

• Squad Slayer retired.

 

Super Slayer added.

 

After analyzing the Team Slayer voting data that took place the first two weeks of February, we were able to draw several instructive conclusions. Most importantly we learned that:

 

A significant portion of Halo: Reach players enjoy the Title Update settings.

 

A significant portion of Halo: Reach players enjoy the original Halo: Reach settings.

 

A significant portion of Halo: Reach players simply enjoy playing Halo: Reach.

 

To make sure all three groups have a Team Slayer option that fits their preferred way of playing the game, we are adding a new playlist called Super Slayer. Super Slayer is a replica of Team Slayer with the Title Update changes included. Team Slayer will still be available with its original settings intact, and Super Slayer will peacefully coexist with it, happily fulfilling your Slayer-related Title Update needs.

 

Thank you for all the feedback that allowed us to make this decision. We heart you. More than you know.

 

 

• Bleedthrough functionality removed from TU game types.

 

Speaking of feedback, there has been some spirited (and sometimes not spirited, ahem) discussion on the forums regarding the bleedthrough changes we implemented with the Title Update. One of the best things about the Title Update is that we added virtual knobs to various features, including bleedthrough, allowing us to adjust their settings as necessary.

 

Our goal is to provide you with an amazing matchmaking experience, so with that in mind, we have listened to your feedback and removed the bleedthrough functionality from Title Update game types.

 

Team Hotshot updated.

 

Players at the highest level heat (3/3) will now catch fire. It won’t look exactly like the above screenshot because that was taken in my dreams. It will look vaguely similar, though.

 

 

• Team Objective team size updated to 5v5.

 

Wham, bam, thank you, Alaskam! Semi-related, his nickname is actually Alaskan, but that didn’t rhyme.

 

 

• BTB Heavies added to Big Team Battle.

 

Heavies, for the uninitiated amongst us, is a game type perfect for those who love vehicular action. Not only are there more Warthogs, Scorpions, Banshees, Falcons, Revenants, and Ghosts than you could ever ask for, but there are also a higher-than-average amount of power and anti-vehicle weapons, just waiting to cause mass destruction.

 

We have also taken some steps to give foot soldiers a better experience; slight changes to geometry provide more cover, speed has been upped to 110% (which is not a huge difference but it’s enough to make you slightly more resistant to the impending chaos going on around you), and many standard Infantry kills are rewarded with a bonus point.

 

This game type has a score limit of 200 with bonus points awarded for headshots, beat downs, assassinations, splatters, and sticks.

 

 

We hope you love March’s matchmaking playlist update. And if you don’t, we have no doubt you’ll let us know in the forums. And, for the record, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

[Mr Biggles]

is there no information on the MLG section? like, v7 updates?

[Archangel Tyrael]

Stupid they got rid of bleedthrough..cool they made team objective 5v5 and BTB heavies looks crazy lol.

[Quantum]

BTB Heavies sounds amazing. Must play. I'll go to a friends

[Absolute Dog]

Nothing for snipers, nothing for swat. No maps......no nothing!

[343industries]

As far as I know, MLG v7 updates include Penance and Battle Canyon added to the map list, the removal of Evade and Magnum Pistol from all the maps and the removal of Sprint as an AA on every gametype. Its back to basics now.

[Maximum Clutch]

i am so glad they removed bleedthrough, it made me so mad.

[Lᴜᴋᴇ]

No updates for SWAT? I need more maps for it, as much as I love pinnacle, it gets pretty boring when it is voted for all the time. And they need to get rid of, in my opinion, the two hit melee in SWAT.

[CandiBunni]

-sigh- It's a real shame that they decided to remove bleedthrough. It solved that pesky double-melee issue, even though there were still people who attempted it. I think I'll stop playing Reach until the update comes. I don't see much of a point in playing the TU playlists when they're going to be changed soon. I know it's only one thing, but something as simple as bleedthrough can make quite a difference in how someone plays.

[Azaxx]

Play SWAT mystic, no need for double melee-ing

[Swade]

Why would they remove squad slayer? It was one of the most competitive playlist on Halo. I don't understand how Super Slayer will replace it, nothing was wrong with squad slayer!!!! What was great about it was it didn't have all the trash created maps like Renova, Affinity... etc. It had the orignal maps that came with the game like Zealot, Countdown,Asylum. It also made you match with other parties, which was GREAT. Now I will have to go back and kill randoms for most of the day thanks 343 for catering to the bad kids in Halo.

