The multiplayer component of Halo Infinite is still making waves in the gaming landscape, partly due to its continual free updates that add a whole range of new cosmetics to the game. Every new update gives rise to new water-cooler discussions, and the game’s latest update is certain to get people talking.
As of December 29, Halo Infinite players can purchase a range of “Mister Chief” inspired cosmetics, ranging from weapon charms to vehicle sprays, to even a fully-voiced AI companion, all of which proudly brandish the iconic Halo meme’s absurd hand-drawn face. The ridiculous look of the character is sure to catch the player’s eye, and get them wondering about the origins of this outlandish hero of the UNSC.
The Story Behind The Legend
As all good hero stories are, Mister Chief’s is simple, but meaningful. The story begins on January 16, 2004; the rather tumultuous development of Halo 2 is well underway, and the Primary Writer for the Bungie Weekly Update, Frank O’Connor, has an idea.
O’Connor wants to use a recent promotional image from the game for his upcoming Weekly Update, but is denied access. So Frank decides to get creative, drawing his own version of the image. The design was, in theory, simple; a tree, a cloud, some mountains in the distance, and the main star himself, The Master Chief.
As O’Connor reached the Chief’s hands, he decided to swap out his iconic UNSC weaponry for another piece of iconic pop-culture sci-fi tech, a lightsaber. The reason was noble and profound, because “guns are hard,” and drawing a lightsaber is easier.
But something wasn’t quite right with Frank’s final drawing, something was missing. Frank got to work once again, finishing up his magnum opus with big cartoon eyes and an angry grill-mouth expression. The legend was born.
Mister Chief’s Most Infamous Appearances
From day one, Mister Chief was a smash-hit, with fans immediately flooding the Weekly Update with positive comments regarding the drawing. From then on, Mister Chief would appear throughout the Weekly Update’s life-span, often being drawn in a range of different styles, usually requested by the fans themselves. It didn’t take long for a Manga version of the character to appear in an update.
Since his inception in 2004, Mister Chief has appeared throughout Halo history in one form of another. For example, Bungie’s 2008 April Fool’s prank saw the classic Halo 3 lobby population map turn into Mister Chief’s face, a hideous avatar costume was added to the Xbox Live store in 2013, and 2015 saw the icon be used in an official Xbox tutorial video, explaining the Requisition system in the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians.
The character even spawned his own range of spin-off characters that also appeared in various Bungie Weekly Updates. These included Evil Chief, Mrs. Chief, and a hero simply known as Hot Tub Guy.
Earlier this year, Mister Chief was added to Halo: The Master Chief Collection as two player-profile avatars. The Chief also received his own piece of armor customization, an attachment for the Mariner helmet that gave the helmet’s visor Mister Chief’s instantly recognizable face.
While his own creator may just consider him a “a terrible idea that snowballed out of control,” there’s no denying that Mister Chief is a part of Halo’s history; a history that 343 Industries doesn’t seem to have forgotten. Though his inclusion in Halo Infinite is certainly a joke, it does show that 343 Industries is passionate about Halo and its long legacy. If they haven’t proved it already with Halo Infinite’s excellent campaign and engrossing multiplayer, then hopefully this little reference puts fans’ minds at ease a little.
Halo Infinite is available now for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
