[url=http://www.videogameslive.com/]Video Games Live[/url], the first major U.S. video game concert tour, has added additional dates to the summer schedule. If you've ever wanted to hear music from Halo and a number of other fine games performed live by expert musicians, don't miss this opportunity.

A whole slew of new dates and venues were recently announced at the [url=http://www.videogameslive.com/]Video Games Live[/url] website. The concert series kicks off in Los Angeles on July 6th and then continues across the country throughout the summer. Bungie's own Marty O'Donnell will be on hand for the Hollywood kick off. If you plan on being there on July 6th, keep an eye out for an elder person most likely sitting in the senior discount seats. :)

G-Phoria, G4tv's video game award show, has opened its polls for game of the year, best sound track, etc.. Support Halo by going to [url=http://www.g4tv.com/gphoria2005/stuff/gphoria_vote.aspx]here[/url] and voting Halo into its rightful position as game of the year.

^^^^^^

The Halo 2 Xbox Live Worldwide [url=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/news/2005/0427-halo2globaltournament.htm]Championship[/url] wrapped up today as finalists from 24 different countries competed for the overall title. It was a long road with many closely fought battles but sources on the front line report that [i]King Tuur[/i] from the Netherlands has emerged as the champion. Congrats!

The Xbox Live sponsored Halo 2 Worldwide Championship kicked off several months ago as players in 24 different countries began competing to crown regional winners. A series of mini events continued throughout each country until eventually one single person was chosen to represent in the world finals. Today the finals took place over Xbox Live in a series of matches that would separate the best of the best and set the stage for the grand finale. While nobody at Bungie was in attendance for the finals, our contacts on the Live team did pass along some information regarding todays games. The final pool of players came down to Japan, Germany, Netherlands, USA, France and Australia. The player from Japan won his heat giving the American, Aussie and French players their second loss and eliminating them from the competition. In the following round, Germany suffered their second defeat setting the stage for a Japan vs. Netherlands world finale. Apparently it was a close match but King Tuur of the Netherlands pulled ahead and never looked back. Congratulations to Mr. Tuur who becomes the first ever Worldwide Halo 2 Champion and also the proud recipient of a 50" Samsung DLP HDTV, a Samsung DVD Player/Recorder, a personalized world champion trophy (featuring a 24k gold Halo 2 game disc) AND $1,500 in cash. Good stuff. More information about the Xbox Live sponsored tournament and profiles of the finalists from each region can be found at Xbox.com.

Last night Team Bungie went to war with players from [url=http://www.2070films.com]2070 Films[/url] in an attempt to regain the Humpday cup and restore honor to the Studio. Here's how it all went down according to Frankie.

