Summary
- Halo Wars, a real-time strategy game, did not feature Master Chief to focus on new storylines and characters.
- The decision to exclude Master Chief aimed to prevent players from only caring about the iconic character.
- Ensemble Studios made the right call by prioritizing new stories over relying on Master Chief's popularity.
Over 15 years after its original release, Halo Wars' lead designer, Dave Pottinger, has explained why Master Chief never made an appearance in the game. Master Chief is the iconic mascot of the Halo series, but does not show up anywhere near Ensemble Studios' RTS, Halo Wars.
Originally released in 2009 as an Xbox 360 exclusive, Halo Wars put a twist on the typical Halo formula. Instead of being an FPS, like other Halo games, Halo Wars was a real-time strategy game, allowing players to fight the Human-Covenant War on a grander scale. The game was set 21 years before Halo: Combat Evolved, so it was able to tell a new story without existing series favorites. Because of its exclusivity on the Xbox 360, it had to work entirely on a controller, which had typically been a struggle for RTS games in the past. However, Halo Wars did a solid job in bringing the complexity of the real-time strategy genre to consoles, and stands the test of time to this day.
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Those who remember the Halo Wars story know that Master Chief does not appear. Players can control Spartans as a powerful unit on the battlefield, but not the most famous one of all. In an interview with VideoGamer, Halo Wars lead designer Dave Pottinger explained that the studio "didn't want to use Master Chief." The reason for this is simple. "We were telling the game that needed you to care about everybody else. We thought as soon as Master Chief shows up, that’s all anybody’s going to [care about]."
Halo Wars Developer "Didn't Want to Use Master Chief"
It's certainly a fair assumption. Throughout most games in the Halo series, players control the Master Chief, and at that point, they had played as the character for eight years. Even now, Master Chief is used as a crutch for the franchise to fall back on, so getting players on board for a story not involving the character likely needed to cut ties entirely. Halo Wars stands as a great story in its own right, so in hindsight, Ensemble Studios probably made the right decision on this one.
As soon as Master Chief shows up, that’s all anybody’s going to [care about].
It has been almost eight years now since the release of Halo Wars 2. In February 2025, the wait for a new game in the subseries will extend to as long as the gap between the original and its sequel. Considering the popularity of Halo Wars, it's somewhat surprising to see that a new game hasn't been released during this time. When 343 Industries changed its name to Halo Studios earlier this year, it was revealed that the developer has several Halo projects in the works right now. While nothing is confirmed, fans only hope one is a new Halo Wars title.
- Released
- March 3, 2009
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Mild Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Ensemble Studios, Robot Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Microsoft Game Studios
- Engine
- Phoenix engine
WHERE TO PLAY
Halo Wars is a strategy game based on the legendary Halo® universe. Command armies of UNSC units, both familiar and new, in their initial encounter against the Covenant, an alien coalition threatening to obliterate mankind. Experience an early period of the storied Halo universe, in a time leading up to the first Halo game.
With the guidance of Serina, a spirited A.I. Persona, direct legions of UNSC soldiers, Warthogs and Scorpions against Covenant Grunts, Elites, Ghosts and Scarabs, each group having its own strengths and uses in battle. Strategic-minded players who react well under pressure will emerge victorious.
• New take on a legendary world: Experience the early battles between the UNSC and Covenant, in a time predating Halo: Combat Evolved. Join the crew aboard the Spirit of Fire, a Phoenix-class colony ship converted for UNSC military use, and guided by the A.I. Persona Serina. Discover an ancient artifact during a journey to the planet Harvest, the first planet to be attacked by the Covenant. And then get ready for the wars.
• Strategic command of armies in large-scale combat: Gamers are in command of the battlefield, playing as either of two unique civilizations: UNSC or Covenant. Counter and crush your opponent by tactically fielding the superior army. Choose among leaders possessing elite skills that can turn the tide of battle. Use various combinations of leaders and units, and create countless strategies tailored to your preferred playing styles.
• Groundbreaking Xbox 360 strategy game: Since inception, Halo Wars was explicitly designed to bring a typical PC genre to console gamers. Commanding armies is easy, controlling troops and units effortless and epic battles are smoothly handled using an intuitive user interface. Halo Wars represents the true next-generation experience, combining a masterful control scheme with the award-winning strategic gameplay only Ensemble Studios can provide.
