Halo 2: Project Cartographer Is The Perfect 25th Anniversary Celebration

4 days ago 19

Published Jun 21, 2026, 2:30 PM EDT

James is a gaming writer from London who has spent thousands of hours exploring titles from every genre. Though he has a particular affinity for multiplayer titles like World of Warcraft, Destiny 2 and League of Legends, he has also put thousands of hours into single-player experiences, from deep RPGs to epic PC strategies. When he's not playing or writing, he can usually be found supporting his beloved Brentford FC.

It's actually a pretty big moment for the Halo franchise, with the beloved series in desperate need of a win after some disappointing entries that really didn't meet fan expectations. Campaign Evolved is set to bring the first game in the series back with all-new content and a shiny coat of paint at the end of July, and if that goes well, the whole mood around the future could shift towards the positive.

Until then, it's always nice to get in the mood for a big new release by going back and playing the older games in the series, and in the case of Halo, there are many brilliant candidates. Halo 2 might be the best of the bunch though, and if that sounds like your jam, there's arguably one way to play that's better than most in 2026.

Over on Twitter/X, the developer Stormslayer shared a post detailing their latest release for the Halo 2 Project Cartographer project. If you haven't come by it before now, it's essentially a mod for the PC version of the game that brings back online multiplayer from beyond the grave, and makes a bunch of changes that bring it more into line with modern gaming experiences.

In this latest version, multiplayer functionality has been restored, after some time without it, and a raft of fixes have been implemented at the same time. The post details exactly what has changed further, saying, "It's been revitalized! Multiplayer functionality is RESTORED, adds modern fixes, HD resolutions, and community features! Bonuses like OSTs, Strategy Guides, Novels, Web Series and many more are included as well."

It also removes the need for that pesky Games for Windows LIVE software, and it has a dedicated server browser, meaning you should be able to find and join games relatively easily. The mod also goes as far as adding additional content to the game, including gun game, zombies, and even native 4-player splitscreen support.

The download is available for free via the official Project Cartographer website, though you'll just need to make sure you have a legitimate copy of the game at home or digitally, just to keep everything above board.

Campaign Evolved chief firing in a hallway

There are certainly worse ways to while away a few hours while we all wait for the release of Halo: Campaign Evolved, then it will be time to lock in and go for that LASO run, if that's something you feel like you can put yourself through.