Though it would seem to be an obvious feature for Halo 3, the latest EGM has the prospect of online co-op mode looking grim. Frank O’Conner said that, though they realize that fans are wanting this feature, Halo 3 is a game that makes online co-op simply too impractical.

We’re not dumb. We know that people want it and we’re trying to make it happen. I think the biggest problem for us for online co-op is that we have a situation where you can be in a Warthog with five troops, almost a mile away from the other player. That’s a significant challenge. And there’s lots of design things you could do to prevent that from happening, but they would make it not feel like Halo anymore. If we can make it happen in a way that works well, we will – and if it works badly, we won’t.

Online co-op has appeal over regular co-op because it diminishes the limited range of vision caused by the split screen. That said, seeing as how Halo 3 is less than ten weeks away, the probability of co-op being squeezed into the game in time for release is slight at best.