Halo 3 “Pimps at Sea” Prototype Build Has Finally Leaked Online

The infamous prototype build of Halo 3 that is dubbed “Pimps at Sea” has been leaked online, much to the excitement of the Halo community.

This alpha build of Halo 3, referred to as “Pimps at Sea”, has been leaked thanks to Twitter user landair. The build appears to be from November 17, 2006, meaning that it is now the earliest available build of the game. The video below shows many of the changes and how integral Halo 2 had been to the development of its sequel.

The “Pimps at Sea” alpha build of Halo 3 can be downloaded by following the link here.

In order to run this build of Halo 3, you’ll need an Xbox 360 JTAG/RGH/devkit. The Xenia emulator for PC can boot up the game, though it can’t get past the main menu for now.

Halo 3 is a 2007 first-person shooter video game developed by Bungie for the Xbox 360 console. The third game in the Halo series wraps up the narrative arc that was started in Halo: Combat Evolved in 2001 and continued in Halo 2 in 2004. The conflict between humanity in the year 2600, a group of alien races known as the Covenant, and the alien parasite Flood is the focus of Halo 3’s narrative. As he fights the Covenant and the Flood, the player assumes control of the Master Chief, a cybernetically enhanced supersoldier. In addition to adding saved gameplay films, file sharing, and the Forge map editor—a tool that lets players alter multiplayer levels—the game includes vehicles, weapons, and gameplay elements that were absent from earlier games in the series.

Bungie began developing Halo 3 shortly after Halo 2 shipped. The game was officially announced at E3 2006, and its release was preceded by a multiplayer beta open to select players who purchased the Xbox 360 game Crackdown. The game was formally unveiled at E3 2006, and a multiplayer beta test was held beforehand for a small group of players who had already purchased Crackdown for the Xbox 360. Microsoft invested $40 million in the game’s marketing in an effort to boost console sales and increase the game’s appeal beyond the established Halo fan base. The game was released in September 25, 2007.