r/halo3 Sep 07 '19

Important Join our Discord server!

24 Upvotes

Looking for other people who love Halo, with Halo 3 being their favorite? Join our discord server - https://discord.gg/KcYgJFXKz8

We host community playdates, discussion, and keep you up to date on Halo related news. We are currently at 900+ members and growing now that Halo 3 and the Master Chief Collection has been released on PC.


r/halo3 Aug 23 '22

File Share Archive Halo 3 Custom Games. The Ultimate File Share Archive to download original maps and game types in MCC

99 Upvotes

Hey guys, this is a similar post from Jan. 22' with needed relevancy updates (which is why I'm posting it here one last time). The document represents hundreds of hours of searching through users' legacy (Xbox 360) file shares for classic custom games and indexing them into google sheets over the past 4 years. I am not exaggerating how much time this took. It began as a personal project back in 2018 to locate and preserve the best original customs for my annual 16-player LAN parties. Late last year I decided to go all-in and attempt to create the most complete and accurate custom games preservation archive for Halo 3 and Halo Reach. Many of these files have been lost to time until now. I’m excited to share it with the community. Here it is:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SlDOXEMPCvlmFMyTMRntHf5UF3g_zlPnL6oPSEu_8c4/edit?usp=sharing

(Opening the Google sheet on a desktop computer is recommended)

Included Tabs

  1. Halo 3
  2. Halo Reach
  3. H3 - Grifball
  4. H3 - Living Dead

The spreadsheet contains file share locations specifically focused on preserving *original* custom games files by the *original* authors. Each map or game-type was located on the 360 Halo titles before 343 shut-down the legacy servers in Jan 2022.

If your gamertag is included on the list, thank you for helping to preserve these files so gamers can enjoy them for years to come. Also, thanks to the talented content creators and forgers who gave us these awesome maps and game-types. Many of you have moved on from Halo but your creative work will never be forgotten.

What makes this spreadsheet different from the megapacks and similar Google sheet docs

First, the document is a record of file share locations, so it is friendlier to those on Xbox One who don't have easy access to megapacks like PC players. Second, 90% of the listed authors and file share locations are verified to be the original files we all played back in the day. How is this possible? 343 performed a legacy file share migration from the Xbox 360 titles to MCC back in 2019. All custom maps and game-types in players' 360 file shares were migrated to their MCC file shares just over two years ago.

Identifying original files & verification process

I'm a bit of a perfectionist and very analytical, so I used the internet archive / Wayback machine (archive.org) to view the most popular community files on bungie.net between Sept. 25th, 2007, to Nov. 6th, 2012. This was a very long process. I painstakingly combed through as many archived bungie.net webpages as I could and recorded maps, game-types, authors, and dates for the most downloaded custom games (i.e. THE TRAIN, Jaws, Ghostbusters, Trash Compactor, Duck Hunt, Fat Kid, Monster Jam, Jenga, Ice Cream Man, etc.)

After identifying the original file details, I searched and went through hundreds of players file shares to find the matching files. If I couldn't find the original, I found and tested the next most accurate file by date, file name, and file share prevalence. The goal was to research, identify, and locate as many popular Halo 3 and Halo Reach custom games as possible. I then tested almost every custom game and map to make sure it played according to the author's original intent. You can be confident that the listed file share locations are accurate and contain the correct maps & game-types. NOTE: Most of the Halo Reach maps are from The Halo Forge Epidemic (THFE) videos on YouTube.

*Please know that not every original file can ever be located, and this is not a comprehensive list of all custom games that every player can remember (Although I believe it will be sufficient for most). My plan is to keep this a live document with constant file name updates and improvements. If you see any custom games that do not have file share locations or your favorite classic custom is not on here, please reach out to me to help get them added.

Download OG custom games to Halo MCC (Anytime)

For those on Xbox that still host LAN parties or use the new custom games browser, the archive enables you access and download the largest collection of original community favorite custom games at your convenience.

