A Complete Guide to the Halo Timeline

The Halo franchise is one of Microsoft’s biggest gaming properties. The sci-fi shooter series effectively kickstarted the success of the Xbox back in 2001 and has only grown in popularity. With the release of Halo Infinite just a few months away, players might be wondering where the sequel fits in. After all, Halo: CE released almost two decades ago. Since then, there have been numerous games, TV shows, novels, and comics released.

With so much media, the Halo timeline has become somewhat convoluted in recent times. The story stretches across dozens of years and involves a wide array of characters, events, and locations.

So, just where does Master Chief’s latest adventure fit in with the rest of the franchise? Here is a complete guide to the Halo timeline.

The Forerunners are an ancient alien race that pre-date humanity

Although they don’t actually appear in any early Halo games, the Forerunners play a big part in the story. They are an ancient alien race that pre-date most sentient life in the galaxy. Highly advanced, they were responsible for building the mysterious structures like the Halo rings and the Ark. They would later enter a war with an earlier form of humanity and the Flood. These events set in motion the creation of the Halo Array that would wipe out all life in the galaxy. The Covenant and humans then went on to discover Forerunner technology thousands of years later.

The Covenant is formed between the Elites and Prophets

Following the destruction of sentient life, several different races evolved over millennia. Two of the most advanced were the San’Shyuum (Prophets) and the Sangheili (Elites). At war for dozens of years, they eventually made peace and formed the Covenant. This new alliance soon began to force others to join. Grunts, Brutes, Hunters, and Engineers are all threatened with extinction unless they became part of the alliance.