Halo fans have been enjoying the best the series has to offer on Xbox One and Windows with Halo: The Master Chief Collection. The collection, which bundles six games in the popular first-person shooter franchise in addition to various extra goodies, has received consistent updates throughout 2019 and 2020.
Microsoft’s latest update brings Team SWAT and Free-For-All (FFA) SWAT, beloved yet punishingly difficult multiplayer modes, to Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, the collection’s remade edition of the first game in the series. This marks the first time that any kind of SWAT mode has been available for the original Halo, as it made its debut with Halo 2.
SWAT mode arms players with precision weapons while removing several defensive features, including the shield and motion tracker. Able to both kill and be killed with a single shot, players must eliminate their opponents while avoiding their own defeat. With its lack of motion tracker, SWAT mode has often been compared to a high-stakes game of hide-and-seek—but with guns!
Team SWAT mode for Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary features the following maps: Battle Creek, Damnation, Prisoner, Hang ‘Em High, Chill Out, Derelict, and Wizard. Additionally, FFA SWAT mode is available for all of these maps except Wizard.
A dedicated team continues to work on further updates for The Master Chief Collection, while another is currently developing Halo: Infinite, speculated to be a launch title for the upcoming Xbox Series X. However, it is unknown whether or not the current global COVID-19 pandemic situation will affect the timing of either Infinite’s release or future updates to any of the Master Chief Collection titles.
In the meantime, you can enjoy SWAT mode for the very first Halo game from the comfort and safety of your own home. Happy hunting!