The E3 2003 trailer of Halo 2 is finally going to become playable, almost two decades after it was first shown off. The second entry in the massively popular Halo franchise was released in November of 2004 on the original Xbox console and popularized features that would become standard in games and online services after its launch, including matchmaking, lobbies, and clans. A decade later, Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and several other titles in the franchise were remastered and re-released on the Xbox One as part of Halo: The Master Chief Collection.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection gave fans a chance to replay the franchise's titles with upgraded visuals and modern features. The collection was also released in stages on PC, starting with Halo: Reach in 2019. While all the games in the collection were all released on PC by the end of 2020, 343 Industries has continued to release updates and patches. Most recently, the studio released a Halo: MCC update introducing new enemies and crossplay.

Related: A Halo Game That's Not Infinite Is In Development According To Insider

In a new blog post, 343 Industries (via Kotaku) revealed that it is currently working on rebuilding the Earthcity demo of Halo 2 and making it playable on the PC versions of the game’s remaster in the Master Chief Collection. The studio has said that it still isn’t sure if the stage will become available on the console version of the Master Chief Collection as well, which is probably due to the technical challenges of the project. According to 343 Industries, its goal is to get the Earthcity demo running and playable from start to finish and "working as intended" as long as the player follows the flow of the map according to what was shown on the trailer. The studio also said that it isn’t sure when the project will be completed or released.

Halo 2 Earthcity E3 Demo Will Be Playable

Halo 2’s Earthcity demo gave fans their first glimpse of the wider Halo saga and timeline, as well as show off many new features that would become massively popular in the series, such as the Battle Rifle. Sadly, the demo itself and many of its elements also didn’t make it to the final game, with the Earthcity scenario simply becoming the foundation for the game’s Outskirts and Metropolis levels.

Longtime fans of the series may be excited to finally experience Halo 2's Earthcity demo themselves. Hopefully, 343 Industries are able to overcome the technical hurdles of remaking the scenario for the MCC and release it sooner rather than later.

Next: More Xbox Remasters Like Master Chief Collection Reportedly On The Way

Source: 343 Industries (via Kotaku)