Currently, a small team of fans is developing a Halo multiplayer experience for PC in the Unity 5 engine. The game is called Installation 01 and will likely be welcome by PC gamers, as they have definitely drawn the short stick as far as it goes with the multiplayer shooter experience of Halo. Some iterations of the game have made it over to PC, but few. A recent update from the creators of the game announced that studio 343 Industries isn't about to shut down the game.

The news is precarious, as the developers were only able to say that "Installation 01 is not under imminent legal threat" as long as it doesn't take in any money, thereby remaining non-commercial, and follows Microsoft's Game Content Usage Rules. This means development is likely to continue and push the game closer to a release, but the game could still be swatted down at some point in the future.

Fans of the classic Halo experience may have something to look forward to in Installation 01, as the game is attempting to recreate the Bungie-era Halo multiplayer experience, as opposed to the newer Halo produced by 343 Industries. From the media available on Installation 01's site, it appears classic weapons, vehicles, and levels will all be appearing in the game, though no release date is offered.

Fan projects like this are often a great source of nostalgia. Black Mesa has been a solid example of fan-made update of a classic game. Unfortunately, these kinds of projects can get shut down by intellectual property owners. Microsoft is also offering some level of Halo multiplayer for PC players through its Halo 5: Forge, and future versions of Halo may get PC ports through Microsoft's Play Anywhere program. That may limit the need for a third party to produce a Halo game.

Of course, the focus of Installation 01 on Bungie-style Halo could help it offer an experience different enough from any current or future 343 Industries content, enabling them to co-exist. If there's too much overlap, Installation 01 may be able to sway gamers with it's $0 price tag, but if it's stealing potential customers, Microsoft and 343 Industies aren't likely to sit idly by.

The Halo fan game Installation 01 has no official release date and is planned for PC.

Source: Installation 01