A forgotten Halo game has been pulled from the Microsoft Store without warning, leaving fans confused and searching for answers

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It appears Microsoft has removed one of its Halo games from the Microsoft Store, and it’s no longer available to purchase or play. X (formerly Twitter) user @GeneralKidd first noticed the change, which some may find unexpected.

Halo: Recruit is a brief virtual reality game that came out in 2017 for Windows Mixed Reality. It wasn’t meant to be a complete Halo game, but rather a demonstration of Microsoft’s new virtual and augmented reality technology.

It’s become a pattern at Microsoft – reminiscent of past decisions – but Windows Mixed Reality was discontinued in 2023. Consequently, the game Halo: Recruit seems to have been quietly cancelled a couple of years after that.

What exactly was Halo: Recruit?

Halo: Recruit was a short experience created to demonstrate the potential of Windows Mixed Reality. While not a full game, it wasn’t badly received, offering players a quick look at the Halo universe in virtual reality.

The game seems to have quietly disappeared from the Microsoft Store, and it’s unknown how long it’s been unavailable. Microsoft hasn’t commented on the removal, so most people likely haven’t noticed it unless they were specifically looking for the game.

GeneralKidd also mentioned a little-known Halo project that never actually came out. It was an idea for a game similar to Pokémon Go, designed around Halo 4 and planned to involve promotions with 7-Eleven, Doritos, and Mountain Dew.

Halo 4 King of the Hill was a planned promotion where players would scan codes from Mountain Dew and Doritos to improve their in-game character. 7-Eleven stores were intended to function like gyms within the game. Although the idea wasn’t developed further than a concept, it’s remembered as one of the more unique promotional ideas for Halo from that time.

A frustrating trend for some games

It’s disappointing to see this Halo game removed from sale without any explanation from Microsoft, especially since keeping it available wouldn’t have caused any problems. It wasn’t a very popular game, but that doesn’t make the delisting any less frustrating.

It’s a bit disappointing when this happens. We’ve seen similar issues before – games like Halo: Spartan Strike and Halo: Spartan Assault have become unavailable on certain platforms, and it’s frustrating for players.

As someone who’s grown up with Halo, it’s always a bit sad to see pieces of the franchise fade away without much fanfare. It’s just disheartening as a long-time fan.

Should Microsoft be more open about removing games from its service, or is this just an unavoidable part of digital gaming? We’d like to hear your opinion – how frustrating is it to lose access to games you already owned?

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2025-12-19 18:11