Since the release of the original Xbox console in 2001, Master Chief has been the face of Xbox and his heroic actions to save humanity are widely recognized. However, not all games in the Halo franchise revolve around Master Chief.
With various spin-off games interspersed between the mainline entries of the series, it can be challenging to determine the correct order to play them in. Interestingly, except for the first Halo Wars and the Halo Infinite, each Halo title takes place within the same futuristic decade.
Therefore, regardless of the specific game you choose to play, you will experience a sense of familiarity as you join humanity’s battle against alien forces.
Here, you can find a list of the Halo games in the order they were released, along with a chronological timeline.
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How to play the Halo games in release date order
The Halo franchise boasts a vast collection of games, totaling more than twelve. This includes the well-known and beloved main entries, as well as some lesser-known yet enjoyable spin-offs. Below is a chronological list of every Halo game, starting from the earliest release date.
- Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
- Halo 2 (2004)
- Halo 3 (2007)
- Halo Wars (2009)
- Halo 3: ODST (2009)
- Halo: Reach (2010)
- Halo 4 (2012)
- Halo: Spartan Assault (2013)
- Halo: Spartan Strike (2015)
- Halo 5: Guardians (2015)
- Halo Wars 2 (2017)
- Halo Infinite (2021)
How to play the Halo games in chronological order
If you are interested in playing the Halo games according to their chronological order, it is advisable to play them in the sequence of their lore.
However, it is important to note that the Halo anniversary editions and the Master Chief Collection, which primarily focus on remastering the games and not introducing new story entries, are not included in this order.
1. Halo Wars (2531)
Halo Wars is the first game in the Halo series in terms of chronological order. It is set 21 years before the events of Halo: Reach and Halo: Combat Evolved. The game takes place during the early stages of the Human-Covenant War, a conflict initiated by the Covenant to protect their false religious beliefs.
In Halo Wars, players take control of the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) forces on the Spirit of Fire and the Red Team of Spartan-II supersoldiers. Together, they engage in battles against the Covenant on the planets Harvest and Arcadia, as well as the Forerunner installation known as Shield 0459 or Trove.
The Halo franchise includes two real-time strategy spinoffs, with the first one being Halo Wars. Halo Wars 2, which is placed later in this list, takes place chronologically between Halo 5 and Halo Infinite.
2. Halo: Reach (2552)
Taking place 21 years after the events of the previous game, Halo: Reach is set during the summer months of 2552. The game follows Noble Team, a group of soldiers fighting against the Covenant on the thriving human colony known as Reach.
Despite being outnumbered, Noble Team, led by the playable character Noble Six, valiantly battles the Covenant forces. Their heroic efforts ultimately enable the escape of the Pillar of Autumn spacecraft and the AI Cortana, which sets the stage for the events of Halo: Combat Evolved.
3. Halo: Combat Evolved (2552)
The conclusion of Reach seamlessly connects to the events in Halo: Combat Evolved. The Pillar of Autumn spaceship ventures into Installation 04, which is one of the seven ring-shaped planets called Halos. These Halos were designed by an ancient race of intelligent beings called the Forerunners.
In the Halo games, there is a moment where the Pillar, with Cortana and Master Chief on board, gets attacked by the Covenant. This attack causes them to crash-land on a ring. On the ring, Master Chief fights against the Covenant forces and unfortunately releases the Flood, which is a group of ancient parasitic organisms that survive by consuming sentient life forms.
Now, Master Chief is faced with the challenge of containing the Flood outbreak without causing harm to humanity. In the game Halo: Combat Evolved, important characters are introduced, including 343 Guilty Spark, who is responsible for overseeing Installation 04 as a Forerunner Monitor.
Jacob Keyes, a commanding officer in the UNSC Navy, and Avery Johnson, a highly skilled UNSC Marine, are also significant figures in the game.
4. Halo 2 (2552)
Taking place right after the events of Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2 follows two separate narratives. One focuses on the journey of a Covenant Sangheili known as Thel ‘Vadam, also referred to as The Arbiter. The other storyline revolves around Master Chief’s ongoing battle against the Covenant and the Flood.
The narrative unfolds over a span of approximately one month, during which the protagonist, Chief, and the Arbiter unite to combat a shared objective. Within the campaign, a new Halo ring (Installation 05) is introduced, and the storyline brings us to the Earth depicted in the Halo series, where the imminent danger of a Covenant invasion hangs in the balance.
Alongside the Arbiter, Halo 2 introduces new characters such as the Covenant Hierarchs – the Prophets of Truth, Mercy, and Regret. We also meet Miranda Keyes, a commander in the UNSC Navy who is the daughter of Jacob Keyes and the yet-to-be-introduced Dr. Catherine Halsey.
