Halo 5: Guardians #HuntTheTruth – Has the Master Chief Gone AWOL?

The Master Chief. Hero. Savior. Traitor?

The latest episode from the #HuntTheTruth podcast posed some serious questions for fans, as the Master Chief – beloved hero of the Halo universe – is accused of atrocities, calling his allegiance into question. Did he turn his back on those he swore to protect? What could have pushed him over the edge to turn his back on his lifelong duty? Where does Halo Nation go from here? Hear it for yourself.

In just over a month, the #HuntTheTruth campaign has risen to be the second most talked about ad campaign online and the number one gaming podcast on iTunes. With an interactive teaser, mirror-image TV commercials (1 & 2), an engrossing podcast series, a crowd-sourced online puzzle to reveal the game’s cover art, and a new Augmented Reality Game (ARG) causing havoc on screens worldwide – Halo is challenging its fans to rethink what they know about the franchise and its iconic characters.

In just 11 days, “Halo 5: Guardians” became one of the most discussed advertising campaigns in March (Source: Sysomos English mentions). Additionally:

  • Total listens have hit 2.15 million across iTunes and Soundcloud – and counting!
  • The three separate announce trailers for “Halo 5: Guardians” have been viewed more than 217 million times total on television and online.
  • More than 250,000 fans have visited websites for the “Halo 5: Guardians” ARG.
  • To-date “Halo 5: Guardians” has been referenced nearly 960,000 times across social media since the start of the campaign.

 

The #HuntTheTruth podcast has been central to 343 Industries’ quest to involve the community more deeply in the Halo universe. Fans around the world joined journalist Benjamin Giraud on his quest to discover the truth about the Master Chief, UNSC and everything previously assumed about the decade-long Halo story. An all-star voice cast, including Cobie Smulders of “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Keegan-Michael Key of “Key and Peele,” Kumail Nanjiani of “Silicon Valley” and legendary actor Stacy Keach, to name just a few, has helped bring the narrative to life for Halo fans old and new alike (full cast list below).

If you haven’t tuned in yet, it’s not too late. Stay tuned to #HuntTheTruth and Xbox Wire for even more “Halo 5: Guardians” reveals, and head over to huntthetruth.tumblr.com to catch up on the first eight episodes. New episodes release every Sunday, with more twists and turns in store right up until the two-part season finale on June 14.

#HuntTheTruth Podcast Cast

Petra Janecek, Journalist – Cobie Smulders         

Benjamin Giraud, Journalist – Keegan-Michael Key

Deon Govender, John’s boxing coach – Phil LaMarr

Ellie Bloom, John’s childhood friend – Tara Strong

Thomas Wu, Internment Survivor – Phil LaMarr

Gabriella Dvørak, ONI Vice Admiral – Jennifer Hale

Mshak Moradi, Conspiracy Theorist – Kumail Nanjiani

Anthony Petrosky, ODST – Troy Baker

Michael Sullivan, ONI PR – Jerry Trainor

Jakob Walker, UNSC Marine – Steve Blum

Ray Kurzig, Ben’s Research friend – Phil LaMarr

Franklin Mendez, Senior CPO who trained MC – Stacy Keach

FERO, Rebel Leader – Janina Gavankar

Katrina, Ellie Bloom’s Friend – Laura Bailey