Project Reclaimer Adds 64-Player Halo 3 Custom Games on Windows

What actually changed in v0.9.0​

Custom games now hold up to 64 players. Hosts raise the limit through Host Settings. A dedicated server holds up to 63 players (set with max_players in dedicated.toml) and still defaults to 16.

The release also says the scoreboard, carnage report and lobby list show every player. That is the part to remember if you were wondering whether the UI would cope with 64 names.

Three caveats apply:

• Version matching is mandatory. Players on an older version can't join servers that run the new version, and the reverse is also true. A 64-player server only works if everyone updates together.
• Campaign co-op is not 64. Campaign co-op still holds up to 16, whatever the server's limit.
• No performance data. The release notes establish the cap. They do not say how well each mode or map runs at 64 players, and I have not tested it.

How it works and what you need​

XDA describes the project as a free, standalone multiplayer launcher for Halo 3 on PC that loads the game from your Master Chief Collection install on Steam and runs it with its own menu system. The project's own pages are more specific about requirements:

• Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit.
• Your own copy of Halo: The Master Chief Collection on Steam, with Halo 3 installed, campaign included.
• No game files are bundled with Project Reclaimer.
• You don't need to start the game through Steam, because the launcher loads it from your installation folder.

Each release is tied to a single game build. If a Steam update changes the game's engine file, the client tells you, and you will need a Project Reclaimer release built for the new version. Anyone relying on this should expect occasional gaps after MCC patches.

The repository's readme advises checking the download against that release's SHA256SUMS.txt before running it. It gives a PowerShell Get-FileHash command for the check. This is sensible for an unsigned community executable. The project describes itself as free and non-commercial. The releases repository publishes only downloads, and the source isn't published. XDA says the team plans to open-source it but has no date.

Correcting the early picture: campaign and local play​

XDA's coverage says the project has no campaign. That is out of date. Version 0.8.9 added campaign play, solo or in co-op. Lobbies take up to 16 players, with up to four players in split screen on each PC. Campaign games don't count toward your multiplayer rank or stats.

The project's site also says the four-player split screen plays online. It describes up to four players on one PC, together on any server. That matches XDA's four-players-per-PC claim and goes beyond co-op. It comes from the developers, not from independent testing.

Matchmaking is a different matter. XDA reports none, and nothing I found describes conventional matchmaking. The project centers on custom games and a server browser, which is how a community-run service tends to work.

Other features worth knowing​

• Server browser and mods. The v0.9.0 release notes say selecting a server lists its players. They also describe dedicated servers that download Workshop mods themselves. XDA highlights mods that download from the server you join.
• Expanded Forge. XDA cites 735 blocks. The release notes add that Forge now shows object limits, and that frozen objects can be edited in place.
• Controller aiming. v0.9.0 adds a Classic or Modern choice under Settings → Controller → Aim control. Modern remains the default.
• Hosting tools. Dedicated servers can opt in to auto-updates, and RCON gained map, mode and vote commands.

Reading XDA's framing with some skepticism​

Two claims in the XDA piece go further than the evidence supports:

• "Microsoft keeps fumbling Halo." This is the author's opinion, and nothing in the project's documentation backs it up.
• Legal protection and permanent servers. XDA says the project is likely protected and that servers can never be pulled down. The project's documentation doesn't settle either point. Requiring a legitimate MCC copy is a common design choice for this kind of project, but that is not a legal ruling. Community servers also depend on volunteers to keep them running, and the master servers still need someone to operate them. XDA also says the writer hadn't played the build yet.

Should Windows gamers try it?​

If you own MCC on Steam, setup costs little and the project is free. The practical steps:

• Install Halo 3, campaign included, through MCC on Steam.
• Download the current release and verify its SHA-256 hash.
• Launch the client directly. Windows may flag an unknown publisher, which is normal for an unsigned executable.
• Join a server running your version. To host, raise Max players in Host Settings, or set max_players in dedicated.toml on a dedicated server.

Expect rough edges. The developers called it an early build. Large-lobby behavior is unproven outside the release notes, and the version rule means a server update can briefly split the community.

The takeaway is that 64-player Halo 3 is real and documented, with clear prerequisites. It also shows how much a modern PC can do with a decade-old console shooter and a determined volunteer team.

Update: Windows Central reports 128-player Project Reclaimer matches (October 8, 2026)​

Project Reclaimer players are reportedly hosting matches with up to 128 participants, including 64-on-64 team battles, according to Windows Central’s October 8 report. That is double the 64-player custom-game limit documented in the v0.9.0 release covered above. However, the outlet does not identify a newer launcher version, release date or configuration change that enables the larger matches, so its claim does not yet supersede those release notes as confirmed setup guidance.

For Windows hosts, that distinction matters: the report does not establish whether 128 players are supported through ordinary Host Settings, dedicated-server configuration or a separate modification. It also supplies no performance measurements or explanation of how the larger sessions handle player lists and scoreboards. Treat the higher count as a reported capability, rather than a verified new limit available to every installation.

The practical development is therefore promising but narrowly established: Windows Central describes substantially larger community battles, while the release and hosting requirements behind that increase remain unspecified. There is not enough information in its report to provide revised hosting instructions.