[SixWaysToSunday]

I seriously doubt Im going to play much reach now that bleedthrough is gone again. I cannot STAND vanilla reach and having to deal with double beatdowns again just makes me want to play BF3 or halo3.

Im really pissed at 343i for removing evade as well, for some reason both developers seem to hate that AA while its always been my favorite.

 

So after building a large amount of good reputation with me for anniversary, the TU, and a host of other updates theyve really wrecked it by taking away a great change and removing one of favorite parts of the game. Come on 343i >=(

[DSB Clazer]

1 step forward two steps back. 343, Stop expecting casual gamers to give good feedback or else you end up with useless updates like this. No arena , ffa or btb zb??? If 343 cant see that full bloom is bad for halo, they will continue to have a divided player base, which detracts from everyones experience.

 

343, pls Take the initiative and make an executive decision on one bloom setting or make two sets of playlists for each so i can enjoy the whole game (not just a few playlists). This halfassed attempt to make everyone happy will hurt this game in the long run

[RedStarRocket91]

I have no idea why they cut bleedthrough out. There's a whole vanilla playlist for those who don't want it. All it needed was for melee damage to be toned down a little and it would have been perfect.

[OG 667]

Hand Egg Grifball

Sounds fun!

 

• Evade removed from Spartan loadouts.

 

Fantastic! The evade / shotgun combination was very annoying. The The evade / shotty-sniper players were REALLY REALLY annoying. They'll have to learn to play properly now.

 

• Bleedthrough functionality removed from TU game types.

On the whole I preferred Bleedthrough since it made close combat fairer (I usually play the TU game types). I won't miss my 4-shot unzoomed DMR deaths though. My helmet is a lead magnet (quiet, physics nerds).

 

• BTB Heavies added to Big Team Battle.

My housemates will be hearing plenty of spartan laser-related curses this month. Game on!

[fergernator]

Why would they remove squad slayer? It was one of the most competitive playlist on Halo. I don't understand how Super Slayer will replace it, nothing was wrong with squad slayer!!!! What was great about it was it didn't have all the trash created maps like Renova, Affinity... etc. It had the orignal maps that came with the game like Zealot, Countdown,Asylum. It also made you match with other parties, which was GREAT. Now I will have to go back and kill randoms for most of the day thanks 343 for catering to the bad kids in Halo.

thats exactly what they are doing and i HATE it. bad kids are like, OMG i cant aim for crap so i blame it on an armor ability to make 343 remove it. it dosent solve there bad aim, and it makes people who use eavde sad and pissed.

[OG 667]

thats exactly what they are doing and i HATE it. bad kids are like, OMG i cant aim for crap so i blame it on an armor ability to make 343 remove it. it dosent solve there bad aim, and it makes people who use eavde sad and pissed.

The problem was that you had "bad kids" bouncing around player slayer in objective games with small maps wielding shotguns and swords. This is extremely hard to counter when you have any other ability and an assault rifle. Plus the close quarters mean that it is very awkward to turn to target them unless your sensitivity is dialled to 10 which affects, guess what, your aim. This isn't a problem in elite gametypes since the starting loadouts allow you to take these kids out using plasma pistols/melee combos or stickies and where the shotgun isn't an option. It is also not a problem in Grifball which is inherently balanced. The update addresses the imbalance in spartan gametypes.

 

That said, I think evade is a good armor ability on larger maps and non-objective gametypes and the problem is really the abundance of shotgun, sniper, and sword ammo in objective gametypes.

[Destroyaaa]

Theres also gauss hogs in heavies!!

[HaloPlaya74]

343 finally crossed the line, I get on Reach today and go into squad slayer and found out after I got into a game that they replaced it with another Team Slayer playlist. Why call it "Super Slayer" there is nothing "Super" about it and is exactly the same as "Team Slayer"? Also why have a Squad DLC when only 225 people are playing it? 343 please remove Super Slayer and Squad DLC, and put back Squad Slayer the way it was before you took over Reach and added this TU crap. Thank you 343 for doing HALO CE Anniversary and hope you don't mess up Halo 4 like your doing to Reach!

