Halo 2 Multiplayer Reveal & Release Date at E3 2004
By Sam Chandler
The first time we saw Halo 2 was back in 2002 with its first announcement trailer. Halo fans everywhere collectively lost their s*** as Master Chief grabbed a Battle Rifle, went up a lift, and dived out a spaceship’s hatch.
After that initial reveal, Bungie dragged us along through an emotional ride each E3 for two years. The first of these was the campaign demo that had the Master Chief fighting his way through a gloriously detailed New Mombasa, fighting off the Covenant horde. But we were still missing something: a release date.
Then in 2003, Joe Staten and Max Hoberman walked onto the stage and gave us a never-before-seen look at the multiplayer. This demo was astonishing, it showed us that we would be able to play as Elites, Rocket Launchers now tracked, Ghosts blew up in spectacular style, you could board and knock out drivers, and you could now wield the Energy Sword!
Players would get their first hands-on experience of Halo 2 at that year’s E3. Taking place on a map called Zanzibar, the Spartans would have to assault a base defended by Elites and steal the flag. In a Halo first, the map showed a dynamic environment in the form of a large spinning windmill, destructible defences, and interactable objects to create shortcuts.
Every eye in the room was glued to the screen as Staten told us everything he could about what would inevitably become Xbox Live’s crowning jewel. The demo ended, and Joe and Max left the stage. The audience was excited to get their hands on Halo 2, but the reveal didn’t end there.
Peter Moore strutted back onto the stage and dropped a bombshell. After two years of hearing about Halo 2, we craved a release date, something to put into our calendars. Peter knew this, and after announcing that, yes, there was a street date, he slyly rolled up his sleeve.
Standing as currently the greatest release date reveal of all time, Peter Moore cemented himself in legend for what he revealed. Tattooed on his bicep was the iconic Halo 2 logo, but above that, as he rolled the sleeve up further, was the release date for Halo 2, November 9th.
The crowd cheered and Peter got the reaction he wanted. The release date, as Peter said, wasn’t just set in stone, but set in ink. To Peter’s word – and Bungie’s hard work – Halo 2 managed to hit that release date and blew Xbox Live into its next form. Xbox Live owes a lot of its features and success to Halo 2, which to this day had numerous mechanics built into the game that Xbox Live lacked back in 2004.
This is, without a doubt, one of the best E3 reveals of all time. Halo fans got a look at the brand-new multiplayer, countless surprises and advancements to the game they loved, and finally, the release date, forever etched into the arm of Peter Moore – November 9th. And yes, that was 2004.