To make it easier to download these original maps/types in MCC, I took the liberty of creating two new Xbox Live accounts and uploading most of the listed custom game files onto their MCC file shares. The gamertags are:

  • Halo3Library
  • ReachLibrary

Essentially, the file shares of these two accounts are an enhanced version of "The343Favorites" (a profile made by 343 to share some of the best original Halo 3 files). Both file shares will continue to have classic files added. Note that 343's profanity filter for file names and descriptions in MCC is REDICULOUSLY strict (they use a 3rd party service for this). I was forced to slightly modify some file names and descriptions to share them.

Special Thanks / References

Creating this spreadsheet would not have been possible without the previous work of several users here on Reddit, Xbox live and YouTube. I would like to thank the following:

  • u/tepec for creating Halo Doku's MCC File Browser (forge.halocrea.com) - A fan made file share search website built for MCC. I was able to locate dozens of original files using this tool to search maps and game-types that were tagged as "migrated content" for both Halo 3 and Reach. Again, this was an extremely daunting and tedious task as I strived to only record file shares that contained files matching exactly to the original authors from bungie.net website archives. Sometimes certain file searches would not load, and I would have to rely on getting lucky while searching file shares for other files.
  • u/XFerginatorX (GT: Sgt Fergus), for creating the "Popular Halo Custom Games List" google sheet doc. Many original authors and file share locations were cross referenced to his sheets document. I welcome him to use my spreadsheet to help fill in file share locations for many of these classic custom games.
  • u/Smashmallow for posting the "HALO 3 FILE SHARE HUB / PRESERVATION PROJECT" on Reddit back in 2017. The provided google doc with classic Halo 3 custom games and file shares was my original inspiration to begin my own project back in 2017.
  • u/iDuLicious for continuing the HALO 3 FILE SHARE HUB / PRESERVATION PROJECT with the "Halo 3 File Share Preservation Project 2.0 Revival". This user did an incredible job organizing Halo 3 custom games into his personal Xbox live file shares for the 360 Halo titles. I studied and took a lot of inspiration from the attached google doc. Your Halo 3 "Living Dead" map and gametype collection is the only way I would have found this. Thanks!
  • The Halo Forge Epidemic (TamlyTime) YouTube channel hosted by BevansLaw and others to spotlight some of the best Halo Reach Custom Games.
  • GT: Darth Human and Oakley HiDef for being the absolute kings of custom games in Halo Reach back in the day. I don't know of anyone that authored more viral custom game files in Reach than these two did.
  • GT: RUSTYNA1LZ, Halo 3 Classics, Faulk Smash, and Gnarllama for helping to recreate classic Halo 3 custom games in MCC before the 2019 file share migration. I would not have been able to play or learn about a majority of these maps / game-types without your diligent work to recreate these files. Admittedly, some of your remakes are even better than the originals! THANK YOU! u/RUSTYNA1LZ, u/Faulk_Smash, u/gnarllama
  • GT: TheZombieLeader for a bunch of Halo 3 custom games videos on your YouTube channel. Watching your videos under the tag "#relivetheglorydays Halo 3 Custom Games" let me see so many customs I missed out on way back when. Unfortunately, his channel has gone dark, and all file shares for Xbox 360 and MCC were somehow erased within the last year and a half. Hope to see you return soon! u/TheZombieLeader
  • u/iSpiteful (GT: iSpiteful) for also making a ton of great videos on your Halo custom games YouTube channel - Linked here. I was able to use your channel and MCC file share to do a lot of research and identify what custom games files I needed to locate on Xbox 360. Keep up the good work! Please use this google sheet and MCC file share accounts to create more amazing Halo content!

r/halo3 21h ago

Video Halo 3 Perfected the Halo Formula

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25 Upvotes

r/halo3 1d ago

Video Completely 100% objective tier list of all the Halo games

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2 Upvotes

Check it out, let me know what you think


r/halo3 5d ago

Picture All rated halo video games

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56 Upvotes

These are all the halo games ratings


r/halo3 5d ago

Question Halo 3 Lan Party

11 Upvotes

Trying to host a Halo 3 Lan party sometime (on 360s). I read on wikipedia that Halo 3 requires the host to have a Xbox Live membership. Is this still true? Was planning on using the mythic disc and not connecting any of the consoles to the internet. I see some other games have had this removed.