[drednot12345678]

March Matchmaking Playlist Update

 

The month of March is known for its lion-like entrance. In the land of Halo, that ferocity translates into new game types, updated maps, and FIRE. These tweaks and optimizations are all part of our continued efforts to provide you with the best possible online experience. Read on for the specifics of next month’s matchmaking playlist update, which is slated to go live on March 6. And if you just heard something echoing in the distance, it was the Matchmaking Systems Team. They wanted you to hear them roar.

 

 

• Grifball updated.

 

Those of you who enjoy getting hammered on a regular basis will now have four new maps to play on. Malice N Envy (paired with Blargball), Temple Prime (paired with Grifball Dash), Inspiration (also paired with Grifball Dash), and Hyperbaric (paired with Hand Egg Grifball) are all being added to the hammer-heavy rotation.

 

The team of fans behind this playlist didn’t feel like that was enough for March, though, so they also added a new game type. It’s called Hand Egg, and here is what Mike from GrifballHub had to say about it.

 

Hand Egg is a variation of Grifball where you start with a golf club and sword instead of hammer and sword. In the middle of the court, you'll find the golf ball. The golf ball's significance in the game is that the bomb spawns on it. As soon as you drop the bomb, it goes to wherever the golf ball is. So not only can you bash the golf ball around and get splatters with it, but it can also be used as way to pass the bomb to a teammate. If you see the golf ball in your opponent's spawn and a teammate is nearby, you should drop the bomb so they can grab it and run in the for the score. As you can imagine that means it becomes very important to keep track of where the golf ball is at all times.

 

Speaking of balls hitting you in the face… actually, never mind. That one is entirely too easy.

 

 

• Infection updated.

 

We modified this playlist with the latest versions of the following fan-created maps: Spooky Base, Powerless, Deadwalk, Bedlam, Uncongealed, and Parasitic. Thank you to the players who have continued to perfect their already incredible creations. We’ll make sure we save some brains for you.

 

 

• Evade removed from Spartan loadouts.

 

With the exception of Grifball, Evade has been removed from Spartan loadouts. Elites can continue to bob, weave, and juke to their hearts’ content, however. Wort wort wort.

 

 

• Anniversary Squad retired.

 

Fret not! See Super Slayer added.

 

 

• Squad Slayer retired.

 

Super Slayer added.

 

After analyzing the Team Slayer voting data that took place the first two weeks of February, we were able to draw several instructive conclusions. Most importantly we learned that:

 

A significant portion of Halo: Reach players enjoy the Title Update settings.

 

A significant portion of Halo: Reach players enjoy the original Halo: Reach settings.

 

A significant portion of Halo: Reach players simply enjoy playing Halo: Reach.

 

To make sure all three groups have a Team Slayer option that fits their preferred way of playing the game, we are adding a new playlist called Super Slayer. Super Slayer is a replica of Team Slayer with the Title Update changes included. Team Slayer will still be available with its original settings intact, and Super Slayer will peacefully coexist with it, happily fulfilling your Slayer-related Title Update needs.

 

Thank you for all the feedback that allowed us to make this decision. We heart you. More than you know.

 

 

• Bleedthrough functionality removed from TU game types.

 

Speaking of feedback, there has been some spirited (and sometimes not spirited, ahem) discussion on the forums regarding the bleedthrough changes we implemented with the Title Update. One of the best things about the Title Update is that we added virtual knobs to various features, including bleedthrough, allowing us to adjust their settings as necessary.

 

Our goal is to provide you with an amazing matchmaking experience, so with that in mind, we have listened to your feedback and removed the bleedthrough functionality from Title Update game types.

 

Team Hotshot updated.

 

Players at the highest level heat (3/3) will now catch fire. It won’t look exactly like the above screenshot because that was taken in my dreams. It will look vaguely similar, though.

 

 

• Team Objective team size updated to 5v5.

 

Wham, bam, thank you, Alaskam! Semi-related, his nickname is actually Alaskan, but that didn’t rhyme.

 

 

• BTB Heavies added to Big Team Battle.