Unfortunately I was personally unable to attend the Humpday Match last night. After rounding up our team I raced home to discover that my internet and cable television were completely hosed. Luckily, with Frankie's tactical leadership and elite skillz, team Bungie stepped up to the challenge. I spent the night huddled in a corner staring at the wall.... no tv and no internet, what else is a person to do? [b]The Challengers[/b] 2070 Films has been around in the community for quite some time and they've earned a reputation for making high quality Halo films. I happily accepted their challenge when it appeared in my inbox because they're nice guys and surely our odds had to be better than they were against the Xbox Live team or the U.S. Army. [b]Humpday Challenge[/b] [i]Recap by Frankie[/i] Last night's Humpday Challenge was fun, and I mean that in a very broad, happy sense of the word. Our Humpday Challenges tend to be split along two basic principles – that we either play Teutonic, cold-blooded, scientific rule sets, possibly devised by an angry Spock – Battle Rifles only, no shields, everyone has to wear a drab grey armor and no talking allowed – or decidedly outrageous, fabulous, campy, possibly Tony award-winning rules, of the sort that might be devised by a tipsy Liberace – all Plasma weapons, invisible, with overshields, on Midship with a disco ball. Last night, we got to play mildly customized, but variety-filled games on a wide range of levels. Yeah, we were shocked too. [b]Game 1[/b]: Custom CTF on Containment [b]Duration[/b]: 12:01 [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=183998235&player=Frankie]Game Stats[/url] [b]Result[/b]: Bungie Wins 1-0 The first game was a grueling, customized version of CTF – two flags, a wide selection of weapons on the map, and Battle Rifles and Shotguns as the starting set. I have still to figure out what a shotgun is for on Containment, other than a handy thing to lean against when you get tired from walking. Battle Rifles, on the other hand, bring people together in very nasty ways, forcing close, but not too-close combat situations, and drawing chumps out of their hiding places to be mown down like, erm, grass. It took 12 minutes to complete the game – Bungie winning with just one flag, but to be fair to the other side, we think they were being too cautious, not quite sure of our abilities yet. [b]Game 2[/b]: Multi Flag CTF on Sanctuary [b]Duration[/b]: 04:07 [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=184009750&player=Frankie]Game Stats[/url] [b]Result[/b]: Bungie Wins 3-0 The next game was one we got to pick, and it's an office favorite – multi flag CTF on Sanctuary, a straightforward splatterfest, that often ends in ridiculous carnage in the center structure, as two equally single-minded flag carriers accidentally create a kind of splashy abattoir by heading back to their bases in a straight line. The party atmosphere is enhanced by the sudden deluge of plasma grenades and streamers of sniper fire passing through the narrow courtyard. You almost want to say, "Hey," to the passing flag carrier, but instead, you crush his skull with your flagpole. After all, this is Halo, not Parcheesi. Bungie won this three to one, basically sealing the deal on our best of three match. On a personal note, this is the only map where I achieved anything at all, making the longest flag run I've ever made without actually capping it – I was shot about one millimeter from the capture point, by a sniper located all the way back in their base. OW. (continued on page 2...)
[b]Game 3[/b]: Custom CTF on Coagulation [b]Duration[/b]: 04:59 [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=184017725&player=Frankie]Game Stats[/url] [b]Result[/b]: Bungie Loses 2-3 As is tradition, we played the third game anyway, just for giggles. It was set in coagulation and was basically Neutral flag CTF, but with a weird twist, two hogs and a Banshee per side. The basic principle is that whoever gets most surviving vehicles to the center, no matter what else occurs, wins. Sadly, it took two flag captures before we figured it out, and by that time, the opposing squad had it in hand and they beat us three to two. After that, we shook hands (virtually) and played another game on Containment, the closest game of Team Slayer you ever saw in your life. It doesn't matter who won, but you can check it out [url=http://www.bungie.net/Stats/GameStats.aspx?gameID=184045562&player=Frankie]here[/url]. P.S. We were down a man.

