Legendary Bungie Designer Destroys ‘Halo Is a Right Wing Game’ Theory: “I personally find it despicable”

Halo has been the talk of the internet lately, but not for the reasons you might be thinking about (by it coming to PlayStation). Between the console wars and meme wars, somehow, Halo: Campaign Evolved has found a place in literal political wars. Things have taken quite a wild turn.

It’s gotten so intense that one of Halo’s legendary original designers, Jaime Griesemer, has had to step in. He told Game File,

Using Halo imagery in a call to “destroy” people because of their immigration status goes way too far […] I personally find it despicable.

These statements come after the U.S. government started using the game’s images to push an immigration enforcement ad, which was the last straw for many developers of the game.

From PlayStation to Politics: Halo’s Having a Wild Week Online

If you have been living under a rock, you should have remained there. Why? Because a game-breaking exclusivity barrier and coming to more players has become a political issue. Yes, just Xbox announcing Halo coming to PlayStation. Strange, right?

What started as a nostalgic celebration of one of gaming’s most iconic franchises quickly spiraled into meme warfare from the PS players taunting Xbox users… typical stuff. Then came a presidential cosplay, followed by a government recruitment ad.

Finishing this fight. pic.twitter.com/6Ezq9NUqMq

That’s when the game’s creators stepped in. Legendary Bungie designer Jaime Griesemer, who helped shape the original trilogy, wasn’t having it. He blasted the ad campaign as “despicable,” saying the game should never be used to promote dehumanizing messages.

He emphasized that using the game as a way to ‘destroy’ people because of their immigration status goes a little too far. Griesemer made it clear: Halo is not about politics or propaganda. And he’s not alone.

Fellow co-creator Marcus Lehto also said (to GameFile) the ad “makes me sick seeing Halo co-opted like this.” The people who made Halo don’t want to see it used to hurt or divide, only to inspire people with courage and teamwork.

The Trump-Halo Crossover Nobody Asked For

Somewhere, Master Chief just facepalmed. | Image Credit: Xbox

So you might be asking, how did we get here? We should be at Halo’s comeback party, but why are we at a full-blown political controversy? Let’s rewind a bit so you can get the full context.

Last week, Microsoft announced a Halo remake and revealed it would finally come to PlayStation. What followed was a cascade of meme-posting chaos: GameStop joked that the “console wars are over.” Then the Trump administration’s Rapid Response Team claimed this was the “ninth war Trump has ended.”

Power to the Players https://t.co/GqNu0qdgmw pic.twitter.com/4Hw6G7i7aW

Then came the funny image from the official White House account. It showed an image of Trump as Master Chief – full Spartan armor, flag backdrop, “Power to the Players” slogan. This was fine, and even Griesemer found it hilarious.

But then came the Department of Homeland Security and ICE posted their Halo-themed recruitment ad, urging potential agents to “finish the fight” and “destroy the Flood.” Critics accused the government of dehumanizing immigrants and politicizing a beloved game.

Then we came to the statement from Griesemer. Fans are calling on Microsoft to take some action as the game is being dragged through political mud.

Is outrage the right response, or is it exactly what these campaigns are designed to provoke? Comment below to let us know.

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