Halo: Campaign Evolved gets a McDonald's armour skin that's bland, says fans
A new collaboration between McDonald's and Xbox is offering Halo: Campaign Evolved players in the UK and Ireland a special armour set for Master Chief, but early reactions suggest the reward is more disappointing than delicious.
The skin, called Side Mission, can be obtained through the McDonald's app by spending 1,500 rewards points. That same tier in the US would earn a customer a free apple pie, small coffee, or vanilla cone. The armour is predominantly red and gray, with a yellow visor and some flourishes. It is essentially a palette swap of the existing in-game armour, and critics have noted it lacks the sort of playful branding that might make a fast-food tie-in feel worthwhile.
Halo: Campaign Evolved is a version of the classic Halo experience that allows players to see Master Chief in third-person, which makes the cosmetic skin more visible during gameplay. Even so, the design has been described as bland and boring. Some have suggested that the armour could have been more fun by incorporating the McDonald's "M" arch on Chief's helmet, or by giving the visor a Ronald McDonald-themed design. Instead, the Side Mission set looks like something that should already be available as a standard customisation option within the game's menu.
The promotion is not limited to Halo: Campaign Evolved. Other Xbox-owned titles participating in the McDonald's collaboration in the UK and Ireland include Forza Horizon 6, Fallout 76, Candy Crush Saga, World of Warcraft, and Overwatch. Each game is offering its own special rewards through the same McDonald's app system. It is not yet clear whether a similar promotion will be offered in other regions. GameSpot has reached out to McDonald's about the possibility of the campaign expanding to North America and other parts of the world. How to unlock the Side Mission armour
To get the Side Mission armour set, players need to earn McDonald's rewards points through purchases at participating restaurants in the UK and Ireland. Once they have accumulated 1,500 points, they can redeem them in the McDonald's app for a code that unlocks the skin in Halo: Campaign Evolved. The process is straightforward but requires a commitment to the fast-food chain's loyalty programme rather than any in-game achievement. A missed opportunity for branding
The reaction to the Side Mission skin highlights a broader question about the value of branded in-game cosmetics. While crossover promotions between major food chains and video games are not new, the execution here has drawn criticism for being too conservative. The armour set does not carry any overt McDonald's iconography, such as the golden arches, and could easily be mistaken for a generic unlockable item. For a collaboration that requires real-world spending to earn points, fans had expected something more distinctive.
Halo: Campaign Evolved is available on PC, Xbox Series X|S, and for the first time, PS5. The game has been well received, with reviews noting that the third-person perspective breathes new life into the classic campaign. For players who want alternative armour sets without the fast-food detour, there are also codes available to unlock free alternate skins.
The McDonald's collaboration is currently exclusive to the UK and Ireland, and no announcement has been made about a global rollout. Whether the Side Mission armour will eventually become available to players in other regions remains unconfirmed. For now, fans in the participating countries can decide if spending their points on a red-and-gray palette swap is worth the trip to the drive-thru.