Halo 2’s Original Xbox Live Multiplayer Servers Are Coming Back Online Today Thanks to Fan Project

If you’re looking to dust off that original Xbox and play Halo 2 but wish you could hop on the servers like you did in the late 2000s, well, now you can, thanks to a group of devoted fans.

Those fans are behind the project Insignia, a free, unofficial original Xbox Live replacement that is dedicated to reviving the online multiplayer component for the Original Xbox game console. The official Insignia X/Twitter account posted this week that it was launching a Public Beta to revive the Halo 2 servers today.

Halo 2 will launch on Insignia in Public Beta on March 15th at 20:00 GMT (16:00 EST, 13:00 PST) with the following 10 multiplayer playlists. Please ensure your console is setup, and you’ve signed up for your Gamertag. See you soon! 😀 pic.twitter.com/YeHLnNrqxh

— Insignia (@Insignia_Live) March 14, 2024

The public beta will include ten multiplayer matchmaking playlists, which you can check out below:

• Rumble Pit
• Double Team
• Team Slayer
• Team Skirmish
• Team Training
• Team Snipers
• Team Hardcore
• Team Swat
• Big Team Battle
• H2 Challenge

The announcement even caught the eye of Max Hoberman, a former employee at Bungie who designed many multiplayer features in Halo 2 and Halo 3. “For all aspiring time travelers! Very cool. I’m curious how much functionality they’ll be able to replicate,” Hoberman wrote on X/Twitter. “If they can reach feature parity in places, I wonder if they might enhance or add features in line with my original design specs…”

Later this year marks the 20th anniversary of Halo 2, a game that was undoubtedly one of the best titles released during the original Xbox era – and one of the most influential games in the history of the industry. Particularly, Halo 2’s online component surged in popularity, making it, as some would describe it, including my colleague Ryan McCaffrey, a “killer app” for the original Xbox Live service.

After Microsoft pulled the plug on the original Xbox Live servers nearly 14 years ago, many looking to play Halo 2’s multiplayer were turning to the compilation Halo: The Master Chief Collection to relive the glory days of the 2004 shooter’s multiplayer. But if you’re one of those people looking to return to those times and you happen to have a device that makes it easy to play the system on a modern TV (e.g., EON XBHD), Insignia’s latest server project might strike your fancy.

Taylor is a Reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.