War Games

"This unparalleled, revolutionary battle simulation is where Spartans go to hone their skills in competitive combat."

- Halo Waypoint



UNSC War Games, often shortened as War Games, and also called War Games simulations when done in simulations, is a variant of UNSC combat training. The training is often done in specialized locations, and is used frequently by the SPARTAN programs. Although there is also events held using the name War Games that is often used by non-augmented personnel for inter-service training as well.

Overview
War Games exercises can be preformed in either a live or simulated environments.

Live training
These War Games exercises are done in open environments, where they had buildings to help watch over them like a watchtower. These exercises unlike the simulated versions were often done using live targets and ammunition.



Simulated training
These War Games training facilities, often called War Games Chambers, use a combination of holographic projectors, millions of pneumatic risers, props, and simulated sensory information fed through a neural interface to generate realistic environments in which combat simulations are initiated.

Simulated training can be watched by via cameras or specialized areas spread out around the fields, and some facilities even have a AI, such as one that manages the War Games simulator on the and acts as the games' announcer, Sarah Palmer, the commander of the ship's Spartan contingent, has a low opinion of it.

War Games simulations also balancing to several of its weapons and AI. A notable example is the M6/E Selene's Lance, where balancing adds extra recoil to the weapon.

Training and events
SPARTAN-IV fireteams routinely train in the War Games simulator to hone their strength and skills. Upon reaching a Spartan rank of level 50, they are given the option to enlist in a specialization in their field of choice, should they wish, they may also apply for multiple specialist rankings. Baseline soldiers who perform exceptionally in inter-service War Games events are sometimes picked as potential candidates for the SPARTAN-IV program. The ANVIL initiative indicates a number of very select joint training engagements between SPARTAN-IVs and Sangheili of Arbiter Thel 'Vadam's Swords of Sanghelios aboard Anvil Station. War Games simulations are not exclusively competitive; in some scenarios the participants train against AI-controlled Covenant and/or Promethean enemies, and sometimes against AI and Spartans, with some simulations even featuring AI Marines.

History
Before the end of the Human-Covenant War, War Games were mostly live training, in locations such as the Military Wilderness Training Preserve before the planets fall.

In January 2553, War Games simulations could not support AI-driven targets yet, forcing the need for live targets.

On January 28th 2555, Anvil Station saw heavy use of experimental technology in use between Sangheili and Spartans in War Games simulations. By March 2555, AI-driven targets such as Sangheili had been added to the simulations.

By February 2558, War Game simulations were being used regularly by Spartans on the. Sometime after the UNSC encountered the Warden Eternal in October 2558 it was added to the Warzone section of War Games simulations.

Live training

 * Military Wilderness Training Preserve, Highland Mountains, Viery Territory, Reach

Simulated
Many locations house War Games combat decks, including several warships including, the corporate-sponsored Munera Platforms and other combat training orbitals, and Anvil Station.

In addition, several terrestrial military bases also house War Games simulators. The size and scope of each individual War Games facility varies based on the needs and resources of their associated installation.

Simulated War Game Maps
Most of the Simulated War Games environments are recreated from either detailed scans, partial records or remote survey data of actual locations around the galaxy, although artistic flourishes may be applied at the simulation designers' discretion. Examples of such conceits include the anachronistic use of given starship, vehicle or emblem designs sometimes encountered in War Games simulations.

Problems arose as many departments were stretched thin due to the UNSC's struggle to maintain a cohesive presence across colonized space. Because of this, the military began the Cartographer Initiative to recruit much needed War Games map designers to help keep the Spartan branch operating efficiently.

Halo 2

 * War Games Map_Set/: 036-8 "Lockout"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 098-8 "Backwash"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 118-3 "Ascension"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 201-7 "Colossus"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 209-4 "Relic"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 250-5 "Beaver Creek"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 320-5 "Desolation"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 320-91 "Uplift"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 405-2 "Warlock"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 409-3 "Turf"


 * War Games Map_Set/: 411-1 "District"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 525-5 "Foundation"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 622-3 "Headlong"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 639-1 "Containment"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 680-4 "Zanzibar"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 701-5 "Coagulation"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 840-5 "Gemini"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 950-9 "Ivory Tower"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 951-7 "Sanctuary"

Halo 2: Anniversary

 * War Games Map_Set/: 209-11 "Remnant"

Halo 3

 * War Games Map_Set/: 037-2 "Blackout"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 040-44 "Foundry"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 420-6 "Orbital"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 429-2 "Cold Storage"


 * War Games Map_Set/: 550-7 "Standoff"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 590-1 "The Pit"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 600-3 "Rat's Nest"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 673-15 "Ghost Town"

Halo 4

 * War Games Map_Set/: 232-8 "Meltdown"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 259-3 "Vortex"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 309-8 "Harvest"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 389-4 "Haven"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 449-2 "Impact"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 490-2 "Skyline"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 505-2 "Abandon"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 593-6 "Shatter"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 615-3 "Complex"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 673-4 "Monolith"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 726-6 "Adrift"


 * War Games Map_Set/: 755-3 "Perdition"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 733-4 "Ragnarok"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 773-9 "Erosion"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 784-4 "Exile"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 822-2 "Outcast"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 891-3 "Landfall"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 893-3 "Wreckage"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 902-5 "Daybreak"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 951-3 "Longbow"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 982-3 "Ravine"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 992-0 "Solace"

Halo 5: Guardians

 * War Games Map_Set/: 122-5 "March on Stormbreak"
 * War Games Map_Set/: 769-2 "The Rig"

Simulated Gametypes
The following is a list of gametypes which are known to be included in War Games.


 * Big Team Infinity Slayer
 * Big Team Slayer
 * Breakout
 * Infinity Slayer
 * Capture the Flag
 * Dominion
 * Extraction
 * Flood
 * Grifball
 * King of the Hill


 * Infection
 * Invasion
 * Oddball
 * Regicide
 * Ricochet
 * Strongholds
 * Team Slayer
 * Team Slayer Pro
 * Team Snipers
 * Team SWAT
 * Warzone

As a multiplayer mode
War Games was introduced in Halo 4 as the in-universe framing device for the game's multiplayer and is featured in a similar fashion in the subsequent Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Online. 343 Industries writer Jeff Easterling has suggested that virtually all competitive multiplayer modes throughout Halo's history could regarded as War Games exercises. However, he notes that fans should not "start splitting hairs about regarding specific time frames and extrapolating implications" from his statement. Nevertheless, 343 Industries has assigned canonical War Games-based designations to several Halo 2 and Halo 3 multiplayer maps, indicating that they are meant to be seen as part of a War Games simulation.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Halo 3
 * Halo Reach
 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops
 * Infinity Briefing Packet
 * Halo: Escalation
 * Halo 2: Anniversary
 * Halo: New Blood
 * Halo: Hunters in the Dark
 * Halo 5: Guardians
 * Halo Online