Hunt the Truth

V9D2HzbT9Pc "What seems like the end, is only the beginning."

- Tagline

Hunt the Truth, stylized as HUNT the TRUTH or the hashtag #HUNTtheTRUTH, is an ongoing marketing campaign for the upcoming release of Halo 5: Guardians, hosted on the popular microblogging and social networking site Tumblr. After a countdown ending on Monday, March 23, 2015 at 1:00am UTC, the site displayed the "Halo 5 Bullet" trailer, as well as acting as the front page of journalist Benjamin Giraud's hunt for the truth about the story of Master Chief. Giraud states that the site will be updated weekly with his "part docu-diary, part audio archive" until E3 2015 in June 2015.

Episode transcripts
Episode 00 Benjamin(Blog): What began as a high-profile hero story quickly turns into a full-blown investigation. Sources claim they know the “real Master Chief”: The boy, the soldier, the hero…the traitor? But who’s telling the truth?

Episode 01 Benjamin(Blog): Master Chief was born in the metropolis of Elysium City. Then known as John, he grew up like any kid in the Outer Colonies. Childhood playmates and school teachers share charming stories. But what happens when a single document throws everything into question?

Episode 02 Benjamin(Blog): An obscure record from the far reaches of the galaxy contradicts everything. Government officials and conspiracy theorists weigh in. Stories of a remarkable young man are once again torn down by conflicting accounts.

Episode 03 Benjamin(Blog): Conversations with retired military paint very different pictures of John. More questions arise about John's home planet and his involvement in a violent training incident. The cracks in the official account widen, and Benjamin is drawn in.

Episode 04 Benjamin(Blog): Rumors of discontent across the military and rumblings in the Outer Colonies are detected. A mandatory meeting at ONI branch headquarters takes an unexpected turn.

Blog Posts
Overview Benjamin(Blog): A few months ago I was hired to do an in-depth profile of the Master Chief. Join me each week for a new episode.

Benjamin(Blog): An investigation into the origins of modern-day superhero Master Chief, this digital log serves as part docu-diary, part audio archive. Join me each week for a new episode as we question everything and assume nothing. Journalist. War photographer.

Benjamin(Blog): For decades, I’ve served the galaxy as a journalist and war photographer. I’ve covered human-interest stories on Earth and in the Inner and Outer Colonies. I’ve also contracted for the government, covering military affairs. I was at New Mombasa when the Master Chief first appeared to combat the Covenant attack. The Assignment

Benjamin(Blog): Here’s the offer letter from ONI, outlining the assignment. Sounded so easy when it all started. How could I say no? The Death Record

Benjamin(Blog): Here it is. An old, tattered census record with one line of basic information and a single letter next to John’s name: D. Master Propaganda

Benjamin(Blog): This is the infamous photo I took that fateful day at New Mombasa. Perfectly polished propaganda. But to give you the whole picture, here’s the original with UNSC and ONI notes. Never before seen. Katrina’s Diary

Benjamin(Blog): These are just a few of the screens Katrina sent me after we spoke. Diary entries from when she was seven years old. Proving she knew John. Proving she was there when John died. Glassed Planets

Benjamin(Blog): This is a photo I shot on a previous assignment. But it never saw the light of day because it didn’t pass UNSC standards. Very few got to see a planet firsthand after a Covenant glassing. To look out over all that death and destruction. The desolation is devastating. A petrified sea of what once was. This image has haunted me for years. Greetings from Castellaneta

Benjamin(Blog): Here's a postcard Walker sent me from Castellaneta. The "sunny side" of Saturn looks nice. Not a bad place to retire. Word on the Street

Benjamin(Blog): Mshak sent me this picture of some UNSC recruitment posters featuring the Master Chief, all tagged to hell. The relationship between Spartans and ODST has always been a little shaky, but this seems like something else entirely.

Live action trailers
Two live action trailers were released on March 29th, 2015 as part of the marketing campaign.

Trivia

 * With each successive turn, the bullet reads: SON, ABDUCTEE, VICTIM, ORPHAN, RECRUIT, SOLDIER, WARRIOR, ALLY, HERO, SAVIOR, TRAITOR. An image of this is shown below.
 * Benjamin Giraud is voiced by Keegan-Michael Key, of the show Key & Peele.
 * Hunt the Truth establishes that Halo 2's cover art is actually an in-universe photograph captured and edited by Giraud.
 * The circular symbols at the top of the Death Record are actually a modified form of Circular Gallifreyan from the British television show Doctor Who.