Apparently mod support is coming to Halo: The Master Chief Collection. If you installed this game (either by purchasing it on Xbox or Steam, or by installing it with the Xbox Game Pass) then you currently have access to Halo: Reach. The other remasters are still in development.
Attempting to launch it shows two options: the game, and the game with anti-cheat disabled for mods. This was the first I heard that Halo: Reach would get mod support, although Polygon is reporting that 343 Industries is working on tools that will arrive “shortly after the game”. Disabling anti-cheat will disable rank matchmaking, which (reasonably) limits mods to custom games or the campaign.
I am looking forward to the mod tools, but cautiously. Halo 2: Vista, although from a different time and a much different Microsoft, technically had mod tools. Those tools were so locked down that their own example map was impossible to create (due to assets that were removed before launch and cannot be replicated through the tools).
On the other hand, Halo: Custom Edition was one of the best PC gaming experiences that I’ve ever had (despite its horrible netcode). The handful of popular, third-party maps were great, and the Halo slow-ish paced mechanics (due to shields) was a great offset to the chaos of Unreal Tournament. Both games complemented each other quite well for that window between ~2003 and ~2007… at least for my taste in PC shooters.
Halo: Reach launched today on Xbox/Microsoft Store and Steam.
IN OTHER HALO NEWS:
The audio on REACH PC is FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCKED!!!! Not sure yet if it’s across the board or a configuration specific problem, but it’s bad, SO BAD. At first there was a crackle with all mechanical sounds (vehicles guns ect) that I thought was my speakers popping/dying. Fixed that (for some reason) by turning the in game “Main Audio” to 50%, I duno why it worked but it did.
BUT there is a MAJOR problem with NPC audio. It’s always a wisper, or muffeled, or a screaming static filled distorted noise like a fm radio just slightly off station at full blast, distance of voice is COMPLETLY fucked, like just random changes in volume and direction…… the “game” is still playable, but there is 0 chance of following the story, or even understanding the mission instructions, it’s a fucking mess.
What kills me is it’s been, what, 13 months or so of “No hard launch date, we are testing and re-testing and it will only be out when it’s 100% pc perfect compatible” and here we are, with a broken fucking product.
Sigh.
https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/forums/85d779d52cfd46918b4f8b638f2e3c7b/topics/audio-problem-reach-steam-pc/27774a51-1271-4782-a8b9-2d0d55ae1838/posts?page=2