Halo Online modders will continue leaks, despite Microsoft’s takedown

The Halo Online modders aren't going to give up on their project so easily, despite Microsoft's attempts to stop the group. Recently Microsoft hit Github with a DMCA takedown notice and the project, titled ElDorito, was removed, but the group isn't giving up that easily.

One of the team members, Woovie, told TorrentFreak that the project is still alive and safe: “In terms of DMCA/C&D mitigation, we have made redundant git backups on private and public git servers. This is to ensure we will always have one working copy. These are being synchronized so that data is always the same,” Woovie explains. He added that “Further DMCAs may happen potentially, it’s not really known at the moment. Our backups will always exist though and we will continue until we’re happy.”

Despite the moral issues that such a task enthralls, the ElDorito team seems to be doing this mostly due to the Halo Online Russia exclusivity, as well as the potential for turning a great game into a pay-to-win affair: “We of course still don’t know 100% what items are purchasable with real money, but it would appear at first glance to have pay-to-win potential. We also of course want to play this game, which as far as we see, is a Russian market only game.”

While Microsoft is expected to continue acting on this matter, team member Neoshadow42 sees the ElDorito work as something of a service for fans who were expecting to see Halo 3 on PCs for quite some time now, without the added stuff (cash shop) that could ruin the experience.

“I don’t particularly see this as damaging, as some people have said. I don’t believe it for a moment, honestly. We’re working to improve people’s experience, bring it to those who wouldn’t have been able to play it anyway. I’d see that as a noble cause.”

“This whole project would be completely different in an ethical way if we had taken a paid game and reversed it for everyone to access for free.”

“At the end of the day, ElDorito aims to deliver exactly what everyone wants. The closest thing to a Halo 3 experience as possible, but on PC. If we can manage that, I’ll be more than happy.”