 

Heavies, for the uninitiated amongst us, is a game type perfect for those who love vehicular action. Not only are there more Warthogs, Scorpions, Banshees, Falcons, Revenants, and Ghosts than you could ever ask for, but there are also a higher-than-average amount of power and anti-vehicle weapons, just waiting to cause mass destruction.

 

We have also taken some steps to give foot soldiers a better experience; slight changes to geometry provide more cover, speed has been upped to 110% (which is not a huge difference but it’s enough to make you slightly more resistant to the impending chaos going on around you), and many standard Infantry kills are rewarded with a bonus point.

 

This game type has a score limit of 200 with bonus points awarded for headshots, beat downs, assassinations, splatters, and sticks.

 

 

We hope you love March’s matchmaking playlist update. And if you don’t, we have no doubt you’ll let us know in the forums. And, for the record, we wouldn’t have it any other way.

take off the bonuses its a worrible idea because i want to know how many kills i got in that game and this stuped bonus thing is killing BTB take it out please

[drednot12345678]

343 finally crossed the line, I get on Reach today and go into squad slayer and found out after I got into a game that they replaced it with another Team Slayer playlist. Why call it "Super Slayer" there is nothing "Super" about it and is exactly the same as "Team Slayer"? Also why have a Squad DLC when only 225 people are playing it? 343 please remove Super Slayer and Squad DLC, and put back Squad Slayer the way it was before you took over Reach and added this TU crap. Thank you 343 for doing HALO CE Anniversary and hope you don't mess up Halo 4 like your doing to Reach!

haloplaya is right take out the darn bonus crap its kills the game im going to have no will to play the game if i going to gets bonus points for my kills i want to know how many kills im really getting not this bonus crap its also killing my K/D please keep the heavies in but take out the bonus point the heavies is great i love it but the bonus points are killing the game

[CandiBunni]

Play SWAT mystic, no need for double melee-ing

 

The problem with that is that I don't want to just play SWAT. The weapon sandbox is limited to a DMR and a Magnum and no grenades. Using only two guns the entire game is rather boring to me, and I also don't like having almost no time to react when being shot at. I don't think I'm terrible at SWAT when I'm actually concentrating and trying, but I'd rather have just a bit more time to react when I hear gunfire. I enjoy SWAT, but I enjoy Slayer even more. I like having multiple weapons at my disposal to give me different ways to approach my enemy. I don't always want to just go for headshots, and I don't always want to use weapons like the DMR or Needle Rifle. I like mixing it up with things like the Needler, Assault Rifle, Plasma Repeater and Plasma Pistol, etc. I find it more enjoyable to pick two weapons of my choosing, depending on what situations I want to prepare myself for, and use them to my hearts content. I don't enjoy being limited to just one or two weapons the entire match, and having almost no variety in how I go about killing my opponent.

[popje]

no mlg ffa...

no dmr only playlist...

grifball and infection updated...

 

thanks for feeding the noobs

 

we want %'s ! a signifiant portion of halo reach players like everything doesnt even make sense.

[drednot12345678]

The problem with that is that I don't want to just play SWAT. The weapon sandbox is limited to a DMR and a Magnum and no grenades. Using only two guns the entire game is rather boring to me, and I also don't like having almost no time to react when being shot at. I don't think I'm terrible at SWAT when I'm actually concentrating and trying, but I'd rather have just a bit more time to react when I hear gunfire. I enjoy SWAT, but I enjoy Slayer even more. I like having multiple weapons at my disposal to give me different ways to approach my enemy. I don't always want to just go for headshots, and I don't always want to use weapons like the DMR or Needle Rifle. I like mixing it up with things like the Needler, Assault Rifle, Plasma Repeater and Plasma Pistol, etc. I find it more enjoyable to pick two weapons of my choosing, depending on what situations I want to prepare myself for, and use them to my hearts content. I don't enjoy being limited to just one or two weapons the entire match, and having almost no variety in how I go about killing my opponent.

the real problem is the BTB bonus keep the BTB heaveis just take out the bonus its no fun geting points you dont really deserve and its to hard keeping track of how many kills you really got

[Baby Boo]

I actually really like the idea of heavies. I like that you have to score 200 points to win. It's awesome. I just think they should also play it on maps like hemorrhage ir paradasio that would be great.