Microsoft nukes popular Halo 3 mod for Counter-Strike 2 from orbit: 'It was fun while it lasted'

Valve has removed a popular Halo 3 mod for Counter-Strike 2 from Steam, after its created was issued a DMCA takedown notice on behalf of Microsoft.

Project Misriah: Halo Ports was a collection of Counter-Strike 2 maps that recreated Halo 3's multiplayer in Valve's shooter sequel. Far more than just a map-pack, it aimed to replicate the specific feel of Halo 3's multiplayer as closely as possible, Halo-fying its arsenal, adjusting mechanics like ballistics and gravity to better align with Halo's Moon-hopping feel, and even throwing in authentic sound effects and announcer lines for good measure.

Sadly, that's all over now. On X, Project Misriah cocreator Forddoyo posted an image of a DMCA takedown notice he had received from Microsoft via Valve. The takedown notice alleges that Misriah's "unauthorized use of Halo game content in a workshop not associated with Halo games infringes their rights", and as such Valve had "temporarily removed your postings from Steam".

The crux of the issue here seems to be that Project Misriah uses assets from the Halo games, hence the use of the phrase "Halo game content". The Project Misriah team could theoretically file a counterclaim if it felt it could make the case that Project Misriah does not infringe upon Microsoft's copyright. But it sounds like that isn't going to happen. "Well…sorry guys project misriah is done! It was fun while it lasted," Froddoyo remarked in the post. "Make sure you give your thanks to Microsoft!"

The takedown has led to concerns from within the modding community that Microsoft's move may set a precedent for taking down other Steam workshop packs, as explained by fellow Halo modder Valkyries733 in a post quoting Froddoyo's statement. "Precedent set here impacts other workshops. Such as Left 4 Dead 2's and Garry's Mod's" Valkyries733 wrote. "They could feasibly get past this by making their own assets, but obviously that's a lot of work."

Morgan Park took Project Misriah for a spin back in November, and thought it was an impressively accurate recreation of Halo multiplayer. "It's delightful, evocative of the source material and legitimately fun. I played some CTF and Slayer with bots on Ghost Town and marveled at how effortlessly Halo's old school thinking about map design, power weapons and verticality translated into 2025."