- Games
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
Fight through six Halo campaigns with friends, or hold off enemy waves in Firefight.
Online co-op for up to 8 players and split-screen co-op for 2 players, with crossplay.
- 8 online
- 2 split-screen
- Crossplay
Where to buy
Playing together
- Online co-op8 players
- Local co-op2 playersSplit screen
- YesPC, XboxFriends on different platforms, such as PC and PlayStation, can play together.
- YesA friend can join or leave while you are already playing, without starting over.
- NoEveryone needs to buy itFriends play free with a Friend's Pass or similar.
- Steam DeckPlayableValve's own rating
About the game
You fight alien armies across six Halo campaigns, moving between firefights, vehicle sections and story scenes. You pick up weapons from the battlefield and choose how to approach each encounter. Firefight offers a different pace, with a group holding out against enemy waves. Halo 4 also includes Spartan Ops missions built around shared objectives.
The campaigns support two players in Combat Evolved and Halo 2, and four in the other games. Custom Firefight supports eight online. On Xbox, two players can share a split screen, while PC requires separate devices. Crossplay has limits, with Halo 3 and ODST campaigns supported between PC and Xbox. It suits friends who want a series of shooting campaigns to finish together, with room to replay missions and try different tactics.
How it feels
Kind of game
A team takes on missions or runs full of enemies. You pick gear, cover each other and pick each other up.
- At its heart
- A big part
- Now and then
- Laughter and chaos
- Fear
- Working in sync
- Physical comedy
- Exploring
- Jumping and climbing
- Unlocks and progress
- Planning ahead
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
Rated on our own feel scale. 5 sources back these ratings.
Screenshots
From the Steam store page. Open one to see it full size.
If you liked Halo: The Master Chief Collection
You will probably enjoy these too. Each one says why.
Serious Sam 3: BFE
Why it scores 80%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Squad shooter
- About
- Science fiction
- Core to both
- Fighting
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- Notable in both
- Tension and danger, Getting better
- Co-op
- Online and split-screen local co-op
How Serious Sam 3: BFE differs
- Less scary than Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- 16 online
- 4 split-screen
Both send your squad into fights where you watch each other's backs. Both are about science fiction. Both have a lot of fighting side by side.
But less scary than Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
Gears 5
Why it scores 79%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Squad shooter
- About
- Science fiction
- Notable in both
- Story, Tension and danger, Getting better
- Core to both
- Fighting
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- Co-op
- Online and split-screen local co-op
How Gears 5 differs
- Cozier than Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- 5 online
- 3 split-screen
- Crossplay
Both send your squad into fights where you watch each other's backs. Both have a story you follow together. Both are about science fiction.
But cozier than Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
Gears of War: E-Day
Why it scores 79%
What they share
- Kind of game
- Squad shooter
- About
- Science fiction
- Notable in both
- Story, Tension and danger, Getting better
- Core to both
- Fighting
- Sessions
- Campaign to finish
- Co-op
- Online co-op and split-screen local co-op for 2 players
How Gears of War: E-Day differs
- Scarier than Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- 12 online
- 2 split-screen
- Crossplay
Both send your squad into fights where you watch each other's backs. Both are about science fiction. Both have a story you follow together.
But scarier than Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
All co-op facts
Last checked 24 October 2026. The small numbers link to the page that states each fact.
Co-op
- Fewest players online
- Not confirmed
- Separate-device co-op
- Not confirmed
- Most players on separate devices
- Not confirmed
- Free base co-op
- No
The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
- 19
- Confirmed free setups
- Does not apply
- Voice chat by distance
- Not confirmed
Sources
14 pages
store.steampowered.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam app ID, Release status, Kind of game, Sessions, Free base co-op.
- Steam app ID: The product page identifies app 976730 and lists online co-op.
- Release status: The collection is available to purchase.
- Kind of game: The included campaigns and Firefight give a group shared shooting objectives.
- Sessions: Six story campaigns can be played to completion.
- Free base co-op: The checked computer full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Platforms.
- Platforms: The Steam build supports Windows. Xbox availability is checked separately.
store.steampowered.comStore data, read 24 October 2026
Backs Steam Deck.
