Cut Halo 2 weapons

During the development of Halo 2, a number of weapons were cut from the game's release.

Flamethrower
Also found in the Halo 2 beta, the M7057 flamethrower first cut from Halo: Combat Evolved and later featured in Halo PC was similarly cut from Halo 2. The weapon was rebuilt by Robert McLees for Halo 2 based on the original Combat Evolved model, and was remarked upon as the most difficult to model to rebuild, based on the most difficult model to build in the first game.

The weapon was eventually realised in Halo 3.

Flashbang grenade
Halo 2 design documents reference a Flashbang grenade, as intended for inclusion in the game. A later change note from October of 2002 notes that to make standard frag grenades more useful outside of damage dealing, the grenades would gain the ability to blind and stun enemies. Max Hoberman speculated that this detail may have been intended for the game's campaign, as opposed to the multiplayer.

General-purpose machine gun (GPMG)
Although the M247 machine gun is featured in-game as a a support weapon, the general purpose machine gun (GPMG) was seemingly intended to also be available for use as a weapon in first-person. In the launch build of Halo 2, strings in the game files referenced the GPMG such as picking up and switching to the weapon. The weapon was not seen physically until the release of Halo 2 on PC as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection, when the GPMG was added to the game's shared directory, allowing it to be spawned in and used via modding.

The GPMG is complete with firing, reload and melee animations, sound effects and firing particle effects, and features an altered model including a removable magazine and a buttstock not found on the original machine gun model.

Machine gun turret with grenade launcher
In early concept art and builds of Halo 2, the M247 machine gun was attached with an over-barrel grenade launcher. The weapon's texture states that the launcher fires a 20mm grenade, though The Art of Halo: Creating a Virtual World (likely-erroneously) claims that the weapon is a 25mm launcher.

The model file for the turret was recovered by the Digsite project, and used as a basis for making the weapon functional in the retail build of Halo: The Master Chief Collection - though in the original Halo 2 this weapon was purely a nonfunctional prop.

Silenced SMG
At one point in the development of Halo 2, the Suppressed SMG was intended for inclusion. The weapon features unique firing sound effects and particle effects alongside a suppressor on the barrel, though otherwise appears to inherit all the properties of the basic M7 SMG. The M7S would later make its in-game debut in Halo 2 for Windows Vista as a weapon spawn on the map Example, before being prominently featured in Halo 3: ODST. The later release of Halo 2: Anniversary would see the Suppressed SMG included in the game's updated multiplayer component.

The release of Halo 2 on PC in The Master Chief Collection similarly added the Suppressed SMG to the game files, allowing it to be used through the use of modding.

Blamite harpoon
Mentioned in Halo 2 design documentation briefly, the "blamite harpoon" was a presumably-Covenant weapon. Little is known of its operation, save that it was to use Blamite as its primary attack method. Max Hoberman discussed his affinity for the harpoon gun cut from Combat Evolved and his want to bring it back - indicating this may have been an evolution on that concept.

Brute Grenade
The Brute Grenades were a grenade type intended for use by Jiralhanae troops during the game. They were modelled to some degree during the game's development, though ultimately cut. They would later return in Halo 3 as the spike grenade. This weapon is one of many recovered and restored to functionality by the Digsite project.

Disintegrator
A Covenant counterpart to the UNSC Flamethrower, the Disintegrator is featured in the Halo 2 Beta and can be spawned via modding. The weapons is untextured and fires flame-like particle effects - though in third-person the effects are more akin to a kind of red plasma. The weapon appears to have a cooldown bar of some kind around the reticule, though this is nonfunctional in the beta.

Sound effects for the Disintegrator can be found in the retail build of the Windows Vista port of Halo 2. Located in the  path, they seem to indicate the Disintegrator was intended to be used by a similarly-cut variant of the Hunter enemy type. The weapon was included in Max Hoberman's Halo 2 multiplayer design documentation.

Forerunner
Several Sentinel weapons were seemingly cut from Halo 2. All these weapons bear icons with similar designs, depicting a Sentinel beam and a small icon next to it, to denote the specific variant.

Sentinel Needler
"The needler sentinel that was cut from the game dropped a sentinel arm weapon (identical in appearance to the beam weapon) that shot small red needles. It even had its own unique sentinelly, needly crosshair and pickup image."

- David Candland speaks out about the Needler Sentinel.

During earlier stages of Halo 2, the game was intended to include a Needler Sentinel as an enemy. This Sentinel variant was to be armed with a unique weapon, visually identical to the Sentinel beam, that shot small red needles, possibly similar to the shard cannons employed by Enforcers. The weapon was to have its own unique crosshair and weapon pickup icons, which remain in the files of Halo 2 Vista alongside pickup text strings referencing the gun.

This Needler Sentinel enemy has little to do with the Needler Sentinel enemy included in Halo 2, which was the result of an oversight by Bungie staff.

Sentinel Grenade Launcher
Similarly to the Sentinel Needler, Halo 2 game files mention a "Sentinel Grenade Launcher" in the text pickup strings. Some unused HUD icons remain in the files for the weapon, though little is known of its intended function or purpose. This icon is also used in the default placeholder pickup strings for the General Purpose Machine Gun weapon.

Sentinel Enforcer Charged Bolt
Little is known of this weapon, save for its name. Some unused HUD icons (shown below) likely correspond with the weapon.

Miscellaneous
A number of weapons were discussed by Max Hoberman and Andy Dudynsky during the Halo 2: Artifacts series; these weapons were only listed briefly, and thus there are few details on them.

EMP mine
The "non-lethal EMP mine" is a weapon described in the Halo 2 design documentation. It was presumably to act as a Mine, capable of causing an Electromagnetic pulse without physically damaging its surroundings.

Gravity rifle
The "gravity rifle" is a weapon referenced in Halo 2 design documentation. Little is known of its function or affiliation. Presumably, it was to be based on a weapon of the same name cut from the original Combat Evolved.

Satchel charge
Satchel charges are mentioned in Halo 2 design documentation. Little is known of their intended function.

Shredder
The "shredder" is a weapon referenced in Halo 2 design documentation. Little is known of its function or affiliation.

Sniper rod
The "sniper rod" is a weapon referenced in Halo 2 design documentation. Little is known of its function or affiliation.