Download Our Halo Cover Art For Free

Today we revealed our latest Game Informer cover story, an exclusive deep-dive look ahead at the upcoming release of Halo: Campaign Evolved, alongside a look back at the profound impact of Halo: Combat Evolved, featuring interviews with the original creators who helped shape that milestone project 25 years ago.

As a thank you to fans of the magazine and Halo more broadly, we’re making our new cover art available for download (in multiple sizes and formats) for free, without logo, wording, or other embellishment. 

We also had the chance to speak with lead concept artist Sam Wood, who created this beautiful piece to grace our cover, and learn about his inspirations, process, and some secret insights into the colors and positioning of everything you see on the cover. 

We hope you enjoy!

Download the Cover Art

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GI: What were your goals/vision behind this art piece?

Wood: To properly introduce Halo: Campaign Evolved, we wanted to create a cover image as bold and colorful as the game itself. We knew we wanted a piece that celebrated the 25-year history of the iconic franchise, while also introduce the franchise to new audiences. So the piece needed something of the legendary about it as well.

Was there a specific style you were shooting for?
Our Studio Art Director, Chris Matthews, proposed a classic sci-fi movie poster composition; a “hero pyramid” with the Master Chief dominating the center and a large ensemble of heroes and enemies around him.

With that brief, I couldn’t avoid walking in the footsteps of the late Drew Struzan, who used masterful compositions, accurate portrait drawing, and translucent airbrushed colors to create truly iconic movie poster art. Also inspired by Struzan, I used deliberate color grouping to organize the image into warmer and cooler zones, which makes the complex composition easier to take in.

Any particular inspiration behind this approach?

Unlike a lot of concept art and illustration, this is an image that doesn’t show one specific character, scene, or moment, but is rather a collage of faces and figures, with supporting details and thematic elements surrounding them. Thus, it feels timeless and a bit nostalgic. The characters hang in an undefined space, lending them a larger-than-life presence. The fact that the visual relationships are symbolic rather than literal invites us to ponder how we feel about them and how they relate to one another across the entire Halo saga.

What is your general process start to finish for a piece of art like this?

Following my usual approach, I started out with several rounds of black-and-white thumbnails and sketches to get the composition locked in. These were accompanied by color and value studies. The next step was to go into Unreal Engine to light and pose each character individually. While not a technique I always use, digital renders are invaluable for achieving accurate character likenesses on a tight timeline. I composited these renders into a single Photoshop document and then got to work painting, lighting, and adding visual effects to bring the final image together.

Any insights or context to share about what is depicted in the image?

This image revolves around the Master Chief, flanked by the two companions – Cortana and 343 Guilty Spark – who accompanied him through most of his adventure on the first Halo Ring. Clustered around these three are a selection of friends and foes, most of whom will be familiar to longtime players – though one or two might be new faces. Each half of the image is dominated by a color symbolizing one of the threats faced in the game: the browns, yellows, and oranges of the encroaching Flood and the alien purples, blues, and teals of the Covenant. Only Master Chief’s iconic green armor defiantly breaks free from this scheme.

Anything else you’d like to share about this image?

It was a real privilege to get to work on this piece. Sometimes I felt like the mantle of responsibility was resting heavily on my shoulders, but mostly I was just having a blast trying to figure out how to make it all work. If it conveys even just a fraction of how colorful, ambitious, fun, and legendary of how Halo: Campaign Evolved, then I’ll call it a success. 

If you’d like to read our complete coverage of Halo’s 25th anniversary, learn exclusive details on Campaign Evolved, and receive this art and issue to lay out on your coffee table, visit our subscription page