Gameplay

Skins (Halo: Combat Evolved)

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For other games' customization systems, see armor permutations. For other skins in other games, see Skins.
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Skins in Halo: Combat Evolved allow players to customize their Spartan player model and the appearance of weapons and vehicles in-game. At the launch of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the armor of Combat Evolved was displayed as a static image in the game's menu. Following in the footsteps of the launch of Halo: Reach for PC, Halo: Combat Evolved had its menu elements updated to fully render Spartan customization options in 3D in Unreal Engine 4. The launch of Season 2: Spark saw the addition of weapon and vehicle skins for Halo: Combat Evolved, with Series 7: Elite adding additional vehicle skins.

Overview[edit]

An image of a Spartan in Combat Evolved with a green visor.
A Spartan utilizing a new, green visor in Combat Evolved in The Master Chief Collection.

In its initial release, Halo: Combat Evolved did not include skins. These were retroactively added into its MCC port alongside a larger update that increased the number of customisation options for CE, which released with Series 2: Spark. This update also included visor colour customisation too. All of these new skins and visors were made permanently available via the then-newly added seasonal unlock system, which resembles a battle pass.

These new skins can also be toggled off via an option in the game's menu, for those wishing to keep the game as it was. The skins for weapons and vehicles apply to any weapon the player picks up - they retain their skin when dropped, but will switch to a new skin should another player take control of them.

Weapon skins[edit]

Pistol[edit]

Skins for the Pistol.

Pistol
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE Pistol Desert Skin.png
Desert Looks very stylish with a poncho. Series 2, Tier 2 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Pistol GreatJourney Skin.png
Great Journey Don't worry... I know what the aliens like. Series 2, Tier 14 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Pistol HazardPay Skin.png
Hazard Pay Safety first! Series 2, Tier 36 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Pistol Woodland Skin.png
Woodland Camping is a legitimate strategy. Series 2, Tier 41 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Pistol ToySoldier Skin.png
Toy Soldier They're not dolls, they're action figures! Series 2, Tier 62 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Pistol BlackCherry Skin.png
Black Cherry Get a grip. Shoot from the hip. Series 2, Tier 91 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Pistol Golden Skin.png
Golden Bling on the ring. Series 2 Challenge: Trusty Sidekick
Defeat 500 opponents with the Pistol in any game mode.

The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)

Assault Rifle[edit]

Skins for the Assault Rifle.

Assault Rifle
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE AssaultRifle Desert Skin.png
Desert Looks very stylish with a poncho. Series 2, Tier 1 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE AssaultRifle Woodland Skin.png
Woodland Camping is a legitimate strategy. Series 2, Tier 29 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE AssaultRifle Squirt Skin.png
Squirt It's good under pressure. Series 2, Tier 46 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE AssaultRifle Corrosion Skin.png
Corrosion The Oxidation Sensation. Series 2, Tier 69 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE AssaultRifle GreatJourney Skin.png
Great Journey Don't worry... I know what the aliens like. Series 2, Tier 83 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE AssaultRifle LuckyShot Skin.png
Lucky Shot But you had something they didn't... Series 2, Tier 100 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE AssaultRifle Golden Skin.png
Golden Bling on the ring. Series 2 Challenge: Thanks, Misriah
Defeat 300 opponents with the Assault Rifle in any game mode.

Plasma Pistol[edit]

Skins for the Plasma Pistol.

Plasma Pistol
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE PlasmaPistol Brutal Skin.png
Brutal A Jiralhanae's best friend. Series 2, Tier 11 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE PlasmaPistol Schism Skin.png
Schism For those seeking redemption. Series 2, Tier 58 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE PlasmaPistol Zealot Skin.png
Zealot Glory in an honorable death. Series 2, Tier 60 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE PlasmaPistol Ultra Skin.png
Ultra The Evocati don't mess around. Series 2, Tier 65 (Spartan Point 1)

Plasma Rifle[edit]

Skins for the Plasma Rifle.