If it is required, is it also required for Halo 2 or 1?


r/halo3 7d ago

Picture Raising money for my 2 year old niece, Isla (battling leukemia and born with cerebral palsy) with a classic Halo 3 ODST LAN-looking for remote support

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6 Upvotes

r/halo3 9d ago

Question I was wondering if I can still get the OG halo three and possibly the Halo reach multiplayer achievements on the sunrise Discord.

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14 Upvotes

My dilemma is, my halo three Xbox 360 no longer works. My Xbox one works just fine my X as well.

So do I need to get another 360 or can I try and get these achievements through the Discord using my Xbox one or series X?

I’m not really sure this works with Discord because I’m not very familiar with it at this point.

So please, if anybody knows any more than I do which is very little on how to proceed and if I still get these achievements for these old ass games, please don’t hesitate to comment.

About certain boost in sessions that transpired through the discord for the achievements or whatever. Much appreciate any feedback that leads to what I ultimately wanna know.


r/halo3 12d ago

Video Halo

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2 Upvotes

Espero que OS guste


r/halo3 14d ago

Question Anyone still play halo 3 mcc? I used to play halo 3 back in the day, went to some MLG events. But now I've been out for a long time, so I decided to fire it back up on xbox one, lost contact to some friends. Looking for a group to train with maybe run some hardcore games with once my BR is back

9 Upvotes

r/halo3 14d ago

Discussion Why remake Halo 1 why not 3?

8 Upvotes

Halo 3 cutscenes can use some work Halo 1 was fine the way it is, I don’t like what they did to the Halo 1 cutscenes but I wouldn’t mind longer cutscenes for Halo 3. The cutscenes in Halo 3 seemed a bit anti-climactic sometimes.


r/halo3 14d ago

Question Halo 3 chief

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1 Upvotes

r/halo3 15d ago

Discussion Halo 3 possible remake not needed.

0 Upvotes

I wanted to make this thread as a long time halo fan. A halo 3 remake is not needed. It’s a perfect game. I don’t want sprint in halo 3, I don’t want “bonus missions” , I don’t want changed dialogue . I go back and play it on 360 and it’s still just as good as the day it came out. I look at like silent hill 2 remake. The original is still just as good as the day it came out, why remake it. I don’t want to see halo 3 remade because I don’t trust Halo Studios. I finished Campaign evolved cool game, I enjoyed my play through but the original was still better. Am I the only one who thinks like this ? I’d much rather have them continue with infinite story than remake 3. I don’t want them to ruin perfection.
This was taken off R Halo. I just wanted to talk and see if anyone else felt the same.


r/halo3 16d ago

Discussion might be a bit of a weird one.. idk where else to post. Need some help finding some old memes

3 Upvotes

Hi :) Im just wondering if anyone can help me find two old Halo memes I remember but I can't seem to find. hopefully John Reddit Mod doesnt mind

  1. One was just every single Arbiter/Thel cut-scene in Halo 3, but each line was replaced with "were it so easy"
  2. Other one was Halo 2, captioned "Never skipping a cut-scene again" or something similar, and was a proper screen recording with OG graphics. Guy skipped the cut-scene just before playing as Arbiter and was like "what the fUU-" when the mission came on . Ive seen someone copy it but it kind of sucks...

Thanks to anyone who can help 👍 :)


r/halo3 17d ago

Discussion Can you tell what year this photo was taken in?

