Halo 2 PC multiplayer servers going dark in February

If you're still enjoying Halo 2 on PC, then we've got some sad news for you. In the latest installment of the Halo Bulletin, Halo Waypoint's Jessica Shea announced that the multiplayer servers for the PC port will be going dark next month. Specifically speaking, players will have until February 15, 2013 to get their multiplayer kicks in, because after that date, Halo 2's online multiplayer will be inaccessible.

Shea clarifies that players will still be able to access multiplayer through LAN, but points out that Halo 2's player numbers have "been peaking consistently at approximately 20 players or less." Hearing that, it's pretty obvious why Microsoft has opted to shut down the game's servers, though this news probably stings a bit for players who have a soft spot for Halo 2 on PC. Multiplayer for the Xbox version of Halo 2 was ended back in 2010 when Microsoft pulled the plug on Xbox Live service for its first console.

Despite the fact that Microsoft's decision to shut off the multiplayer servers for Halo 2 is bound to make at least a few players upset, online multiplayer for both versions was supported for almost six years. That certainly isn't bad, especially when there are some publishers who seem all too willing to shut down online functionality just a couple of years after release. Of course, if you get the urge to play Halo online after the servers go dark, you can always pick up a copy of Halo 3, Halo: Reach, or Halo 4, all of which still have accessible matchmaking.

Shea's announcement was hidden in a much longer post about the future of Halo 4's multiplayer, among other things. The post reminded us that the first season of Spartan Ops is set to resume on January 21, while players will get to enjoy two new class specializations starting next week: the Pioneer and the Pathfinder, both of which were given a rundown when Microsoft detailed all of the different specializations last year. No word on when the other specializations will become available, so it might not be the best idea to blow through the additional 20 SR levels the Pioneer and Pathfinder classes add to the game.

[via Eurogamer]