Halo: The Master Chief Collection goes medieval for its final season next week

An armoured skeleton night, from Halo
(Image credit: 343 Industries)

What is Master Chief if not a big daft knight questing his way across outer space? 343 certainly thinks so, with Season 8 of the Halo: The Master Chief Collection dressing our far-future soldiers up in historical cosplay when it arrives next week.

Featuring voiceover that would sound more at home in Skyrim than a far-off ringworld, the latest trailer for the MCC sets the stage for a more historical take on Halo, with bizarre armour sets inspired by everything from Roman soldiers and Viking warriors to, uhh, Skeletor.

Fortunately, feudal armour isn't the only thing coming to the MCC next week. Season 8 is bringing the Flood to Halo 3: ODST Firefight, Halo 3 is getting a new map based on an overhauled Halo 2 classic, and custom game support will be expanded to include Halo 1 and 3 (the former of which now features full mod support).

Sadly, it appears Season 8 may be the last major update the MCC sees for some time. With Halo Infinite coming in hot this December, 343 is putting the legacy collection on the backburner—and that while there's still plenty it wants to add to the MCC, Seasonal updates will likely stop with this final drop.

Season 8 of Halo: The Master Chief Collection arrives next Wednesday, October 13.

Natalie Clayton
Features Producer

20 years ago, Nat played Jet Set Radio Future for the first time, and she's not stopped thinking about games since. Joining PC Gamer in 2020, she comes from three years of freelance reporting at Rock Paper Shotgun, Waypoint, VG247 and more. Embedded in the European indie scene and a part-time game developer herself, Nat is always looking for a new curiosity to scream about—whether it's the next best indie darling, or simply someone modding a Scotmid into Black Mesa. She also unofficially appears in Apex Legends under the pseudonym Horizon.