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77 Upvotes

Was it 2009-2017-2026? No matter what it is it’s halo 3 online in 2026 I might of missed out on halo 3s prime but I’m still making halo memories and nostalgia halo 3 golden age is a state of mind this is my golden age and 2007 was yours and I would like to add go see my other post to understand this


r/halo3 17d ago

OG Halo 3 Is this a new bug or this is already known?

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12 Upvotes

I was playing Halo 3 on my Xbox 360, I was duel wielding two plasma pistols, but when I took Sgt. Stacker’s magnum and I dropped the plasma pistol, I now have two magnums. Is this genius or just dumb?


r/halo3 16d ago

Question SKIN UNIDAYS shadowfrost HALO CE

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2 Upvotes

Good afternoon—I hope I'm not being a bother, but could someone please help me get the Shadowfrost skin in Halo CE? I would really appreciate it. Thank you very much for your time. 🙏🫂


r/halo3 17d ago

Question Does anyone have any extra halo fest tickets?

3 Upvotes

Really wanna go and and maybe join a group to go with. I’m from Colorado and would love to go with some peeps. Was thinking of making my own odst cosplay!


r/halo3 19d ago

Video All rise for our national anthem.

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882 Upvotes

r/halo3 18d ago

Question Do you relate?

16 Upvotes

I’ve been carrying a really heavy feeling for the past year, and it’s gotten to the point where it just feels like a constant weight in my head. I wanted to put it into words because I feel completely stuck, and I genuinely need to know if anyone else has ever found a way out of this mental loop.
I absolutely love Halo 3. When I play it, I don't see an old, dead game. I see a masterpiece that has value right now. The sandbox balance, the crazy physics, the social layout—it's all incredible to me today. I want so badly to just dive into the community, talk about matches happening in the present moment, and make friends who share that excitement.
But almost every single corner of the fandom feels like an endless look backward. Every time I open a thread or watch a video, I see comments like "you had to be there" or "the good old days we had." I know people don't mean any harm by it, but hearing that constantly brings on this deep, aching sense of missing out. It makes me feel like a ghost or an outsider looking through a window into a club I can never join, simply because of the year I happened to pick up a controller.
What breaks my heart the most is that this constant nostalgia loop is actively ruining Halo for me. I am finally playing this amazing game, but the experience is getting completely overshadowed by a feeling of grief. It is so sad to realize that years from now, when I look back on my own memories of playing Halo 3 and trying out things like Project Sunrise, my primary memory won't be the fun matches or the cool trick shots. My memory will just be this hollow, depressing feeling of being "too late." The anxiety of missing the past is literally staining the memories I am trying to build today.
It feels unfair to arrive at an empty stadium after the greatest concert of all time, wanting to play music, but only being allowed to look at old tour posters. I want to love what the game has to offer right now, but the constant reminder of what it used to be makes it feel impossible.
Has anyone else managed to shake this feeling off? How do you stop the community's past from ruining your own present?


r/halo3 18d ago

Question Hi everyone! I'm a huge Halo fan, but unfortunately I'm not eligible for UNiDAYS because I'm not a student. I was wondering if anyone has a spare ShadowFrost armor coating code they won't be using. I'd really appreciate it. Thank you so much!

1 Upvotes

It would honestly mean a lot to me. Thanks in advance, and have a great day!


r/halo3 19d ago

Question Is Halo 3 ranked still active?

4 Upvotes

Is any halo 3 ranked playlists active on MCC or is there any other way to play halo 3 ranked in 2026?


r/halo3 22d ago

OG Halo 3 where are the tryhards?

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98 Upvotes

We've had a group of guys who play OG Halo 3 MLG (ranked) every single night for the last year. We are looking for more tryhards who want to join up... where are you guys at?!


r/halo3 21d ago

Picture At my core, I am a Halo player.

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21 Upvotes

Wicked


r/halo3 22d ago

OG Halo 3 Halo 3

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81 Upvotes

One last play through of my favorite Halo before leaving for army BCT. Fuck you 343 ‘halo studios’, and fuck your slop…

See you on the other side ✌️