Over two decades after the release of Halo: Combat Evolved, speedrunners are experiencing a significant shake-up thanks to the discovery of new glitches. Mr. Monopoli, a former Microsoft engineer and veteran Halo speedrunner, has uncovered game-changing exploits, including the ability to control the Flood, a parasitic enemy in the game.
This breakthrough allows players to manipulate Halo’s enemies in ways previously thought impossible without mods, ushering in a new era of possibilities for the game.
One of the most impactful findings involves controlling a Flood infection form, a small, zombie-like creature that players typically fight against. Mr. Monopoli revealed this new ability in a tweet, showcasing the Flood’s capacity to climb steep walls and even traverse ceilings.
This mechanic could revolutionize how certain levels are completed in speedruns, potentially enabling much faster completion times due to the added vertical mobility it offers.
Beyond the Flood, Mr. Monopoli has also found a way to play as the Elites, Halo’s alien antagonists, within the original game’s campaign. Previously, this had only been achieved in Halo 2, but he has now replicated it in Halo: Combat Evolved on the original Xbox.
The ability to switch to an Elite character could open up new strategic options, adding another layer of variety to the campaign experience for both casual players and competitive speedrunners.
Another groundbreaking discovery by Mr. Monopoli involves flying the Pelican, an aircraft vehicle that was never intended to be player-controlled. Although mods had enabled this feature in the past, this marks the first time it has been accomplished without modifying the game files.
While the vehicle’s functionality remains imperfect, the potential applications of being able to fly a Pelican are exciting for Halo enthusiasts, particularly in the speedrunning community.
Currently, these glitches are exclusive to the original Xbox version of the game. However, Mr. Monopoli is exploring methods to bring them to Halo: The Master Chief Collection (MCC), which would allow a wider audience to experience these innovative tricks.
Although it’s more challenging to implement on MCC without crashing the game, the speedrunner is confident that a solution is on the horizon, promising even more changes to how Halo is played competitively.
