| | Decorators, such as grass and weeds, will move when too close to a grenade explosion or rocket explosion. They will also be affected by the weather, such as wind. Some of these decorators are said to be completely destructible. When you die in the water, your body floats downstream and the audio sounds as if you really are underwater. |
| | Matchmaking will feature more customizations akin to the pre-game options from Halo. As revealed in a Weekly Update, these customizations include a feature for manipulating gravity. |
| | There is a more detailed way of changing your button layout. |
| | A "Replay Feature" was explained in the EGM issue. The Feature re-creates the entire battle using pure game data as opposed to video files. |
| | The left thumbstick can now toggle crouch. |
| | The game includes an innovative "gamma toggling" option. |
| | The Brute Shot now carries 6 grenades per magazine, rather than 4. |
| | Confirmed in the Bungie Weekly Update for 7/13/07, the Saved Films feature can be used in the campaign as well as multiplayer. |
| | 4 player online Co-op has been confirmed. However, only 2 players can play on one console at a time (so the other two will need to play through system link or through Xbox Live). Also, unlike the previous installments, each player (including the 3rd and 4th) will be separate elite characters by the names of N’tho ‘Sraom and Usze ‘Taham with their own story and background. |
| | The Elite's HUD is no longer a mere recolor of the SPARTAN's. The color is changed from a light blue (SPARTAN) to a light green; in addition, the shield gauge is more curved, and there are circles instead of a rounded square around the choosen grenade. |
| | The shotgun light on the iron sights looks to have been changed from green back to blue (the light is right above the ammo gauge). |
| | Bungie revealed that the game would have a new "materials system" so advanced that "you could see light reflect off the ground and onto his armor", which will be able to "[show] the difference between his armor and the rubber undersuit". The site also includes that "It's so detailed that if you bring the camera close to the Master Chief's visor, you see everything in front of him reflected in it, right down to the ammo counter in his rifle" [3]. In addition, there would be new advanced texturing to reflect permanent, persistent damage. |
| | Secondary weapons are now visible; for example larger weapons will be on the back, and smaller weapons will be on the character's leg (Beta). |
| | Weapons can now be reloaded individually when dual wielding. The right bumper will correspond with the right weapon and the left bumper will correspond with the left weapon. When not dual wielding, the right bumper will reload and the left bumper will switch grenade types. The X button will be used for equipment, as revealed in Bungie's update. |
| | Halo 3's HUD is different depending on the character being used: for Spartans, the HUD is curved and has the outline of the visor, while an Elite's is rounded and fitted to an Elite's face. |
| | Flood infection is now visible and many more flood combat forms (including a brute form) can be encountered. |
| | The beeping sound made when your shields are low has become much quieter and less distracting. |
| | Covenant Scarab tanks are now much more common and controlled by AI as opposed to a script in the game, they can be destroyed by targeting the legs and boarding them to destroy the fusion core on board. |
| | The shield bar is at the top/middle of the screen as opposed to the lower-left corner or upper-right corner. |
| | The motion tracker has a wider range-25 meters, as opposed to 15 in previous games. It is likely that this design choice was to reflect the greater scale of Halo 3's battles. |
| | From Bungie.net's weekly update (9/14/2007). You will be able to take Hi-Res Screenshots from the playback feature and keep them in your own album and profile on Xbox Live. You can even use this for your Gamertag! To prevent spoilers when this is used in campaign mode, a SPOILER gif will be placed over this in more public areas, but not in indivdual profiles. |
| | It has been confirmed that Brutes will have shields in Halo 3. |
| | Despite statements that most grunts and hunters sided with elites, none actually aid you in combat. |
| | The Man Cannon is an addition capable of catapulting a player across a multiplayer map. It seems to have replaced the teleporter for Halo 3. |
| | Energy Shield doors have been added to some multiplayer levels, which allow players to pass through, but cannot be shot through. Spike grenades can stick to these walls. |
| | A new "Veto" system has been placed into the Halo 3 Matchmaking. Before the game starts for any game, players can choose whether to veto them out. If half of the player's votes are cast to veto, the game will assign a new map for the gametype. |
| | You now can customize the helmet and armor on multiplayer, but each of these permutations must be unlocked before they can be used. |
| | Bungie have confirmed that there will be no Clan support in Halo 3. However, there may be an Xbox Live Dashboard update that supports clans. |
| | The matchmaking system from Halo 2 will be revamped. The system will be based on two different ranks, skill and experience, in order to make the system more fair and to reflect the effect of experience on players' profiles. |
| | Call signs will be used instead of small HUD emblems to identify allies. Example: your ID is E77, and a team mate looks in your direction an arrow saying "E77" will appear over your head; in the Beta, if pointed at, your gamertag will appear. |
| | It has been recently confirmed by Bungie in one of their recent updates that female voice will be in the final multiplayer game but the male voice will be the default. "3) Yes. You may select gender for voice, the default is male." |
| | In a recent update, Bungie has stated that the Mjolnir Armor variants will not play an important role in campaign, and that it is just for aestetic appeal in multiplayer. However, that does not mean they won't make any appearances in other corners of the Halo universe. |