The Halo franchise is vast, so allow us to put the games in order, for you to know what’s first in terms of release and in terms of lore.
Halo is one of the most iconic gaming franchises of all time. It has several games in its main series, where you play as Master Chief, but also many spin-offs that expand the lore of the Halo universe. So, we've put all of the Halo games together in order for you, both by release date and chronologically.
You'll know what games to play, and in what order, if you want to experience the entire story as the series unfolds. Or you might find a hidden gem in the release date list, if there's a spin-off that flew under your radar.
All Halo games in order of release
There are over a dozen games in the Halo franchise. There are the main entries we all know and love, along with some lesser-known, but still fun spin-offs. Here's each Halo game in order of its release date:
Game | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Halo: Combat Evolved | November 15, 2001 |
| Halo 2 | November 9, 2004 |
| Halo 3 | September 25, 2007 |
| Halo Wars | February 26, 2009 |
| Halo 3: ODST | September 22, 2009 |
| Halo: Reach | September 14, 2010 |
| Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary | November 15, 2011 |
| Halo 4 | November 6, 2012 |
| Halo: Spartan Assault | July 18, 2013 |
| Halo: The Master Chief Collection | November 11, 2014 |
| Halo: Spartan Strike | April 16, 2015 |
| Halo 5: Guardians | October 27, 2015 |
| Halo Wars 2 | February 21, 2017 |
| Halo: Fireteam Raven | May 2018 |
| Halo Infinite | December 8, 2021 |
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All Halo games in chronological order
If you want to experience the Halo games in order of its lore, playing them chronologically is a great way. Of course, the likes of the Halo anniversary editions and the Master Chief Collection won't be here. Those focus on remasters and aren't new story entries.
Game | Year | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Halo Wars | 2531 | Early years of the Human-Covenant War. |
| Halo: Reach | 2552 | Takes place in the weeks leading up to Halo: Combat Evolved. |
| Halo: Combat Evolved | 2552 | Discovery of the first Halo ring. |
| Halo: Fireteam Raven | 2552 | Takes place concurrently with Halo: Combat Evolved. |
| Halo 2 | 2552 | Continuation of Halo: Combat Evolved. |
| Halo 3: ODST | 2552 | During the events of Halo 2. |
| Halo 3 | 2552 | Resolution of the Human-Covenant war. |
| Halo: Spartan Assault | 2553-2554 | Following the Human-Covenant War. |
| Halo 4 | 2557 | A new saga with Master Chief. New threats and Covenant remnants. |
| Halo: Spartan Strike | 2558 | Contains current and past events. |
| Halo 5: Guardians | 2558 | Follows Master Chief, who has gone AWOL, and Spartan Locke. |
| Halo Wars 2 | 2559 | Set shortly after Halo 5. |
| Halo Infinite | 2560 | Continuation of Master Chief's story. |
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