Halo Hasn't Featured The Flood In Nearly Two Decades, And Fans Are Distraught

It might be hard to believe, but the last timeHaloplayers hadany contact with The Floodin a mainline game was nearly two decades ago. Of course, in the time since then,there have only been three brand-new entries, with the last (Halo Infinite) having come out in 2021.

Still, fans of the long-running shooter franchise were in disbelief when presentedwith this fact in a recent r/Halo Reddit thread.

“IMO, Bungie made it near impossible for 343 to bring back The Flood in a meaningful way that isn’t just a rehash of the original trilogy,“one user wrote in response to the absence. “On top of The Flood being such an OP and existential threat, it can put other plotlines to the side.”

That is an extremely valid point. For a new trilogy to succeed, it would have to move past some of the stuff from the original trilogy, doubly so if it’s a plot inconvenience. Also, in Halo 3, Master Chief and co. basically defeated The Flood.

Meanwhile, another gamer didn’t seem too fussed about the absence,writing, “Many flood levels are slogs to play through.” That point was echoed by this player,who wrote, “I think people are forgetting that the levels in the original trilogy, where it’s nothing but nonstop Flood the entire time are the most unfun to play.”

In Theory, Though, The Flood Could Make A Comeback

For what it’s worth, The Flood could be back relatively soon. Previously,it was reported back in June 2024 that Halo: Combat Evolved would be getting a remaster that would also see a release on the PlayStation 5.

Then, a few months later in October,343 re-branded itself as Halo Studios, showcasing an in-engine video of Master Chief on Unreal Engine 5. That video looked oddly like a remake.

If all of that wasn’t enough fuel,during this month’s Xbox Games Showcasce, Phil Spencer teased a return to Halo during his comments regarding Xbox’s upcoming 25th anniversary. Specifically, “the return of a classic that’s been with us since the beginning,” which is almost certainly Halo. In other words, if a Halo remake is on the books, then it seems likely we’ll see The Flood return in glorious HD.