This is part 2 from 2old2play's trip to E3 and a review of the new maps

Thursday it was almost impossible to get near the Halo both. We spent most of the time lurking around the Xbox 360 and trying to sneak peeks into the Halo 2 kiosk but the lines were simply to long. The cool thing was that all the gamers handed over the controller after each game so it seemed as though everyone was getting a chance to play. I caught a glimpse of Elongation and its moving belts but not enough to really report on. Backwash was definitely a highlight of Thursday’s trip the convention. Its layout is perfect for the stealth player who likes to hide out and wait for their enemies. Weasel, a default profile, was owning with the sword bobbing in and out of trees while hacking and slashing his way around the swamp. Again, Bungie has really put a lot into the make up of this map as it seems much more like a level from the campaign then just a map. The structure in the middle provides a place to go when it gets a little to hot and muggy out in the swamp. It also seems to be a great place to throw some grenades if you just passing by. In true [url=http://www.2old2play.com]2old2play[/url] fashion, our crew was taken apart with ease as we casually walked about the map. In our defense we did not change the default settings so getting owned was already in the cards. [url]http://photos13.flickr.com/15680028_d24c704b27_o.jpg[/url] The last day was when we really shined. [url=http://www.2old2play.com]2old2play[/url] got a change to sit back and watch the PMS gales thoroughly whoop the boys in some great Halo 2 matches. After having an entire week in L.A. playing Halo at our clan mates home we sat back to watch. Waiting for a match or two we finally had our chance to take on some of the girls from PMS and other folk. Our map was Terminal which is by far the best map in the new pack in my opinion. There are just so many places to hide, maneuver, and jump too. The train is an awesome addition to the map as all the power-ups are on the tracks. The sword is a leap of faith that I was lucky enough to complete without breaking any major limbs. The beginning of the match was a little brutal as PMS once again showed us the gender has little to do with skill. My 4 kills and my partners -1 was quickly showing everyone that while gender might not have anything to do with skill, age just might. Lucky for us, we fought back with all the vigor of a Viagra pill. Somehow we pulled off the win with a lucky 18 kills from me and 7 for my partner. The map itself was downright fantastic. Maybe it was the win, but to us Terminal is the perfect edition to the multiplayer realm of Halo 2. With all its nooks and crannies it’s just the perfect map for any gametype. [url]http://photos13.flickr.com/15680025_d73e8d7126_o.jpg[/url] In the end, we had a great time trying out all the new maps and talking to the Bungie staff. They really are a great group of people and we hope to one day challenge them to a little hump day. If anyone want some more photos and picks of our E3/Bungie experience head on over to [url=http://www.2old2play.com]www.2old2play.com[/url]. See you all on live.

This is part 1 from 2old2play's trip to E3 and a review of the new maps

The old guys from [url=http://www.2old2play.com]www.2old2play.com[/url] got a chance to fly out to L.A. and join the masses at E3 this year. While we did want to see all the new consoles, Next Gen software, and new handhelds, our eyes were always fixed on the Halo 2 kiosk. This was also do to the fact that our old bodies have trouble walking around all those exhibits for so many hours each day. While Bungie didn’t have any new games to show of this year, their numbers certainly didn’t show it. Day one we didn’t have too much trouble getting into the games much to our surprise. My first experience was with Relic and all its dirt covered splendor. Luckily, one of the friendly Bungie employees pointed out some weapons for me that I couldn’t have found on my own. You see, at our age it is sometimes a little hard to see those tiny LCDs and since I didn’t bring my trusty monocle a little help was needed. After seating myself in the comfortable chair that is the ghost’s driver seat I proceeded to drive around the map taking in the sights and trying to kill whatever came in my path. [url]http://photos9.flickr.com/15680270_6c8811f44f_o.jpg[/url] From what I saw, Relic has a very barren and rocky layout. As much as I was playing the game, I was also trying to take in all the vistas and sounds of the new map. Cover is sparse with rocks lying around the island to provide limited protection. The base seems to be the place were everyone meets up for the real action. A sly player can sit back and pick off others as they fight it out near the top of the base. I for one was killed many times by this very tactic. Not one to take up real gamers time, the [url=http://www.2old2play.com]2old2play[/url] boys spent the rest of the day licking our wounds and watching the other maps play out from afar. Gemini, while dark, is amazing to look at. The detail the Bungie team has taken in the set up of this Covenant battle field is more then impressive. The tree has this ominous feel to it while the colors around it are vibrant and eye catching. I almost found it hard to watch the action as I found my eyes focused on the moving doors and multiple levels of this map. Contrary to my concerns as powerful as the sword is, it’s perfectly balanced on Gemini. Since the level is dimly lit, the sword is a dead give-a-way and anyone can layout a field of grenades before being struck down. Also there are many halls to hide in so sneaking up is a huge part of the strategy. I kept seeing the sword go from player to player without very much devastation which is a relief for us old guys. [url]http://photos10.flickr.com/15680024_4100b96a7a_o.jpg[/url]

Posted up on the official [url=http://www.nilerogers.com]Nile Rogers[/url] website they have just announced that Marty has finished mastering the second volume of the Halo 2 soundtrack.

On the official [url=http://www.nilerogers]Nile Rogers[/url] website they have just announced that Marty has finished mastering the second volume of the Halo 2 soundtrack. Though no more information is provided it is still pretty exciting.

