The Master Chief Detail That Pays Tribute To The Legend

The Halo franchise didn't just make the Xbox worth owning in the early 2000s — it put a small studio named Bungie on the map. Thanks to the first game's success, Master Chief became a household name, and Bungie got to work on a number of other Halo games that helped it grow into one of the industry's premier developers.

Of course, not all good things last forever. Despite putting so much time and effort into Halo, Bungie eventually decided it was time to move on. In 2007, Bungie parted ways with its parent company, Microsoft, and struck out on its own to create an entirely new franchise. That franchise was Destiny, and it's safe to say that Bungie's latest brainchild is also fairly popular in gaming circles. The studio clearly hasn't forgotten where it came from, though, as evidenced by some of the Easter eggs found in Destiny.

If you're a fan of Master Chief, you may want to boot up the first Destiny and check out these references to the legendary Spartan. Bungie may have pushed forward with something new, but it seems the studio still has a lot of love for the series that made it famous.

A lot of work goes into making games as detailed as possible, and that is especially true for the first Destiny. There's a lot you can miss if you simply rush through activities as quickly as possible, including a fairly obvious nod to Master Chief. If you are speedrunning a strike, it's entirely possible you can fly past this Easter egg without catching it. Once you see it, though, you may have to admit: It's pretty undeniable.

In the Trenchworks area of the Mars location in Destiny, there's a tower full of and surrounded by a platoon of Cabal combatants. It looks pretty unremarkable at first glance, but once you pass by it and then turn around, you'll see something that looks very familiar. The tower is designed to look like Master Chief's helmet. The lights and the banner sort of act as the bumps on the Chief's helmet, and the glow within is tinted to take on the shade of Master Chief's visor. Bungie may not be working on Halo anymore, but it's clear the studio didn't forget about the series while working on Destiny.

The "Cayde's Stash" mission in Destiny's The Taken King expansion is a fun race up an old colony ship in the game's Cosmodrome location. Not only did it provide players with some gorgeous views of the game's first area, but it also introduced them to a phenomenon they'd soon grow to hate: Taken Phalanxes who "boop" players off of ledges.

At the end of the mission, though, there appears to be a secret — a specific pod you can interact with that kicks off some additional dialogue from your Ghost. Some feel it's yet another Master Chief Easter egg. "Log number 10201," your Ghost says. "A Guardian with exceptional Light sealed himself inside. He's been in there for centuries. Before I found you I tried to resurrect him, but he preferred to sleep. He said the last war was enough for 1,000 lifetimes."

Could this be a reference to Master Chief, the protagonist of the game series that gave Bungie its big break? This one isn't definitive, but some fans seem to believe that those working on Destiny did indeed intend to pay tribute to Halo's hero.