- Steam Deck: Valve rates the game Playable on Steam Deck.
support.halowaypoint.comOfficial support page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Online co-op, Local co-op, Most players on one screen, Split or shared screen, Working in sync.
- Online co-op: All six campaigns support cooperative play. Firefight and Spartan Ops also support cooperation.
- Local co-op: Split screen is supported on Xbox only.
- Most players on one screen: Cooperative split screen supports two players. Four-player local competitive multiplayer is excluded.
- Split or shared screen: Xbox divides the display between two cooperative players.
- Working in sync: Players share campaign, wave defence and Spartan Ops objectives, while controlling their own soldiers.
support.halowaypoint.comOfficial support page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Most players online, Friends can join mid-game.
- Most players online: Eight applies to custom ODST and Reach Firefight. Campaigns cap at two or four, Spartan Ops and matchmade Firefight at four.
- Friends can join mid-game: Custom ODST and Reach Firefight allow joining in progress. This is not a claim about campaign joining.
halowaypoint.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Most players online, Friends can join mid-game.
- Most players online: The July 2023 update independently confirms eight-player custom Firefight without enemy scaling.
- Friends can join mid-game: Joining custom Firefight enters observation until the next wave unless infinite lives allow immediate spawning.
support.halowaypoint.comOfficial support page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Crossplay, Crossplay between.
- Crossplay: The April 2022 update adds experimental PC and Xbox campaign crossplay for Halo 3 and ODST.
- Crossplay between: Windows and Xbox consoles can share these two campaigns. Other campaigns are not confirmed by this update.
support.halowaypoint.comOfficial support page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Only one of you needs to buy it, Local co-op, Most players on one screen, Crossplay.
- Only one of you needs to buy it: Online friends need their own copy and an Xbox account.
- Local co-op: The guide explicitly excludes native PC split screen.
- Most players on one screen: More than two local players can only select competitive Multiplayer.
- Crossplay: The guide confirms PC and Xbox crossplay outside campaigns. Its blanket campaign exclusion predates the specific Halo 3 and ODST patch.
xbox.comStore page, read 24 October 2026
Backs Platforms, Free base co-op.
- Platforms: The console product lists Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
- Free base co-op: The checked Xbox full-base edition has a paid base-game access model. Demos, trials, guest passes, platform sharing and temporary grants do not establish ongoing free base co-op.
news.microsoft.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Release date.
- Release date: Microsoft announced the collection available on Xbox One on November 11, 2014. The Steam date is the later PC release.
wikidata.orgWikidata, read 24 October 2026
Backs Wikidata item, Genres.
- Wikidata item: The compilation identity is Q17182448.
- Genres: The genre statement is first-person shooter.
gamesradar.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs Laughter and chaos, Physical comedy, Tension and danger, Story, Exploring, Jumping and climbing, Fighting, Getting better, Planning ahead.
- Laughter and chaos: GamesRadar describes amusing Warthog accidents amid otherwise structured combat.
- Physical comedy: Springy vehicle physics can produce occasional comic crashes.
- Tension and danger: Combat alternates attacks, evasion and shield recovery.
- Story: The review describes story-driven campaigns worth following from beginning to end.
- Exploring: Some missions offer open routes and optional ways through fights.
- Jumping and climbing: Jumping and increased jump height matter in parts of the campaigns.
- Fighting: Gun battles and vehicles dominate the reviewed campaigns.
- Getting better: Enemy priorities, weapon use and shield timing reward repeated practice.
- Planning ahead: Weapon choice and the environment create tactical options within encounters.
pcgamesn.comPress, read 24 October 2026
Backs About, Unlocks and progress.
- About: PCGamesN review dated December 10, 2019 describes Spartan soldiers fighting the Covenant on a besieged planet and in space.
- Unlocks and progress: The review describes Firefight tokens spent on armour, nameplates and other cosmetic rewards.
halowaypoint.comOfficial news, read 24 October 2026
Backs Fear.
- Fear: The maker describes spooky fog and Flood enemies in ODST Firefight. These are parts of a broader military shooter.