Master Chief becomes a Pokemon Master in Halo 3 Pokeball mod 

Master Chief, aka John 117, is departing the UNSC and setting off for the Pokémon League in a brand-new mod for Halo 3. In a hilarious new mod, one fan has added functional Pokeballs to Bungie’s iconic 2007 shooter on PC. 

Coming just weeks after a functional Pokeball mod in Baldur’s Gate 3, one talented Halo fan has added the ability to capture Covenant forces and use them to fight (and kill) their closest friends. 

Halo 3 Pokeball mod 

Longtime Halo modder Gashnor revealed their new Pokeball project on Twitter. The creator of Cursed Halo Reach, the modder revealed that they’ve been able to create Pokeballs in Halo 3. 

While the mod is currently unfinished, Gashnor showed off the new tool in a short video. Set in the multiplayer map Rat’s Nest, the modder picks up a “Spartan Ball” and throws it at a Grunt. After capturing the feisty little Unggoy, they throw the ball at an Elite, the Grunt comes out and starts attacking the Sanghelli. 

At the time of writing, the modder has successfully created functional Pokeballs in Halo 3 for Grunts and Elites. In the mod, these enemies have been renamed to Gruntortle and Sanghelizard. 

When the mod is finished, Gashnor hopes the tool will work for all enemy types. Hopefully, other entities can be captured as well such as friendly marines, scarabs and even Sargent Johnson. 

In a constant push to make cooler things, I've found out how to make working Pokéballs in Halo 3!!

I currently only have it set up for Grunts, but I did testing and know exactly how to set up all the other enemies you'll be able to capture.

SFX will come later, but enjoy! pic.twitter.com/c8wrNC3sxZ

— Gashnor (@GashnorOfficial) October 20, 2024

A golden age of modding 

Following the release of mod tools for Halo: The Master Chief Collection, the Xbox franchise is entering a golden age for modding. While Combat Evolved has seen decades of mods for the PC’s Custom Edition, the entirety of the MCC is now open for all. 

This has led to some truly amazing mods, some bringing Halo Infinite weapons to older games and others making the games as cursed as possible. One mod, “Pimps at Sea”, even turns the game into a full-on pirate adventure. 

With Xbox’s flagship franchise officially abandoning its aging Blam! tech base for Unreal Engine, a spark has reignited for the iconic FPS series. As the franchise’s biggest content creators rally behind the new shift in direction, could Halo become a killer title once again?