Halo: The Master Chief Collection players are about to get a ton of free content

As an apology to players who suffered through the weeks of poor matchmaking in Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Microsoft has announced they will be giving out a slew of free content to anyone who has played the game since launch on November 11, 2014 through December 19, 2014.

"This has been a humbling experience and highlighted how we as a studio can – and need – to do better for Xbox fans around the world.  We are so grateful to our fans who have stood by our side and we appreciate all of your patience as we worked through these issues," said 343 Industries head Bonnie Ross.

Anyone who has played The Master Chief Collection before December 19 will get the full campaign of Halo 3: ODST, remastered for 1080p and 60 frames per second.

In addition, players can expect via a free content update, a reimagined map of "Relic," fully remastered and running at 1080p/60fps. "We chose this map based on its suitability for Slayer and Objective modes and its ability to support teams of varying sizes. And you can trust that Certain Affinity will tune and tweak the map to make it even better than you remember," said Ross. Other freebies include a free month of Xbox LIVE Gold, an exclusive in-game Nameplate, and an exclusive in-game Avatar.

"The satisfaction and joy of our fans is absolutely critical to everyone at 343 Industries and we regret the issues and the frustration you have endured.  We are truly sorry and thank you for your continued patience and support of the Halo franchise," Ross concluded.

Microsoft says players due for the freebies will have the one month Xbox LIVE Gold applied directly to their account or be sent a redeemable token via the Xbox One message center beginning as early as mid-January 2015. The exclusive Nameplate and Avatar will be available in The Master Chief Collection in December 2014 via an upcoming content update. Lastly, the remastered version of Halo 3: ODST's campaign and the reimagined Halo 2: Anniversary version of the Relic multiplayer map will be available in Spring 2015.

"Both projects were not part of our original development plans, but as a result of community feedback, and to do something special for our fans, both are now in development," 343 said. The ODST campaign will be delivered via a free download token to those eligible players, while Relic will be included as a free update.

If you have any other questions, check out the FAQ over on Halo Waypoint.

[Halo Waypoint, Xbox Wire]