Clash of the Titans: MLG and the Auto Update
By Chris Rayn

Thousands of anxious gamers downloaded the AutoUpdate to their Xboxes this past Monday, but little did anyone realize the significant impact it would have at that point on the current stance of Professional Gaming. Halo 2, long criticized for not feeling at all like Halo: Combat Evolved, for failing to be a sequel to the original but a completely different game, finally received what many players presumed to be the greatest thing to happen to the game.

As the date drew closer to Monday the 18th, hordes of players entered forums, discussing how Halo 2’s standby problem would be handled, and the large number of glitches that had become a little more than just nuisances. What shocked the nation at the arrival of the AutoUpdate was the weapon play more than the glitch-fixes: grenades performed more like Halo: CE, and melees were much more powerful than they had been before. No longer would a player of any skill level be at the mercy of dual wielding in close-quarters battles, but the guy stuck with the lone SMG stood a chance. The auto aim was toned down a bit as well. The rocket remains pretty strong, but the sniper, battle rifle, and carbine take more skill to shoot. The grenade and brute shot changes (brute shot has more power because it fires grenades) reduces the sheer power of vehicles against a team without rockets. The sword and shotgun are no longer as dominating, considering that two running melees with even an SMG equals the same result as two melees with a the sword – in other words, close-quarter battles can tip either way, even when power weapons are involved.

Why were these changes so significant? Mainly because skill was brought back to Halo. Relying less on the pray-and-spray method of the 1.0 version of Halo 2, a player is left with many more options in a less-than-optimistic situation. Now on spawn, there is much more likelihood of survival rather than instant-death; Bungie gave gamers something to fight back with.

Inevitably, Bungie’s timing could not have been worse or better. Coincidentally, the AutoUpdate and first multiplayer map pack share back to back weekends, conveniently surrounding the release of Unreal Championship 2. Though this may just be happenstance, it seems all too unlikely that this was so, considering the positive reviews for the game, and some gamers’ expectance that it could be better than Halo. This also, however, put the release of the AutoUpdate less than one week from MLG Orlando, whose spirit, fanfare, and professionals are comprised mostly of Halo 2 enthusiasts. This wouldn’t be a problem, except that MLG had painstakingly constructed game types, weapon starts, and other major factors to ensure a gaming environment that was based more on skill than luck; but only in regards to the then-current options. The Battle Rifle is the closest thing to the Halo: CE Pistol, and leaves a player so many more options on the spawn. Minor changes were made to objective game types based on the ideal tournament environment. Each aspect of the game was considered in detail, and nothing was left unconsidered.

With four days looming until competition, MLG made a tough decision. The AutoUpdate would NOT be used at MLG Orlando. They suggested that teams practice on XBConnect, and delete their AutoUpdates if they want a pure environment to practice in. They just could not switch tested game types days before the competition without also considering their game types in relation to the new AutoUpdates – and no where near enough time existed before the competition. New maps and AutoUpdates would be included in the next, but not before.

Pros and fans alike came out and protested loudly. 3D Walshy, AYB Fonzi, 3D Ogre 1, x6 Sergio, and Gandhi, to name a few. The top four teams at each MLG competition came out slashing. Saiyan is unable to practice on XBConnect because he is at a college with a firewall. Some players are already in Florida practicing, and don’t have access to a connection to AutoUpdate. There were so many problems on both sides of the issue. Saiyan even came out of his World of Warcraft cave and posted he may have fun playing Halo again, but that he can only practice on XBLive because of the firewall. XBConnect would not work for him, and a competition was on the line. Strangepurple resurfaced, excited as a little girl getting a birthday pony.

Ultimately, Anakin posted on the MLG forums, stating that preference was not a factor, that the current game types would have to be tested and retested, and that the assumption by all of the pros before the AutoUpdate was that MLG Orlando would be based on the old version of Halo 2 and not the new. Even though the AutoUpdate changes Halo into what it was intended to be, MLG had not shaped itself into the best possible mold for the new changes. MLG Orlando could have been a disaster with all of the new changes. They could not afford to risk it.

In the end, many hours were spent on the phone, many apologies were made, and many players ended up feeling, though disappointed, absolved. For once, as Ogre 1 put it, Bungie finally managed to do something right with the AutoUpdate – however, it was also up to MLG to keep doing things right, and it seems as though they did.