Halo 5: Guardians is, like many games these days, partnering with retailers to offer exclusive pre-order bonuses. The good news is you won't have to wait to purchase pre-order bonuses you miss out on down the road or wait for a hypothetical Halo 5: Game of the Year edition to get them. In fact, you don't have to pre-order at all to get the goods, as you'll be able to grab them via Halo 5's REQ Packs - a feature new to the series that hides unlockables behind blind packs of content that can be purchased using in-game or real-world currency.
When asked by a fan on Twitter if a specific rifle advertised as pre-order bonus content would be available in a particular region, 343 studio head Josh Holmes tweeted that "ALL unlockable content can be earned by everyone. Preorder just guarantees you have it out of box." Well, that's certainly a nice change from needing a spreadsheet to keep everything straight.
Now, if you would like your shooty-shooty bang-bang immediately, here's who's selling what:
GameStop: Spartan Locke's HUNTER-class armor and helmet, plus the Sentinel Battle Rifle with Laser Targeter and Bloodthirst Battle Rifle Weapon Skin
Amazon: The Projection SMG with Long Barrel and Potence SMG Weapon Skin
Best Buy: $10 in Reward Certificates, Longshot Assault Rifle with Recoil Compensator and Steel Assault Rifle Weapon Skin
Microsoft Store: $10 Xbox gift card digital code within 10 days after the game’s release, Recon Assault Rifle with Energy Bayonet and Lagrange Assault Rifle Weapon Skin
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Walmart: This probably isn't right, because according to the current description on Walmart's website, pre-ordering Halo 5 will net you the Fighting Chance Pack, a DLC grab-bag of goodies for … The Evil Within.
So, are you going to unlock everything the old-fashioned way or give yourself a leg up by pre-ordering? Let us know in the comments, and if you've seen something newsworthy, tell us!
Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.