Halo: Chronological Order of the Halo Video Games

The Halo franchise, developed by Bungie and later 343 Industries, spans centuries of interstellar conflict, artificial intelligence, and the legacy of ancient alien civilizations. While the games were released in a nonlinear order, the story unfolds across a tightly woven timeline that begins with humanity's first contact with the Covenant and stretches through the Forerunner saga, the Human-Covenant War, and the post-war rise of new threats.

This table presents all mainline Halo games and notable spin-offs in chronological order, aligning events based on in-universe year and narrative continuity  -  from the fall of Reach to the AI-driven revolution that follows the events of Halo 5.

Chronological Order of the Halo Video Games

Title	Release Year	In-Universe Year	Narrative Context
Halo Wars	2009	2531	Set 20 years before Halo: Combat Evolved, the Spirit of Fire engages early Covenant forces and discovers a Forerunner threat.
Halo: Reach	2010	2552	Noble Team defends the doomed planet Reach from a massive Covenant invasion. Ends with the Pillar of Autumn escaping to Halo.
Halo: Combat Evolved	2001	2552	Master Chief and Cortana crash on Installation 04. The Flood is unleashed. The Halo ring is destroyed to prevent galactic extinction.
Halo 2	2004	2552	The Covenant invades Earth. Meanwhile, Arbiter learns the truth about the Halos and the Prophets’ lies. The story ends on a cliffhanger.
Halo 3: ODST	2009	2552	Set during the events of Halo 2, a team of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers uncovers Covenant plans in New Mombasa.
Halo 3	2007	2552	Master Chief, Arbiter, and their allies race to stop the Flood and destroy the Ark. Ends the Human-Covenant War and Chief goes MIA.
Halo: Spartan Assault	2013	Between 2552–2557	Follows Sarah Palmer and Edward Davis as they fight rogue Covenant forces during early Spartan-IV operations.
Halo 4	2012	2557	Master Chief awakens to face the Didact and the Forerunner Prometheans. Cortana begins to break down due to rampancy.
Halo: Spartan Strike	2015	2557 (simulated)	A simulated training mission based on real-world events. Ties in loosely to Halo 4's context via ONI records.
Halo 5: Guardians	2015	2558	Blue Team goes rogue to find Cortana, who has embraced the Mantle of Responsibility and threatens galactic control through AI.
Halo Wars 2	2017	2559	The Spirit of Fire awakens near the Ark and battles the Banished, led by Atriox. Events lead directly into Halo Infinite.
Halo Infinite	2021	2560	After a major defeat by the Banished, Master Chief returns to Zeta Halo to fight back. A new AI, "The Weapon", assists in uncovering Cortana’s legacy.

The Halo timeline is dense with myth, betrayal, and technological escalation. From the ancient Forerunner constructs to the AI-fueled crises of the 26th century, each entry builds the epic saga of humanity's fight for survival. Viewed in chronological order, the series offers a clear progression from tactical war stories to existential threats — all through the visor of one iconic supersoldier.

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