Randy "Duval Magic" Pitchford of Gearbox Software chatted on the CPL IRC channel with a bunch of Halo fans to answer their questions; a complete transcript of the chat is up at HaloMods and The Junkyard.

In summary, I'd say the important points were:

• There is a new spec that includes improved text chat as well as voice comm, but is not a high priority.
• CPL will likely continue with Halo tourneys through Summer and Winter 2004.
• Halo will get client-side hit detection, but the client will still be non-authoritative.
• Demo recording is working in a prototype at Gearbox.
• Demands of quality testing prevent more frequent patch releases. Currently 33% of their work on Halo is performance-related; other work is on team-killing issues, improved netcode, the Halo Editing Kit, due out mid-November, and new content.
• The next update will be "massive" and is due out "as soon as possible"; no definite date set.
• A "robust and flexible" team-killing solution is implemented and will be in the next update.
• There will be no splitscreen mode in PC Halo.
• Halo is #1 worldwide in PC game sales at the moment.
• Gearbox is still "looking at" what would be necessary for co-op play over the network for a future update.

At the end, Tonya at CPL who was the gatekeeper for questions had many proposals of marriage, and the chatbot booted Randy for advertising Gearbox.