"We’ve been playing it for quite some time, and bluntly, having some of our greatest ever Halo experiences. We wanted to make sure all our "t"s were crossed and our "i"s dotted before unveiling this important new part of Halo 3’s Campaign mode," says Smith of Bungie. "Apart from the horrifying network challenges this new mode presented us, were the various gameplay balance issues it adds to the fray. So we got it all together, polished it, and that’s why we’re revealing it now."

Introducing two more players into the single-player experience, however, requires a little narrative work on Bungie’s part. As such, they’ve come up with two new Elite characters, N’tho ’Sraom and Usze ’Taham. Good luck pronouncing that gibberish, but if you’re really interested in how these two fit into the Halo lore, Bungie.net has their complete background details.

More details are expected on Bungie.net later today. Stay tuned.