Nostalgia rumors for Halo players began with an official launch by 343 Industries of the motion comic called The Return, wherein an Amazon Sangheili shipmaster wanders the glasslands of Kholo. A tweet with dark vibes linking to the comic started a frenzy within the community—some enthusiastically, others with… mixed feelings.
The comic itself tries to show a Covenant Elite reflecting on his victories after the fall of the Covenant and, in the process of his reflections, searching for answers as to what he can do in his post-war galaxy. This is like air for older lore fans, but the reactions! They run the gamut!
First, there is the old standby: “Let us play as Elites again!” The user @thefarkingpro basically put the 343 guys on blast with, “Damn those elites look great shame you guys keep dodging the can we play as them again?” And, honestly? Very fair. Elites as playable characters have been in almost all Halo games of the past, and their absence in the new Halo games has become an irritator for many longtime fans.
Then, we get furious for the absence of Halo Infinite story DLC. @ShanWinTheGod did not mince words: “Start building these stories for Infinite or the next game. Yall really dropped the ball with Infinites dlc that didnt happen.” Oof. I guess it’s pretty obvious that the players are thirsting for some more story content now, especially with their campaign left hanging half-done after launch, and especially given that there are some cool side stories like The Return.
Clearly, the lore wasn’t meant for everyone. People went into full-on salty mode in the comment section: @CTHO__ said, “You guys suck. Stop banning people for having fun.” Halfway through, @BigDillPiccolo hit them with some nostalgia: Remember when halo was an award-winning video game franchise. Brutal.
On the other hand, some fans just love watching Sangheili do thangs. @MrMiraculon: “Man, the Sangheili are so cool. I really want to play as one in multiplayer one day… 👀” And @byfermamba killed with this gem: “funny how the elites got more character development than half the humans in halo and still carried the whole story 💀”
And, of course, not forgetting the obligatory “wort wort wort” because what is a Halo thread without some Elite gibberish? @wort_wort_wort gave us the full “Wort Worts” battle cry along with a helpful meme. And then, @KildzerMegazord added, “POV: You are getting jumped by a pack of Wort Worts.” Priceless.
By this, here is just what should be taken away: Players clearly want more of Halo, from playable Elites, actual story expansions, to less…Whatever this era of 343 is doing with the management. While cool, The Return motion comic is simultaneously a very cruel reminder of what should be, if Halo ever reached its full potential.
Meanwhile, an emo Elite is wandering the glasslands, with a community divided between excitement and frustration. Very classic Halo discourse!