H2Wiki - The Halo 2 Multiplayer Knowledge Repository - Reopens. This time the site might even work! For non-morons only.

A key part of the Clan of Bobs plan to reclaim the Halo 2 multiplayer experience from those morons is the [url=http://h2wiki.halowiki.net/]H2Wiki[/url]. The H2Wiki is a friendly place where experts and newbies alike share multiplayer knowledge. As of this writing the site has 250 pages where most Halo 2 nutties should find at least something that can boost their online experience and/or performance. The site is a WikiWiki. Means it isn't based on forums. Rather any site visitor can create new pages at will and also edit any existing pages. Everything gets neatly crosslinked and a powerful search engine ensures no bits of information ever gets lost. No need to bump important dicussion threads or make anything sticky (everything is sticky in a way). To keep the site friendly and make it work as a key in the [url=http://h2wiki.halowiki.net/wiki/Code_of_the_Bob]Bob master plan[/url] we only welcome: [*]non-morons, [*]non-cheaters, [*]non-glitchers, [*]non-sore-losers/winners. If you're a moron go to some other site, why not your own basement. But if you're anything like a Bob and interested in improving in Halo 2 and/or help others improve you are more than welcome, almost obliged, to take part in our revolution. Last time we opened the H2Wiki to the public the interest was so big our site bogged down from the preassure. We don't have any resources really and haven't been able to host the site in any real hosting environment. But we have moved the site to more modern software and set things up best we can. (Took us a month of hard work!) Hopefully the site will stand the test this time. Missed the link to the site up there? Here it is in clear text: [url]http://h2wiki.halowiki.net/[/url] Stay excellent to each other!

Ender Illes writes:

Bungie recently attended E3 armed with the Multiplayer Map Pack. I was there and here are my impressions. Read on!

This year at E3 Bungie was not the "center of attention" with a new game. They did, however, command the same attention armed with the upcoming Multiplayer Pack. The excitement surrounding the new levels was apparent as the Bungie booth was consistantly the most busy of the XBOX booths. [IMG]http://photos10.flickr.com/15319724_c9dd4736ea.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://photos10.flickr.com/15319722_8b4a8c629e.jpg[/IMG] Being showcased were the five newer levels that have not yet been released to the public. While talking to Sketch I learned that some fans had been neglecting the rest of E3 and giving all their attention to just this attraction. "Some kids have been here for five or six hours!" he explained, "It is awesome!" The guys at Bungie showed their loyalty to their fans by making personal appearances to show off the new levels, explaining the layouts and functions of the maps [i]hands on[/i] to players. I was fortunate enough to meat the team and ask them a few questions. My associate took a picture and I blame him for its outcome. [IMG]http://photos10.flickr.com/15319725_325ee9ba1c.jpg[/IMG] [b]Ender- [/b]How have the new levels taken advantage of interactive functionality like the gate in Zanzibar? [b]Bungie-[/b] We know how popular things like that are in maps that include them and wanted to add such elements into the newer maps. For instance, in "Relic" the offensive team in CTF can open a two-way portal that opens directly into the base via a switch located underneath the Forerunner structure." [b]Ender-[/b]"Can we expect any other updates or downloads for H2in the future?" [b]Bungie-[/b]"Of course. We plan on updating the matchmaking playlists on a regular bases to keep things fresh. As for new maps, we are far to busy with our current project to even think about making any other maps. Who knows though." [b]Ender-[/b]"Speaking of current projects, what do you think about good ol' Bill Gates and his statement?" [b]Bungie-[/b] *[i]laughs[/i]* We are very flattered. Its hard to believe that a man as powerful as him holds Halo in such a high regard. He places a lot of faith in us, and it's flattering." I had a chance to play the new maps twice through each and I was very impressed. The detail in is impressive and relfects the amount of work that Bungie has put into them.