Plasma Rifle
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE PlasmaRifle Brutal Skin.png
Brutal A Jiralhanae's best friend. Series 2, Tier 39 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE PlasmaRifle Schism Skin.png
Schism For those seeking redemption. Series 2, Tier 73 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE PlasmaRifle Zealot Skin.png
Zealot Glory in an honorable death. Series 2, Tier 79 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE PlasmaRifle Ultra Skin.png
Ultra The Evocati don't mess around. Series 2, Tier 90 (Spartan Point 1)

Rocket Launcher[edit]

Skins for the Rocket Launcher.

Rocket Launcher
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE RocketLauncher Desert Skin.png
Desert Looks very stylish with a poncho. Series 2, Tier 13 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE RocketLauncher HuntersBlood Skin.png
Hunter's Blood Well armed. Well armored. Series 2, Tier 32 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE RocketLauncher Corrosion Skin.png
Corrosion The Oxidation Sensation. Series 2, Tier 77 (Spartan Point 1)

Sniper Rifle[edit]

Skins for the Sniper Rifle.

Sniper Rifle
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE SniperRifle Desert Skin.png
Desert Looks very stylish with a poncho. Series 2, Tier 10 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE SniperRifle GreatJourney Skin.png
Great Journey Don't worry... I know what the aliens like. Series 2, Tier 42 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE SniperRifle Woodland Skin.png
Woodland Camping is a legitimate strategy. Series 2, Tier 52 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE SniperRifle Avalanche Skin.png
Avalanche Like Sidewinder, but with more polygons. Series 2, Tier 80 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE SniperRifle Golden Skin.png
Golden Bling on the ring. Series 2 Challenge: Zero Five Eight
Defeat 150 opponents with the Sniper Rifle in any game mode.

The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)

Shotgun[edit]

Skins for the Shotgun.

Shotgun
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE Shotgun GreatJourney Skin.png
Great Journey Don't worry... I know what the aliens like. Series 2, Tier 8 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Shotgun Desert Skin.png
Desert Looks very stylish with a poncho. Series 2, Tier 17 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Shotgun Woodland Skin.png
Woodland Camping is a legitimate strategy. Series 2, Tier 37 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Shotgun HuntersBlood Skin.png
Hunter's Blood Well armed. Well armored. Series 2, Tier 87 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Shotgun Golden Skin.png
Golden Bling on the ring. Series 2 Challenge: Hot Shotty
Defeat 150 opponents with the Shotgun in any game mode.

The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)

Needler[edit]

Skins for the Needler.

Needler
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE Needler Brutal Skin.png
Brutal A Jiralhanae's best friend. Series 2, Tier 16 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Needler Zealot Skin.png
Zealot Glory in an honorable death. Series 2, Tier 25 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Needler Schism Skin.png
Schism For those seeking redemption. Series 2, Tier 34 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Needler Ultra Skin.png
Ultra The Evocati don't mess around. Series 2, Tier 55 (Spartan Point 1)

Flamethrower[edit]

Skins for the Flamethrower.

Flamethrower
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE Flamethrower HotPepper Skin.png
Hot Pepper It's sure to leave scar tissue. Series 2, Tier 20 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Flamethrower DearJohn Skin.png
Dear John Halo: Grasslands. Series 2, Tier 30 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Flamethrower WhiteHot Skin.png
White Hot So hot, so pristine. Series 2, Tier 48 (Spartan Point 1)

Fuel Rod Gun[edit]

Skins for the Fuel Rod Gun

Fuel Rod Gun
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE FuelRod Brutal Skin.png
Brutal A Jiralhanae's best friend. Series 2, Tier 9 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE FuelRod Schism Skin.png
Schism For those seeking redemption. Series 2, Tier 26 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE FuelRod Zealot Skin.png
Zealot Glory in an honorable death. Series 2, Tier 31 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE FuelRod Ultra Skin.png
Ultra The Evocati don't mess around. Series 2, Tier 49 (Spartan Point 1)

Vehicle skins[edit]

Warthog[edit]

Skins for the Warthog.

