Halo 3: January Matchmaking Update

InsaneNutter · Jan 21, 2009

After a long wait, January finally is finally here.

Hooray! Testing is finally done and over with, and if you haven't already noticed, the January Matchmaking Update has been applied.

If you missed the Weekly Update where we described the changes for you, here they are again:

General Changes

Playlist Clean Up, Mythic Prep
In preparation for the new maps coming later this year, some of the less popular map variants are going to be removed over time. Some of these removals are not listed below, but will be reflected in the Matchmaking Playlist page here on Bungie.net. This will be an ongoing process with maps and their variants being systematically removed as warranted.

Push to Talk Restriction Increased
Since Halo 3’s release, if a player were to join a Matchmaking playlist with a team size larger than four, he or she would have to push a button on the DPad to communicate directly to their team. After the January update, the PTT restriction is being increased to 6 players per team, meaning that players will not need to use the D-pad to communicate on any Matchmaking playlist but Social Big Team.

What does this mean for players? Well, for starters, it means communicating to teammates in 5v5 or 6v6 playlists will be trivial. However, this could mean an increase in bandwidth necessary for these larger format playlists, which means the potential for “laggy” games is increased. The best way to avoid lag in these games is to ensure that you are not constantly broadcasting to your teammates, and that your teammates are not constantly broadcasting to you. If you often play with strangers, be prepared to mute and report players that abuse their microphone. To mute a player quickly during a game, hold the back button to bring up the scoreboard and select their name with the left stick. Then press X. Muted! To report players, select their name in the post game carnage report and view their gamercard, then use the Report Player options listed therein.

DLC Category
In an effort to make the Matchmaking playlists easier to navigate and bring the populations together, the DLC category is being retired, and the playlists it contained are either being moved into Social or integrated into existing playlists.

Ranked Hopper Updates

Lone Wolves – No Changes
Team Slayer – No Changes
Team Objective
KOTH, Oddball, 1 and 2 Bomb assault set to skip after veto, and weighting on these gametypes will be reduced to refocus the hopper primarily on 1 Flag, 2 Flag, and Neutral Assault.
A couple community map variants for Foundry are being added to the CTF rotation.
Team Doubles – No Changes
Squad Battle – No Changes

Social Hopper Updates

Rumble Pit

DLC FFA and Rumble Pit will be merged. Rumble Pit will now require All DLC, and include gametypes such as Infection.
Social Slayer

Population increased back to 5v5
Isolation, Foundry removed.
Social Objective

Slightly reduce weighting on Land Grab, and increase weighting on multi flag to even distribution of these two gametypes out.
Reduce weighting of VIP. Set to skip after veto.
Territories variants set to skip after veto.
ADDED Social Team DLC
5v5 Slayer and Objective strictly on DLC maps. Heroic and Legendary map packs required.
The most popular slayer and objective variants, strictly on DLC maps.
Multi Team

Reduce weighting of VIP, KOTH, and Oddball.
Some maps being removed from rotation.
ADDED Social Big Team

DLC Big Team will be moved and renamed. Weighting between DLC and non-DLC maps will be equalized. The hopper will continue to require DLC 1 and 2.

DLC Hopper Updates

REMOVED DLC FFA

DLC FFA and Rumble Pit will be merged. DLC FFA as a separate hopper is retired.
MIGRATED DLC Big Team

Being moved to Social and being renamed “Social Big Team.” Non-DLC maps are getting a weighting increase such that they are equal to DLC maps. Still requires DLC 1 and 2.

Hardcore Hopper Updates

Team SWAT – No Changes
Team Snipers
- Reduced weighting on Standoff.
MLG – No Changes

Double EXP Weekends (listed in order of appearance)

Grifball – Winter League (1/8-1/12)
3 Ball (1/22 -1/26)
Living Dead (Unranked) (1/29 – 2/2)

Seven on the Seventh

Avalanche 7v7
Click to expand...

Source

As a few of you will know we will no longer be able to do “Team Announcements” anymore , on a plus side it will be easier to communicate in Halo 3 now.

Trebor · Jan 21, 2009

Nothing will stop us from announcing something stupid to the team though, will it ?

MunkyMagikUK · Jan 22, 2009

Haven't played Halo 3 in absolutely ages!

Don't think I will untill the Mythic Map Pack is out either. Nice to know they're having a clear out though.

InsaneNutter · Jan 22, 2009

MunkyMagikUK said: ↑

Haven't played Halo 3 in absolutely ages!
Click to expand...

What happened to your love for Halo 3? I remember every time I used to sign on to live you would be owning some poor noobs at it!

Can’t honestly remember the last time I played Halo 3 either now you mention it.

MunkyMagikUK · Jan 22, 2009

InsaneNutter said: ↑

What happened to your love for Halo 3? I remember every time I used to sign on to live you would be owning some poor noobs at it!

Can’t honestly remember the last time I played Halo 3 either now you mention it.
Click to expand...

Haha, I've just lost interest, what with Gears 2 and FIFA 09.

And all this violence y'see, make love not war!

MikkelPixel · Jan 25, 2009

yey no more pust to talk!

Safinn · Jan 25, 2009

The matchmaking on this game is so bad! I'm glad they sorted it out even though I dont have the game anymore.

xzKinGzxBuRnzx · Jan 25, 2009

I might try this game sometime later, If i still have it. I would like to give it a try again. I've noticed a few friends of mine have been playing it lately, I see why now.

I hope they improve Gears 2 at matchmaking also.

off topic: Congrats Safinn on winning the Digiex Yeti Sports Championship.

Fennyariel · Mar 12, 2009

Matchmaking?! You mean there's love in a war game?!

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Halo 3: January Matchmaking Update

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Halo 3: January Matchmaking Update

InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

Trebor Dolphin Fan

MunkyMagikUK Digiex Blogger

InsaneNutter Resident Nutter Staff Member

MunkyMagikUK Digiex Blogger

MikkelPixel Resident

Safinn Addict

xzKinGzxBuRnzx The Feature Man

Fennyariel Resident

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