The Halo 2 Game Viewer will be undergoing tweaks and several screen views per map will be unavailable until later next week as we work on some backend improvements. Please bear with us as we continue to make the site better for everyone.

For the next few days, the Halo 2 Game Viewer will have slightly limited results. A few of the available game viewer map images will be temporarily removed from each map as we work on a few things behind the scenes. This work is expected to be finished next week when the game viewer will return to its full glory along with a slightly better performing Bungie.net. Thanks for your patience as we keep working to make a better, happier Bungie.net!

Are you a Mac user and wish you could see your Xbox Live Friends list on your desktop like Windows people can with [url=http://brh.numbera.com/software/xblist/]XBList[/url].

[url=http://www.mindquirk.com/apps/xboxlivefriends/index.htm][b]Xbox Friends List[/b][/url] is an incredible little application for Mac OS X. Not only can you track your friends on your desktop, have the program automatically sign you in and see your friends emblems, but you can even use it to design your Halo-2 emblem with the Emblem Designer do-dad. No more editing your profile for hours with the controller in your hands. Just pick the options right within the program until your blue in the face. Even save the emblem as a JPG file for easy uploading to forums, attaching to your email signature, etc... Of course it doesn't actually change your game profile, that would be voo doo. Check out the [url=http://www.mindquirk.com/apps/xboxlivefriends/index.htm]website[/url] for more information. They claim to be working on a OS X Tiger version. Wouldn't it be nice to check your friends status via the Dashboard?

Still fighting your way through the Halo 2 Legendary Campaign? Whether it's the seemingly impossible 2nd Hangar Bay or taking on big Tartarus himself, Mike Miller has your back in his exhaustive guide available at [url=http://nikon.bungie.org/gameplay/halo2_leg_walk/]halo.bungie.org.[/url]

Nearly every hardcore fan complained that the Legendary mode in Halo 1 was just too easy. We listened. And in Halo 2, I think most everyone will agree that things are much much harder this time. To those who have overcome this herculean challenge, I salute you. To those still working on it, I recommend taking a peek at this incredibly useful [url=http://nikon.bungie.org/gameplay/halo2_leg_walk/]walkthrough.[/url] Mike Miller has painstakingly broken apart every detail of every level to help exponentially increase your odds of success. Overall tips, tactics and even videos will help lead you to victory. Thanks to Mike and HBO for looking out for us Legendary impaired players.

The reset of the levels today may cause some confusion. It's possible that when you look at your Friends' levels in Halo 2, they'll appear higher or lower than they really are. This is because your Xbox stores information about Friends, including their recent levels. This oddity shouldn't last more than a couple of hours, so don't sweat it.

Things in general should start to even out and clarify by the weekend. When I expect to see you all in the new playlists for a solid owning.

HaloUnderground.org Sponsored 2 vs. 2 Slayer Tournament. This Tournament is for all players ages 14 and older. Go to HaloUnderground.org for registration by 5/13 @ 11:59pm. The tournament 1st place winners will receive a trophy for each player engraved with their team and gamertag name. Only 64 teams will be accepted on a first come first serve basis.

