Enlarge / Want to play the canceled Halo Online project on your PC? Go through the right hoops, and you can still do so, even in spite of Microsoft's legal action this week. (credit: Microsoft / El Dewrito)
On Tuesday, Microsoft's Halo development studio 343 Industries posted about a fan-made modification to a PC version of the series—and the studio said that Microsoft would "protect its Halo intellectual property." This, for all intents and purposes, sounded like yet another story of a fan-made game-tribute project facing a swift, legal smackdown.
But the story of the ElDewrito patch, designed for 2015's Russia-only game Halo Online, appears to be a little more nuanced, if not complicated. The ElDewrito version of Halo Online is still online and functioning, with thousands of players matchmaking in its wholly free online multiplayer lobbies as of press time. Its Github depository is still online, which means the open source patch can still be downloaded. And the patch builders' official blog says the team did not receive a formal cease-and-desist order from either Microsoft or 343 Industries.
The result is fascinating: a solid, Windows-compatible version of classic Halo 3 combat is in the wild. Now Microsoft's required legal action is being announced alongside an apparent intent to do what the modders were already doing—to finally get more classic Halo games working for PC gamers.
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