Halo 2 PC Servers Shutting Down Next Month

Halo 2, one of the best selling games on the original Xbox and a pioneer in multiplayer gaming, both online and offline, will finally be closing it's doors on February 15, as 343 Studios announced it will be closing the PC servers for good, effectively ending online multiplayer for the game.

A post by 343 Studios on Halo Waypoint explains that the cause of the shutdown is related to the lack of players on the servers. "We've been monitoring the population for months, and it's been peaking consistently at approximately 20 players or less." 343 Studios assures those that still own the game that they will be able to continue playing multiplayer over LAN, but as of February 15 the networking services will be shut off. The announcement concluded with a heartfelt goodbye to Halo 2. "We love you, Halo 2 PC, and you will live forever in out hearts."

Many gamers were shocked when Bungie first announced the closure of Halo 2's Xbox Live servers in April 2010. Bungie revealed that as of the shutdown of the servers, more than 5.4 billion games of Halo 2 were played online. Although the Xbox Live servers were shutdown, the PC servers were left open.

The Halo franchise is considered by many to be the among the best first-person shooters in gaming. For many people, it is the main reason why they buy an Xbox and subscribe to Xbox Live in the first place. Ever since the release of Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001, the franchise has remained one of the leaders in the shooter genre with its combination of rich world and mythology, deep storyline, and fast, hectic multiplayer. 

For gamers, Halo 2 is what defines their gaming passion, and for critics it built the foundation for future games to follow in. Without it, games like Call of Duty and Battlefield would more than likely not be nearly as enjoyable to play. With rumors circulating that Halo 3 is next in line for its servers to shutdown, we can only look back now at all the memories Halo 2 brought us and how it defined multiplayer gaming. 

In the words of Noble 1: Commander Carter - A259, "Spartans never die..." and to those that took part in over 5 billion games online, Halo 2 will always live on.