This is all about something I’m really happy about - SWAT DMRs. Then, it’s going to be something I’m not happy about… 343. The end will explain the title, bear with me please 
TL;DR at the end, but please read!
I am so so so happy and thankful that SWAT DMRs is finally coming! I think it will finally tone down the frequency of SWATnums (I started off liking the gametype but the frequency is basically why i don’t play SWAT much) and give some much needed variety. I think the gametype will be a ton of fun and will get me into the playlist much more often, and make SWAT on torque and a couple of others way more fun. And, I’m hoping that it will change the way some of the smaller maps are played, so even more exceitement! Good job MP team! It has problems (a whole bunch actually), but Halo 5 is way better than halo 4 and getting better all the time and I’m hopeful for the future.
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OK, positive part over. This is what I want to hear about… WHY WAS THIS NOT PART OF THE SWAT PLAYLIST FROM THE BEGINNING??? For the love of ‘gods old and new’ (GOT) I don’t understand it, for all of those that will say “oh it takes time to code things into MP, it’s not an over-night thing,” there’s no way this wasn’t a worthwhile addition to the playlist from day 1. And this brings me to my second point, where the -Yoink- are variants of game modes that we already have? It’s a cheap way to provide WAY WAY more content to the fans! Halo has always had variants within each playlist, it makes you earn your rank in more than just one way. I’m not talking about adding gametypes that every halo has had before (though YES to that), I’m talking about the lack of Slayer Pro (no radar, no secondary), Slayer BRs, Legendary Slayer (classic halo settings, no abilities except sprint for instance) in the Slayer playlist. No objective gametypes or VIP/Juggernaut/Regicide in the Free for All playlist. No One Bomb (neutral bomb) assault types, no Oddball, no One Flag (neutral flag), no KOTH, no Extraction in Team Arena. No Ricochet (343’s own ORIGINAL gametype!) in Grifball. No headhunter in any social playlist. And just as good as those classic gametypes, why not add some of the AMAZING, NEW variants that the community (read the forums there’s pure GOLD in there) has ideas for?? It makes NO SENSE to me why we don’t have variety within playlists, it would extend the variety/life of the game so so much, it’s baffling and frustrating to me.
To my third point: 343 making Halo it’s own Halo is damaging the population - it’s a thought that I’ve had since H4 and was brought to the surface again with the ridiculously late SWAT DMR update, something that should be available from day 1. Halo 5 is fundamentally better than H4, and is many steps in the right direction. But it feels like an incomplete game, and a lot of people think it doesn’t feel like halo. I don’t agree with that, it IS Halo, but I do think that it’s trying too hard to be something different from Bungie’s Halo. And it’s hurting the franchise big time. I get that Halo needs to change with the times, and even though I am a DIE HARD Halo:CE thru H3 fan, I actually like a few of the changes (arena weapon balance, sprint, clamber, thrusters, TTK is more like Halo:CE, a few others cuz they make sense in canon and tactical AF). But changing an enormous franchise just to differentiate yourselves (which to me is what it FEELS like 343 is doing) from the creators is damaging the franchise more than helping it (or worse, if they’re changing it to feed Microsoft’s demands). The fans are overwhelmingly negative on forums because no one was looking for the drastic changes in art, campaign, and gameplay. They were looking for innovations and new content for the formula that WORKED. FOR YEARS. I’m pretty sure that Microsoft made 343 to safeguard the series, not change the core of what makes it Halo. I feel that 343 is trying to separate 343’s Halo from Bungie’s Halo and make a buck on it, when what they should be doing is making a great Halo game based on the original foundations and innovating thoughtfully. I mean, you don’t see Disney making a Marvel Iron Dude movie about Antonio Stark because they’re sick of Stan Lee’s Tony Stark . I like the game, especially MP (lets not talk about the campaign cuz it’s utter and complete garbage), but it is not as good (read: popular) as the previous titles for completely AVOIDABLE reasons.
TL;DR - I’m ecstatic for SWAT DMRs it’s much needed and I hope to see you all there… It’s stupid that variants like this aren’t in every playlist and IDK why they still aren’t in there. Seems to me like 343 is trying to make this their Halo and not just Halo, which is why silly and avoidable stuff is happening and a great variant like this is only just getting released. Please respond, I want to hear what you all think about this -Sound off Spartans!!