This Tournament is for all players ages 14 and older. Go to HaloUnderground.org for registration by 5/13 @ 11:59pm. The tournament 1st place winners will receive a trophy for each player engraved with their team and gamertag name. Only 64 teams will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. HaloUnderground.org - 2 vs. 2 Team Slayer Tournament I Rules 1. Sign up with your team name, gamer tags. Gamer tags or team information may not be changed after 5/20/05 11:59pm EST 2. At least one member of each team must register to HaloUnderground.org in order to participate. 3. The tournament starts on 5/23/05. 4. Players must use their registered gamer tag. 5. Players must conduct themselves in a reasonable manner. 6. Teams must play as blue vs. red, and only as a Spartan. 7. Parties must be closed during each game. No Spectators. 8. All players are required to have the Game types configured as stated here in the rules. 9. Matches may only be played over Xbox Live 10. All rounds must be played back to back. 11. No placing the bomb out of reach, no grenade jumping, no reload glitch, and no leaving the normal boundaries of a level at any time (i.e. getting on top of a map). 12. Quitting out of a game will result in a forfeit. 13. Any other sign of cheating determined by HaloUnderground.org Staff will result in forfeit of the game, and banishment from HaloUnderground.org. 14. SWORD USE IS PROHIBBITED FOR FFA and 2 VS. 2 GAMES. USING THE SWORD FOR A KILL IS AN AUTOMATIC FORFEIT. 15. If a team experiences lag, it must be called in the first two minutes of the match. Otherwise the game must be completed. 16. The Tournament is Double Elimination format. 17. The default match times are Mondays and Wednesdays at 9:00pm EST. Rounds 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 are on Mondays and Rounds 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 , 12 are on Wednesdays. If you can not make it, do not sign up. Emergency days will be Tuesday for Monday, and Thursday for Wednesday @ 9:00pm EST. In order to use an emergency day, you must post in the forums that you will need to use the emergency day 72 hours ahead of time! NO EXCEPTIONS! 18. When finished, report your match in the Match Reports thread within 24 hours of the completed match. 19. In the report, post your team name, opponents name, the map, the score for all rounds, and the Bungie game viewer link. 20. Each match will consist of 3 rounds using these maps IN THIS ORDER: Lockout, Midship, and Ivory Tower. 21. In case of a tie (1-1-1), the tie-breaker will be total number of kills for all rounds. If the match is still tied, the teams must play one more round on Colossus. If that does not resolve the tie, teams will play the maps in order again until one team wins. 22. Protests must be submitted within 24 hours of the match underneath the protest thread. Evidence is a plus when submitting a protest. Captured Video/Screenshots, Bungie.net Game Viewer, Chat logs / Email, etc. 23. Each member of the 1st place team will receive a trophy or plaque with their team name and gamer tag engraved. A shipping address will be required to receive the award. 24. All decisions by HaloUnderground.org Staff are final.

Recon Number 59 writes:

Ever wonder what some members do with their spare time and gray matter? Would you believe that some write poems? Regulars of the Zanzibar forum may be aware of a creative member in their midst. Atomic Weggie has been serenading the forum with his "Odes to...." for some time now. Well the news is that he's "gone World-Wide InterWeb" on us...

[url=http://www.halotournies.com/index.asp][u]Halo Tournies.Com [/u][/url] has considered the odes to be of enough interest (and humor) to give them a section. You can read the Odes in all of their glory [url=http://www.halotournies.com/odes.asp][u]here[/u][/url]. DLC, Weapon Whores, Standbyers, none are spared and all are done in remarkable rhyme. Well, they DO rhyme (generally). They're not bad really. Remind me a bit of the Bungie Webmaster when he gets into a singing mood (Kids, never, EVER take a drunk man in a gorilla suit to karaoke night! The suit should be enough warning that he has no shame, karaoke only proves the fact.) Whether you like "The Odes" or not, they are definitely better than anything any Vogon has ever written.

The weekly halo 2 tourney roundup can be found [url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=3203734]HERE[/url]. I'm a day late...Yea I'm a lazy -blam!-

From now on I want you guys to mail your entries for the weekly roundup to this email address: [email protected] Thanks! - stosh

Tomorrow morning, the stats system will be taken down for approximately 2 hours for some database maintenance. After it begins, no Halo 2 stats related systems will be online until the work is complete. This includes your Halo 2 emblems. All games will be recorded during the downtime, you just won't be able to see them.

You guys give the stats database quite a workout, so please excuse the occassional need for the system to be shaken down. Please remember this will only affect your ability to see your game results, data collection will not be impacted. After the maintenance, the system will restart processing of your games and will take a little while to catch up to the present, but that won't last very long.

The Xbox Live Halo 2 Worldwide Championship has already started in many countries but now we finally have more details regarding the U.S. competition. Registration began yesterday and play is scheduled to kick off next week with the U.S. champion eventually facing the top players from 23 other regions for the world title and a bunch of cool prizes.