5. Halo 3: ODST (2552)
In the Halo game series, Halo 3: ODST takes place at the same time as Halo 2. It starts after the mission called Metropolis in Halo 2. The game is set in New Mombasa, which is an important location during the Covenant’s invasion of Earth.
The storyline of this game is not as straightforward and follows a group of six skilled ODSTs, led by the player’s character called Rookie. While exploring the city of New Mombasa, Rookie comes across Covenant forces while trying to find his missing squadmates.
One of his squadmates is Edward Buck, portrayed by Nathan Fillion, who also appears in Halo 5: Guardians as part of Fireteam Osiris.
6. Halo 3 (2552–2553)
Halo 3 is the final installment of the original Halo trilogy. It continues the story of Master Chief during the last stages of the Human-Covenant War.
The main objective is to stop the Covenant from activating the Halo Array, a weapon that can eradicate all intelligent life within a 25,000-lightyear range. Additionally, the Flood, a dangerous parasitic species, poses another serious danger to humanity as it invades Earth.
7. Halo: Spartan Assault (2554)
The game, Halo: Spartan Assault, is a spinoff that takes place between the events of Halo 3 and Halo 4. It falls under the category of top-down shooters, along with its sequel, Halo: Spartan Strike.
The story of Spartan Assault revolves around Spartan-IV soldiers Edward Davis and Sarah Palmer as they engage in a post-war battle against a Covenant faction commanded by Sangheili warlord Merg Vol.
While the game does not contribute significantly to the overall narrative, it is worth noting that Sarah Palmer also appears in Halo 4, 5, and Infinite.
8. Halo 4 (2557)
Halo 4 holds great significance in the overall storyline of the Halo series as well as in its development history. It marks the start of the Reclaimer Saga and also represents a new chapter for the series under the management of 343 Industries, after the separation of its original developer, Bungie, from Microsoft.
In Halo 4, the story takes place four years after the events of Halo 3. Cortana wakes up Master Chief from cryosleep to confront a Covenant danger.
This game focuses on the relationship between Chief and Cortana, as she grapples with the initial signs of rampancy, a state where AI becomes unstable.
Together, they face a fresh threat to humanity as the Forerunners, led by the Didact, make a comeback. Chief embarks on a journey to explore Installation 03, another Halo ring.
9. Halo: Spartan Strike (2557)
The events of Halo: Spartan Strike take place around the same time as Halo 2 in the year 2552, but later jump to 2557.
The impact of Spartan Strike on the overall Halo storyline is not significant. The game follows a team of UNSC soldiers as they battle against the Covenant and search for a Forerunner relic known as the Conduit.
10. Halo 5: Guardians (2558)
Regarded as the least successful of the Halo storylines, Halo 5 makes the mistake of shifting the attention away from the highly cherished protagonist, Master Chief.
Instead, the game centers around Fireteam Osiris, commanded by Jameson Locke, a Spartan-IV super soldier assigned to find the Chief and return him to the leadership of the UNSC.
The narrative alternates between Fireteam Osiris and Blue Team. Blue Team, led by Master Chief, is on a separate mission to locate a renegade and power-hungry Cortana.
11. Halo Wars 2 (2559)
Taking place in the timeline between Halo 5 and Halo Infinite, Halo Wars 2 brings forth the character Atriox, a powerful Brute warlord who serves as the leader of the Banished. Atriox plays a significant role as a main adversary
The sequel to Halo Wars, Halo Wars 2, brings back familiar characters such as Red Team and the Spirit of Fire. After being in cryosleep for 28 years, the team awakens and finds themselves at the Ark, where they come face to face with Atriox and the Banished.
Despite the unfavorable situation, Red Team takes on the role of protecting humanity from the Banished and engages in a fierce battle. The ongoing conflict between the UNSC and the Banished carries over into Halo Infinite.
12. Halo Infinite (2560)
The latest installment in the Halo series, both in terms of chronology and release date, is Halo Infinite. This game puts the spotlight back on Master Chief and allows players to explore the first open world in the series, which is set on Zeta Halo (also known as Installation 07).
The game “Infinite” incorporates the Banished faction from Halo Wars 2 into the main Halo series. Additionally, it introduces a new enemy called the Endless, who are an ancient race that was previously confined by the Forerunners. Throughout the Infinite campaign, players will encounter a fresh character called the Harbinger, who represents the Endless.
The protagonist, Chief, forms new alliances with a pilot named Fernando Esparza from the United Nations Space Command (UNSC) and a replica of Cortana known as the Weapon. Alongside Atrioix and the Harbinger, Infinite introduces new adversaries such as the Banished War Chief Escharum and Jega, a Sangheili Spartan killer.
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