How to download Halo 2 on PC

Published , by Sam Chandler

Halo 2 has finally arrived in the Master Chief Collection on PC. Fans all over the world are rejoicing at the opportunity to play the best Halo game ever released, once more on PC. But there are those who are struggling to download Halo 2 on PC. It’s not a simple process to figure out, but the steps are straightforward, thankfully.

How to download Halo 2 on PC

For those trying to download Halo 2 on PC, you will need to first ensure that Halo: The Master Chief Collection is installed or that you own the game. For those that only own Halo 2, and not the other games, downloading should happen automatically after purchase. For MCC owners, adding Halo 2 to MCC is a bit tricky.

Here are the steps to get Halo 2 downloading on PC:

  1. Restart Steam or Microsoft Store
  2. Halo: The Master Chief Collection should start to update
  3. Load up Halo: The Master Chief Collection
  4. Go into Options & Career
  5. Select Settings
  6. Choose Gameplay
  7. Select Change Installed Files
  8. Check the two boxes under Halo 2, the Campaign and Multiplayer
  9. Click “Accept Selection” which is above the “BACK” button – it is hard to see
After restarting Steam, you should be able to go in and check the boxes for Halo 2 campaign and multiplayer.

You should now see Halo 2 downloading at the top of the screen within the Master Chief Collection. Alternatively, you can quit and see the game in the download section.

If this doesn’t work, and you’re playing on Steam, try the following steps:

  1. Go to your Library
  2. Right-click Halo: The Master Chief Collection
  3. Select Properties
  4. Choose the DLC tab
  5. Check the box for MCC – H2: Multiplayer and Halo 2: Anniversary
  6. Close the window

This should force Halo: The Master Chief Collection to download Halo 2 including Halo 2: Anniversary and the Halo 2 multiplayer. The download on Steam is roughly 20GB, and it’s likely similar for Xbox Game Pass on PC users.

Now that you’ve got Halo 2 downloading on PC, all you need to do is wait for it to finish. In the meantime, check out our Halo MCC ranks guide for an overview of the ranks and how much XP you need to get to level up. And for more on one of the best shooters in history, check out the Shacknews Master Chief Collection page.