Playlist Reminders

In addition to introducing Player Ratings, remember that on September 23rd, the long-awaited September Playlists will become live. The September changes, which we detailed a month ago are pretty invasive and introduce a bunch of new elements to matchmaking, while some old friends are retired. Rocket Race, which is being taken out back, spoke to with soothing vowel sounds and eased into the divine beyond, will occasionally reappear as a Double EXP playlist - the first appearance is scheduled for October.

The retiring of Big Team Social is a bit overstated as the Social 8 on 8 action is instead migrating to the DLC hoppers. Ranked Big Team, which has long-stared extinction in the face, is being hit with a meteor, but like some fauna on our planet, a 6 on 6 mode has been born from its ashes - Squad Battle.

Before we drill into the playlist specific changes, here’s the list of changes that will affect all of matchmaking.

• Added Epilogue – Epitaph with no Shield Doors. Added alongside default variant.
• Added Boundless – Snowbound with reduced Shield Doors. Added alongside default variant.
• Added Sand Tarp – Sandtrap sans Elephants, default team spawns switched in one-sided games. Added alongside default map variant.
• Added Pit Stop – The Pit with inaccessible spawn hives. Added alongside default map variant.
• Ghost Town – No longer appears in any symmetrical gametype.
• Team Slayer – Spawning configuration in default Team Slayer now includes a secondary weapon – the magnum
• Shishka is shuffling up the existing suite of playlists, moving things around, deleting others and adding some new playlists.

Ranked Playlists

Lone Wolves

• Player count increases from six players to 8 players.

Team Objective

• Crazy King Hill times increased to one minute. Hill Movement set to Sequence (was Random).

Team Doubles

• This playlist now requires ALL content (Cold Storage, Legendary and Heroic maps are being used in Team Doubles)
• Objective Gametypes have had their appearance frequency reduced.
• Crazy King Hill times increased to one minute. Hill Movement set to Sequence (was Random).

Ranked Big Team Battle

• This playlist is retired.

Introducing Squad Battle

• Squad Battle is a Ranked six on six Playlist designed to fill some of the void left by excising Ranked Big Team Battle from the Halo 3 Playlists. Squad Battle gametypes are focused on Slayer and Capture the Flag and this playlist currently requires the Heroic Map Pack.

Social Playlists

Big Team Social

• This playlist is retired.

Rocket Race

• This playlist is retired.

Multi Team

• Rocket Race has been added to the gametypes and set with a low weighting.

DLC Playlists

Since Big Team was cut from Social, eight on eight action is reborn in the overhauled DLC playlists section of Matchmaking. DLC Slayer and Objective are both retired. These playlists require Halo 3 Downloadable Content (at least up through Legendary, but in the case of FFA, it requires all DLC) to participate.

DLC FFA

• This is an eight-player Free For All hopper focused on DLC content. The gametypes contained herein are a mix of Slayer, Objective and Infection modes.

DLC Big Team

• Eight on eight Social Slayer and Objective action (Gametypes from Big Team Social)
• Focused on DLC content (Requires both Heroic and Legendary Map Packs)

Hardcore Playlists

Team SWAT

• Objective Gametypes, SWATGuns set to skip after veto
• Weighting on all Objective games, SWATGuns and Magnums reduced
• Player Damage Resistance set to 150% (was 200%), players no longer spawn with grenades
• SWAT map variants now have Carbines and grenades available to pick up.

Head to Head

• This playlist is retired.