The Halo 2 Worldwide Tournament is a global event spanning all 24 regions where Xbox Live is offered. Each regional champion will clash in a worldwide showdown for the crown of World's Best Halo 2 Player as well as a bounty of cool prizes. The U.S. qualifier portion is set to begin next week. Player who are interested in competing should hustle and get registered ASAP. Anyone 18 and over can register by either visiting a Gamestop retail store or stopping by www.GameStopStores.com. Time is ticking so hurry up and get signed up if you want a shot at the title. What's at stake? Well, besides the biggest of all bragging rights (only ONE person can ever claim they are THE Halo 2 World Champion), there are plenty of prizes up for grabs. Regional winners will receive a limited edition half-size Master Chief statue, a personalized Xbox Live Halo 2 Championship sweatshirt, a plaque, a Samsung Camcorder AND $500 in cash. WOW. The overall global champion will also receive a 50' Samsung Flat Screen DLP HDTV, a Samsung DVD Player/Recorder, a personalized Xbox Live Halo 2 World Champion trophy featuring a 24k gold Halo 2 game disc AND $1,500 in cash. Damn, I wonder if Bungie employees are permitted to enter.... More information can be found at [url=http://www.xbox.com/en-US/news/2005/0427-halo2-tourney.htm]Xbox.com[/url]. Please note that we (Bungie Studios) have little to no involvement in the actual tournament so we are unable to provide support or answer tournament related questions. We'll do our best to keep you informed of late breaking events. For now, hurry up and get yourself registered or risk missing out on this epic event.

Recently, a rumor started spreading, indicating that Bungie was going to reset or clear Xbox Live Friends Lists. This is categorically untrue. We are not touching them, and neither is Xbox Live. We don't know where the rumor started, but it's complete nonsense. So don't worry.

And quit sending each other messages about it. There will be no reset of the Friends List.

Four brand spankin new multiplayer maps are now available for download on Xbox Live. Containment and Warlock are available for free while Turf and Sanctuary can be purchased together for $5.99. Check the [url=http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?story=maptacularmonday]weekly update[/url] for more info about these exciting new maps.

The wait for new Halo 2 content is over. As promised, the first four (of nine) maps are available for download today via Xbox Live. When you sign in, select "Content Download" from the Live menu and you'll see two download options. The "Bonus Map Pack" is free of charge and includes Containment and Warlock. The "Killtacular Pack" is a premium download that will cost $5.99 in exchange for Turf and Sanctuary. Both of these maps will be available as free downloads later this Summer - [b]June 28[/b] to be exact. Grab these maps and fire up some custom games with your friends and see first hand what we've been so excited about the past few months. Next week we will be updating our matchmaking playlists and incorporating all four new maps in the approrpriate playlists. And, for folks who don't have access to Live, you'll be able to get all nine multiplayer maps on June 28th when the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map pack is released in retail stores.

Good evening guys, gals, and hippo lovers! Sorry for the delay but you can finally find this weeks halo 2 tourney update [url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=3110487]HERE[/url].

I had to post the update in the forum this week because of the lame 3000 or so bungie.net news character limit. Maybe next week I'll post the update as a top news story or something. Anyway remember it's not just a game and if you lose...well you are a loser. Nobody likes losers. Also don't forget that you need to submit your tourney info [url=http://www.bungie.net/News/SubmitNews.aspx]HERE[/url] if you would like to see your tourney listed in the Halo 2 Tourney update next week!

The WWU is coming to a screen near you, and here's a little something to keep you busy until then.

