Halo CE Downloads
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Halo Custom Edition Downloads
These downloads are for Windows versions of Halo Combat Evolved and Custom Edition and various other related tools and projects. There is no attempt to include XBOX or other platforms. This is Windows PC only.
Halo Custom Edition is an add-on to Combat Evolved, and requires that you own a licensed copy of Combat Evolved, and will only install with a Product Key.
HaloNet.Net in no way supports or condones circumventing the licensing, and this software is provided ONLY for licensed users and demo purposes.
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According to recent 2024 DMCA exemptions, the original Halo Combat Evolved for PC no longer functions in multiplayer. Halo Custom Edition is an add-on that requires a licensed copy of Combat Evolved. This no longer functions either, and in fact is not available for download from official channels. Microsoft does nothing to fix this. Additionally, these games were/are popular only because they are multi-player.
With that in mind, HaloNet.Net and the larger Custom Edition community are providing fixes for these games. This is provided as official patches and broad client or server modifications by members of the Halo CE community. While these modifications bring a slew of new features, they also provide critical fixes for operational and security issues, without which the game no longer functions.
Some of those fixes are detailed below:
- Multiplayer fixes: The original gamespy master server is no longer, and has been moved elsewhere. The hostname and IP changed, and this breaks multiplayer in all versions below Custom Edition 1.10 - In the event of another master server move, both client and server modifications have been made to allow customization of the master server FQDN.
- Operating system fixes/requirements: Windows 10+ is supported, and UAC and other changes are not necessary. Various fixes require at least Windows 7. This moves the operating system support timeline a decade or more. This is unavoidable as modern IDEs no longer support compatibility pre-Windows 7.
- Dedicated server patches and enhancements: Various DDOS and security vulnerabilities have been patched and in fact are required to circumvent being used as a UDP reflector. Running an unpatched server is both dangerous to yourself and potentially harmful to others in this community.
- Physical CD requirements are removed by later patches to Custom Edition. This is a good thing, as physical CDs are starting to rot as they near the end of their lifespan. Copies of original CD images will be provided as well, so that the official patches can be applied by the end-user. Fully updated packages will also be available, that are plug-and-play but still require a product key to install.