Warthog
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE Warthog ParkRanger Skin.png
Park Ranger Conservation agents at the Uplift Nature Reserve typically opt for tranquilizer rounds. Series 2, Tier 11 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Warthog HotRod Skin.png
Hot Rod Burning rubber in Blood Gulch. Series 2, Tier 61 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Warthog RallyHog Skin.png
Rally Hog One deadly homologation special. Series 2, Tier 86 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Warthog Arctic Skin.png
Arctic For sidewinding through an avalanche. Series 7, The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)
HCE Warthog Taxi Skin.png
Taxi Keep the meter running. Series 7, The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)
HCE Warthog AmberRaven Skin.png
Amber Raven Because orange is obviously the best color. Series 7, The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)
HCE Warthog GreatJourney Skin.png
Great Journey Don't worry...I know what the aliens like. Series 7, The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)
HCE Warthog HazardPay Skin.png
Hazard Pay Safety first! Series 7, The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)

Rocket Warthog[edit]

Skins for the Rocket Warthog.

Rocket Warthog
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE RocketWarthog FieldMedic Skin.png
Field Medic Also employed by rescue teams traversing challenging colonial terrain. Series 2, Tier 29 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE RocketWarthog Shark Skin.png
Shark A different kind of mouthing off. Series 2, Tier 40 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE RocketWarthog Superstar Skin.png
Superstar Let's go party. Series 2, Tier 92 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE RocketWarthog Corrosion Skin.png
Corrosion The Oxidation Sensation. Series 7, The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)
HCE RocketWarthog HuntingCamo Skin.png
Camper Make like a tree and go. Series 7, The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)
HCE RocketWarthog FireTruck Skin.png
Fire Truck For rapid-reaction firefighting fireteams. Series 7, The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)
HCE RocketWarthog Digital Skin.png
Digital Time to make new resolutions. Series 7, The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)
HCE RocketWarthog Rescue Skin.png
Rescue Relief. Recovery. Resistance. Series 7, The Exchange (Spartan Point 2)

Scorpion[edit]

Skins for the Scorpion tank.

Scorpion
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE Scorpion Arctic Skin.png
Arctic Over snow by winter sown. Series 2, Tier 20 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Scorpion Bengal Skin.png
Bengal The Real King of the Jungle. Series 2, Tier 31 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Scorpion GrimReaper Skin.png
Grim Reaper Why so jolly, Roger? Series 2, Tier 70 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Scorpion ThePackage Skin.png
The Package Say the words, please... Series 2, Tier 97 (Spartan Point 1)

Banshee[edit]

Skins for the Banshee.

Banshee
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE Banshee Schism Skin.png
Schism For those seeking redemption. Series 2, Tier 21 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Banshee Zealot Skin.png
Zealot Glory in an honorable death. Series 2, Tier 51 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Banshee Brutal Skin.png
Brutal A Jiralhanae's best friend. Series 2, Tier 81 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Banshee Ultra Skin.png
Ultra The Evocati don't mess around. Series 2, Tier 95 (Spartan Point 1)

Ghost[edit]

Skins for the Ghost.

Ghost
vde
Icon Name Description Unlock requirements
Default Default skin. Unlocked by default
HCE Ghost Schism Skin.png
Schism Lines will be drawn, sides will be taken. Series 2, Tier 10 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Ghost Brutal Skin.png
Brutal A Jiralhanae's best friend. Series 2, Tier 19 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Ghost Zealot Skin.png
Zealot Glory in an honorable death. Series 2, Tier 80 (Spartan Point 1)
HCE Ghost Ultra Skin.png
Ultra The Evocati don't mess around. Series 2, Tier 94 (Spartan Point 1)

Unused skins[edit]

Within the game files for Halo: The Master Chief Collections menus exist a number of placeholder icons for unused skins on a number of weapons. These textures are all placeholder pink squares, and thus have no discernable appearance. Their filenames are listed below (Note: the T_ prefix is an Unreal Engine 4 naming convention denoting a texture file);