Like our 3d screenshots? Love them? Can’t get enough of them?! Don’t worry, I’ve got your fix. This week’s subject is the Old Mombasa map Turf. This 3d screen is also one of the last atrocities I committed against poor agdTinman! You see, Tinman thought that jumping in the hog and turning a few donuts would help him clear the street corner of Sketch and I. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quick enough- Sketch was on board to pull him out and I stuck the hog with a plasma. I did a great job of hurting all three of us, but it’s the thought that counts, right? If this is your first 3d Screenshot, please note that you’ll need the latest version of Apple’s [url=http://www.apple.com/quicktime]Quicktime[/url] software in order to view this or any 3d screenshot. With that in mind, [url=http://www.bungie.net/images/games/halo2/screenshots/turf_boom.mov]Everyone point and laugh as I kill us all[/url]. Maybe next week, I’ll make one that isn’t a hog or grenade exploding. And while I have your attention, I’ve made a gift for the forum regulars, as well! You can find him [url=http://www.bungie.net/Account/settings.aspx?page=3&avatarpage=2]on the second page of avatars[/url], fourth row down, second from the right. He dances divinely, does he not?

The first four new maps are only a few days away but if you want to get a better look at them now, head over to [url=http://www.redvsblue.com]RedvsBlue.com[/url]. Burnie and the crew recorded walk-throughs of each map and will be posting one a day the remainder of the week.

Our pals from Red vs. Blue happened to be in the neighborhood earlier this week so we offered to give them a sneak peek at the upcoming multiplayer maps. While they could have gone back and posted tantilizing notes about how they saw the new maps and you didn't, instead they opted to record videos and share them with the masses. Head over to their website, www.redvsblue.com, for a look at each map throughout the week. We also challenged them to a few games while they were here. Keep your eye on the top story spot for more info on that. : )

Our screenshot [url=http://www.bungie.net/Games/Halo2/Gallery.aspx?Gallery=Screenshots&page=6] gallery[/url] has been updated with several new shots from the upcoming multiplayer maps. Check 'em out!

Even though all of these shots originated right here, from this very computer, they somehow ended up on our own website last. Still, if you haven't seen them or you want to see them in a larger format or with a less obtrusive watermark, we've got you covered. The Halo 2 screenshot [url=http://www.bungie.net/Games/Halo2/Gallery.aspx?Gallery=Screenshots&page=6] gallery[/url] has a whole new page full of images from Warlock, Containment, Turf and Sanctuary. There are additional first person shots floating around on various game sites if you're hungry for more new map goodness. All four of these maps will be available for download this coming Monday, 4/25. For more info, check out Frankie's top story.

If you haven't already heard, the Halo 2 Auto Update is now available on Xbox Live. When you connect, your game will automatically update itself before allowing you to continue. Once you have the update, resist the urge to "test" former cheating methods or risk getting yourself banned!

The next time you connect to Xbox Live, you'll download a small bit of data which will update your version of Halo 2 to 1.1. This update will provide a number of fixes to existing cheats and exploits as well as a few gameplay balance enhancements via weapon balance tweaks. For more details about what the update entails, see last weeks [url=http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?story=weeklywhatsapril15th&p=3014696] UPDATE.[/url] In light of the removal of many common forms of cheating and a severe change in the effectiveness of the popular "stand by" cheat, many players feel the need to "test" these results for themselves. This is a bad idea. Engaging in bandwidth manipulation and standbying can result in you getting banned from matchmaking. DON'T DO IT! Also - as we've said previously - using a "hacked" profile, save game or any other manipulated piece of data on your Xbox that is not part of the retail version of the game is also grounds for being banned from matchmaking. This includes playing in custom games or even playing on a LAN while you're still connected to Live. Halo 2 is "Live Aware" so if you're plugged in, make sure none of those files are on your Xbox. If you simply must play with these types of games, you should unplug your network cable or risk getting banned. Hacked files of ANY sort have no place on Xbox Live. In some cases, such as upcoming tournaments, you may not be ready to commit 100% to the new update. If you need to remove the udpate for any reason, you can go into your Xbox Dashboard and wipe out all the Halo 2 saved files (the root). This will effectively remove the 1.1 update but will also remove your saved games, profiles and gametypes. You can back those up to memory card if you like. If you have downloaded maps on your Xbox, they will also be erased. The next time you connect to Live, you'll then download the update once again.