How Many Halo Games Are There [All Games + Release Dates]

How Many Games Exist in the Halo Franchise?

There is a total of 16 Halo games, including the release of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary. Remember, this is only about how many Halo games exist of all time Halo. If you would like to know more, check out the best Halo games and the worst Halo games.

The complete list of Halo games in order from oldest to newest, with release dates:

1. Halo Combat Evolved (2001)

2. Halo 2 (2004)

3. Halo 3 (2007)

4. Halo Wars (2009)

5. Halo 3: ODST (2009)

6. Halo: Reach (2010)

7. Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary (2011)

8. Halo 4 (2012)

9. Halo: Spartan Assault (2013)

10. Halo: The Master Chief Collection (2014)

11. Halo: Spartan Strike (2015)

12. Halo 5: Guardians (2015)

13. Halo Wars 2 (2017)

14. Halo Recruit (2017)

15. Halo: Fireteam Raven (2018)

16. Halo: Infinite (2021)

Halo: Master Chief Collection is not a new game but a collection of the games from Halo: CE to Halo 4. This was a release for PC players who wanted to play the Halo universe without the need for an Xbox. Steam has this collection available for purchase.

Keep in mind, that release dates are different from the chronological order in which the story is played out. For example, Halo: Reach is technically a prequel to Halo CE.

Here are the Halo games in Chronological order according to the Lore of the Halo Universe:

Although there are many Halo games released, the main lore of Master Chief starts from Halo CE to Halo: Infinite. Each game holds vital information on the story and how much detail really goes into each game released.

All Halo Games Released

Halo Combat Evolved (2001)

The very first Halo game was released in 2001, beginning with the story of the Pillar of Autumn fleeing from the fall of Reach. Master Chief and his survival through the era of the Great War between humanity and the Covenant begin here.

Combat Evolved involves Chief taking control over a highly valuable location known as the Ringworld or “Halo”. His mission was to protect Cortana and get to the control room of the location to gather information about the place.

Eventually, Flood is introduced into the story, and after getting to the control room and learning the rest of the story, Chief needed to escape. The Pillar of Autumn self-destructs after Chief fled with Cortana on a Longsword.

This first Halo release was a huge hit for Bungie with over 8 million copies sold. Halo Combat Evolved only competed with its sequels Halo 2 and Halo 3.

Halo 2 (2004)

Released in 2004, Halo 2 takes place right after Combat Evolved. This Halo game in particular had a booming amount of success as the sequel to Combat Evolved. Halo 2 covers more of the Lore of Halo and the evolvement of the enemy to humanity known as the Covenant

Not only do you play as Master Chief but you also get to take the role of “The Arbiter” who is a troubled Covenant Elite. This gives us a much bigger realization of the enemy you face during the Halo series.

Halo 3 (2007)

This part of the Halo Series might have been one of the most favorite among Halo fans. Although Combat Evolved is an all-time classic, this sequel, in particular, had so many parts of the story that were climactic to the original Halo Trilogy.

Halo 3 involves the story of ultimately saving Earth from a catastrophe of the Halo’s activation to destroy humankind. Chief, Cortana, and the Arbiter are paramount in this sequel. Near the end we are left with Master Chief floating into space on a destroyed ship with Cortana, going into a freezing capsule to conserve Chief as they hope to be rescued.

Halo Wars (2009)

Halo Wars is taking place 21 years before the events in Halo Combat Evolved. This game allows players to understand more of the Lore of Halo and add more story to the prequel to the original series.

Halo Wars of course did not gain as much attraction as the original Trilogy but many hardcore Halo fans made this release extremely successful.

Halo 3: ODST (2009)

ODST Halo was an exciting expansion to the oh-so-loved Halo 3 sequel. ODST Halo took place right after the events in Halo 2, playing as an ODST trooper known as Rookie. This expansion gave Halo a much more open-world feel to the play style, unlike the linear campaign which Bungie gained criticism.

ODST is about a character named Rookie who is part of a secret mission with a squad of other ODST troopers, with many points and missions to follow, and the player gets to choose of which direction to go.

Halo: Reach (2010)

Taking place right before the events in Halo Combat Evolved, Halo: Reach contains a story about a team of Spartans known as the Noble Team to fight against the invasion of the Covenant on the planet Reach.

