Microsoft Delivers ‘Halo 3: ODST’ To Long-Suffering ‘Master Chief Collection’ Gamers

Owners of Halo: The Master Chief Collection for the Xbox One can now download Remnant, a re-imagined version of the Halo 2 multiplayer map, and Halo 3: ODST, Microsoft and 343 Industries announced. The latter was previously promised as part of an apology for the many problems that plagued the massive Halo collection from day one.

For this release, the Halo 3: ODST campaign has been enhanced and runs in 1080p at 60 frames per second for the first time. It's a free add-on for players who logged into their Xbox Live account and played Halo: The Master Chief Collection between November 11, 2014 and December 19, 2014 -- eligible users should check their Xbox One inbox for a download code. Those who don't qualify can pick it up from the Xbox Store for $4.99.

The remastered Halo 3: ODST doesn't come with any multiplayer modes. Per Microsoft's FAQ, "Our focus is enhancing the Campaign for Halo 3: ODST, including it within Halo: The Master Chief Collection, and ensuring it delivers a great experience on Xbox One in 1080p and 60fps. It does not include the Firefight game mode and contains the Campaign only."

For most, Halo 3: ODST is a welcome treat after being frustrated with Halo: The Master Chief Collection's busted online game play. And for others, it's adding salt to the wound, at least initially -- there are reports online that downloads are getting stuck at 99 percent or 100 percent, which seems isolated to users living in the U.K.

As an added treat, Microsoft and 343 Industries collaborated on a developer walkthrough featuring the latter's senior game designer, Max Szlagor and original Halo 3: ODST developer Joseph Staten. You can check it out in the nearly 10-minute video above.