Halo: The Master Chief Collection has come a long way since its launch back in 2014. Developer 343 Industries managed the feat of bringing 6 classic games from the series to the modern era. Fans should be happy to hear that the additions keep coming, as the team just brought a Gun Game mode to Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
Though the Halo series includes a classic sci-fi story, multiplayer is typically the main draw. In the collection, playlists allow fans to hop right into the PvP these games are so well known for. Originally, this version of Gun Game came to Halo: The Master Chief Collection in the Season 6 update. While it was specifically part of Custom Games at first, players can now enjoy it in public matchmaking.
Unlike other shooters with this game mode, Gun Game in the collection is known as Escalation Slayer. That said, other than the name it does function in a similar way to its counterparts. As players face off in combat and get kills, their weapons switch to entirely new ones. Since this is at random, there is a bit more chaos than the normal match where competitors know their loadouts. The match keeps going until one player gets kills with each weapon in the rotation.
Gamers will likely be able to recognize the wide variety of classic weapons in the series. Escalation Slayer banks on that nostalgia to keep combat fresh compared to other modes. Those wanting to try it out will need to hop into Halo: Reach, Halo 2: Anniversary, or Halo 4 to play the mode. It is available in 4v4 or Free-For-All, and there is also a dedicated playlist so fans cannot miss out. It does remove Halo's classic Grifball mode from rotation, though, so do not plan on playing that for now.
Even with the rocky release, 343 Industries keeps building on Halo: The Master Chief Collection, making it the ultimate experience. Gun Game sounds like a perfect way to bring all the classic weapons to one game mode. Plus, the random aspect should capture the chaotic fun that many players will remember from the old days. As a free update, there is little reason not to hop back in for some Escalation Slayer.
Some fans may view this addition as rehashing unoriginal ideas. Halo Infinite is still far from release, but 343 seems to be focusing on multiplayer modes and Halo 3 maps for the collection. Overall, this Gun Game variation will be a good way for players to flex their Halo chops against others.
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.