White House responds to use of Halo icon Master Chief — “Only one leader is fully committed to giving power to the players”

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Halo: Combat Evolved is officially coming to PlayStation in 2026. Xbox and Halo Studios revealed the news on Friday, marking the first time a Halo game will be available on a console other than Xbox.

On October 25, 2025, GameStop announced on social media that the long-running competition between gaming consoles – often called the ‘Console Wars’ – was officially over, following a major announcement.

For the past twenty years, gamers have been caught up in a rivalry called “The Console Wars.” This started in the early 2000s when the popular game *Halo: Combat Evolved* was released only on Xbox. Now, in 2026, *Halo: Combat Evolved* will finally be available on PlayStation, and players on both consoles will be able to play together.

GameStop, as a neutral retailer and a central hub for gaming, is officially ending the console wars. This means all exclusive deals are canceled, and fans are asked to stop arguing and enjoy games together. GameStop will remain a place where everyone can buy, sell, and trade games and accessories, regardless of their preferred console.

Power to the Players.”

After the initial post, the White House created its own version, showcasing the famous video game character Master Chief. They used AI to swap Master Chief’s face with President Trump’s, effectively replacing one Chief with another.

GameStop also responded, cleverly using a meme featuring JD Vance instead of the usual Cortana character.

This weekend, the White House used imagery from the popular video game Halo, specifically a picture of the Warthog vehicle. The image, originally shown on a Halo ring in the game, was altered to include the message, “Destroy the Flood, Join Ice.”

Alyssa Mercante contacted Microsoft, GameStop, and the White House for a statement. According to her report, only an automated response from the White House arrived initially. The email explained that due to staffing issues caused by the government shutdown, responses to press inquiries would be delayed. It also stated the delays could have been avoided if Democrats had approved a funding bill to keep the government open, and that the press office was currently unable to handle large numbers of requests.

Although we didn’t see the original email, Alyssa mentioned it asked questions about the game Halo – specifically, what people were thinking while playing it, and what aspects of the game the administrators enjoyed.

The White House eventually responded to her, stating, “Another war concluded during President Trump’s administration—he’s the only leader truly dedicated to empowering those involved. This is why he enjoys strong support from the American people and American gamers.”

The White House’s use of images resembling those from the video game Halo has caused some debate online. It’s unclear if Microsoft, the game’s creator, is aware of this and whether they will take any action. Many are wondering if Microsoft will publicly address the situation.

I was so excited to hear that Microsoft and 35 other organizations are helping to renovate the White House Ballroom! It’s a massive project – we’re talking around $300 million to get it done, which is incredible. It’s great to see support for preserving a piece of history like that.

Microsoft wasn’t alone in making donations; other major tech companies like Apple, Google, T-Mobile, HP, and Amazon also contributed.

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2025-10-29 17:12