Halo: GoldSource

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Halo: GoldSource

Developer(s)

KevDoy
Ghost Seal
The Science Team
The Phoenix Project Software

Publisher(s)

The Phoenix Project Software

Release date(s)

August 2, 2024 (technical beta, pre-merger)
June 27, 2025 (full release)

Genre(s)

First-person shooter

Mode(s)

Multiplayer

Platform(s)

Windows, Linux

Engine

GoldSrc

Written in

C++

Links

ModDB page

Halo: GoldSource (also known as HaloGS; codenamed Excession) is a fan-made modification that recreates and blends elements of Bungie's Halo: Combat Evolved within Valve's GoldSrc engine. Originally created by community members KevDoy, Ghost Seal, and a team of community members known as "The Science Team", development resources and responsibilities for the project were handed to The Phoenix Project Software in November 2024, who is now the sole developer of the project. The mod aims to combine the iconic weapons, maps, and gamemodes of Halo with the technical style and limitations of the GoldSrc engine.

Overview

Halo: GoldSource reimagines what Halo might have looked and played like if it had been released in 1998, or perhaps if it had been developed by Valve themselves. Players can engage in multiplayer matches featuring recreated maps from the Halo games, original arenas, and classic modes such as Slayer and Firefight. The project is not intended to be a one-to-one remake of Halo but rather a hybrid of Halo and Half-Life gameplay, leveraging GoldSrc's mechanics while layering on Halo's distinctive sci-fi weapons, shield system, and movement.

Features

Gamemodes

• Slayer - Classic Halo deathmatch rules.
• Firefight - survive waves of AI enemies.

Maps

• Remade arenas from the Halo games such as Blood Gulch, Hang 'Em High, and Battle Creek.
• Original Firefight maps designed exclusively for the title.

Weapons

• Includes the Assault Rifle, Shotgun, Plasma Rifle, and the classic CE Magnum.

Core Systems =

• Shield Regeneration replacing Half-Life's HEV armor system.
• Modern viewbobbing for smoother player motion.
• Controller support, including compatibility with Steam Deck.
• Native Linux support alongside Windows builds.

Development

Origins and merger

HaloGS originated with an independent team in early 2024, and that Summer, a technical beta commenced before merging with The Phoenix Project Software SVG in November 2024. Following the merger, TPPS was granted access to the full development tools, resources, and internal files of the original team. Their stated goal was to expand the project's scope, refine its code, and bring it to a more polished state.

Full release

On June 27, 2025, Halo: GoldSource left beta and launched its v1.0 released, also known as the Summer 2025 Release. Alongside this, the team also shipped an SDK featuring graphical assets, map files, and the source code to support community modding. The developers stated that the release was no longer in "beta" as the game's maps, weapons, and core gameplay loop had reached a stable, polished state.

Post-launch and community response

Halo: GoldSource received a warm reception from fans and gaming press alike, getting attention from outlets. The official trailer reached 21,000+ views on YouTube within weeks of launch. Feedback was gathered, centered around movement, time-to-kill (TTK) balance, and weapon tuning. TPPS confirmed that adjustments were underway in an article and teased future additions:

• Bots for offline and solo play.
• Potential support for a singleplayer campaign.

External links

ModDB page HaloGS website Release Trailer | Halo: GoldSource - YouTube