A real-life Halo experience is coming to select cities

‘Halo: Outpost Discovery’

I think one of my least favorite things ever is a marketing campaign that is framed around “have you ever wanted to be [x] character!? Well now you can!” Most of those experiences hardly ever measure up, but now Microsoft is trying their hand at the concept with their ever-present Halo franchise.

It’s called “Halo: Outpost Discovery,” and is billed as a “touring fan experience for all ages that brings the Halo video game universe to life like never before.” It’s a weekend-long thing that includes attractions, “encounters” (like, do you get to meet a Grunt and get ridiculed by it?), and playable games sprawling “300,000 square feet”: it kind of sounds like Activision’s now infrequent (but fun) Call of Duty XP events.

The events kick off in July in Orlando and end on September 1 in Anaheim, California. You can find the full list of cities below and more information on tickets here.

• July 5-7 – Orlando
• July 19-21 – Philadelphia
• August 2-4 – Chicago
• August 16-18 – Houston
• August 30-September 1 – Anaheim