Unfortunately, this prequel is a very depressing addition to the Halo Franchise as the team is set up for failure, as they fight against the fall of Reach as a very important team. One by one, each member is killed as they watch their beloved city burn to the ground. Ultimately, leaving Noble Six as the final survivor who distracted the Covenant, allowing the Pillar of Autumn to escape the planet.

Halo 4 (2012)

Halo 4 was released soon after 343 Industries takes control after purchasing the game authority from Bungie. Halo 4 continues the story of Master Chief who is awoken by Cortana as a covenant ship boards their spacecraft. Eventually both the ships end up crashing on a foreign planet known as Requiem and Chief is facing injuries.

The mission continues as Cortana becomes corrupt, bringing a lot of confusion to Chief as he fights his way through an ancient evil within the planet. Eventually gaining a connection to UNSC and Palmer.

Halo: Spartan Assault (2013)

Halo Spartan Assault is much like War Games, being a type of comic-based mini story to the original Campaign.

This story takes place right after the event of Halo 4 and during the Battle of Draetheus V. Here our main character is Sarah Palmer and Edward Davis.

Halo: Spartan Strike (2015)

Split between two stories, this isometric shooter Halo game is a spiritual successor to Halo: Spartan Assault. Spartan Strike takes place in 2552 back into the Halo 2 events connecting to the ODST Halo missions.

The second half of Spartan Assault then jumps into the future to during the Halo 4 events piggybacking to the Spartan Assault story.

Halo 5: Guardians (2015)

Continuing the Halo Sequel with Master Chief, the rise of Cortana trying to take over the world with her AI Guardians becomes the final event in Halo 5. With new fireteams known as Osiris and reuniting Master Chief with Blue Team, they all have to work together eventually to fight against the last of the Covenant and Cortana’s destruction.

A lot of new factors are added to this Halo game considering the fight against the Covenant is ending. The end of Halo 5 presumes another sequel.

Halo Wars 2 (2017)

Halo Wars 2 takes place 28 years after the beginning of the Great War era. The play style is about the same as Halo Wars, which is not really a favorite among Halo fans.

Halo Wars 2 seems to stem off from most of the other Halo stories about two commanders basically fighting over one thing, but the most important part about this game is the revealing of a new enemy, the Banished. The Banished are eventually revealed in the later Halo game, Halo: Infinite. At this point, the war.

Halo: Recruit (2017)

Halo: Recruit is a mini-game type of addition and not a big importance to the continuation of the Halo Franchise. Halo: Recruit was made for the VR experience through PC.

Halo: Fireteam Raven (2018)

Halo Fireteam Raven is an arcade game based on protecting the Pillar of Autumn from invading Covenant ships. After this, Raven crashes with the rest of those boarded from the spaceship, including Master Chief.

Raven helps defeat the Flood near the Halo ring control room as well as defend those at the Pillar of Autumn crash sight. You also get to witness what happens with the ODST team during your gameplay.

Halo: Infinite (2021)

Halo: Infinite is the latest release from the entire Halo series, following the events after the Halo 5: Guardians campaign. Halo Infinite brings us to the ship Infinity arriving at the Zeta Halo (not the Alpha Halo from Halo Combat Evolved), where the flagship is ambushed by the Banished.

Most of Halo: Infinite is UNSC fighting against the Banished who are trying to claim power, as Cortana is also destroyed in this story, saying her goodbyes to Chief. Halo Infinite multiplayer is also free on Xbox Game Pass and PC.

If you haven’t tried the new Halo: Infinite multiplayer, it is definitely worth trying! We have more information on the download size if you are interested.

How Many Halo Films Exist?

There are 7 Halo films in total, including one series. Although most fans are hoping for a major film in cinemas, there are only short films produced. The 7 Halo films are:

• Halo: Forward Unto Dawn (2012)

• Halo: Nightfall (2014)

• Halo: The Series (2023)

• Halo: Landfall (2007)

• Halo Legends - Animation (2009-2010)

• Halo Evolutions Shorts (2010)

• Halo: The Fall of Reach - Animated Series (2015)

The most recent release is Halo: The Series on March 24, 2023. With a total of 9 episodes streaming on Paramount+.