  • T_Im_WeaponSkin_h1FlamethrowerGolden.png
  • T_Im_WeaponSkin_h1FlamethrowerInsurrection.png
  • T_Im_WeaponSkin_h1FuelRodGunGolden.png
  • T_Im_WeaponSkin_h1NeedlerGolden.png
  • T_Im_WeaponSkin_h1RocketLauncherGolden.png
  • T_Im_WeaponSkin_h1RocketLauncherGreatJourney.png
  • T_Im_WeaponSkin_h1RocketLauncherWoodland.png

Removed skins[edit]

For one reason or another certain skins were removed from the game. Below is a list of those skins.

Removed skins
vde
Icon Applied to Name Description Original unlock requirements Notes
HCE Warthog ParkRanger Skin original.png
Warthog Park Ranger Spared no expanse. Series 2, Tier 11 (Spartan Point 1) Removed during the Series 5: Anvil update; replaced by a redesigned Park Ranger skin.
HCE RocketWarthog CleverGirl Skin.png
Rocket Warthog Clever Girl Objects in mirror are closer than they appear. Series 2, Tier 29 (Spartan Point 1) Removed during the Series 5: Anvil update; replaced by the Field Medic skin.

Trivia[edit]

  • The "Hot Rod" skin for the Warthog is the second instance in the Halo series in which a Warthog was given a flame-themed paint job, the first of which was the appearance of Fireball Warthog in Halo Wars.
  • The description of the "Woodland" skins is a reference to a Season 3 Episode 9 of Red vs. Blue, in which a Blue Zealot calls the act "a legitimate strategy" after being accused of camping.
  • The description of "Great Journey" skins is a direct quote from Sergeant Major Avery Johnson in the Epilogue of Halo 3: ODST, and refers to the common use of purple in Covenant design.
  • The description of the "Lucky Shot" skins is a direct quote from Cortana's narration in the Halo 3 level Arrival.
  • The description of the "Dear John" skin is a wordplay on the novel Halo: Glasslands. The name "Dear John" is a reference to John Deere, a manufacturer of agricultural machinery recognizable for their distinctive green and yellow paint jobs. The skin is also available for the flamethrower in the Halo 3 portion of Halo: The Master Chief Collection.
  • The original appearance of the "Park Ranger" Warthog skin is a reference to the tour cars in the 1993 film Jurassic Park, and its description is a quote from John Hammond, the owner of the eponymous fictional theme park. Likewise, the original appearance of the "Clever Girl" Rocket Warthog skin is a reference to the jeeps in the same film, its name is a quote from the character Robert Muldoon after being outsmarted by a Velociraptor, and its description is a reference to the scene where Muldoon, Sadler, and Malcolm are chased by the Tyrannosaurus rex.
    • For unknown reasons, in Series 5: Anvil, the skin descriptions and appearances for both the Warthog and Rocket Warthog were changed. The Warthog's "Park Ranger" skin has been changed to a brown and yellow color set, while the "Clever Girl" Rocket Hog skin was renamed to "Field Medic", and given small "H" icons in place of the shield icons.
  • The appearance of the "Rally Hog" Warthog skin is a homage to the distinctive blue and yellow liveries worn by cars run by the Subaru World Rally Team.
  • The description of the "Shark" Rocket Warthog skin is a direct quote from Brody in the 1975 film Jaws.
  • The description of the "The Package" Scorpion skin is a direct quote from Catherine Halsey in the Halo: Reach level The Package.
  • The description of the "Hot Pepper" Flamethrower skin is a reference to the Red Hot Chili Peppers song "Scar Tissue".
  • The description of the "Arctic" Scorpion is a reference to "The Road Goes Ever On", a song from the J. R. R. Tolkien's literary universe, better known by The Lord of the Rings novel trilogy.
  • The description of the "Desert" skins is a reference to John-117's appearance in 2013's Halo Xbox One announcement trailer.

Gallery[edit]